Layton 1 Monica Layton A. Argyle 3-25-14 Profile Final Draft Guns Can Be Goo ! "oo.

#$ %ear a cras% outsi e &y %ouse in 'est (alley follo)e *y t%e soun of s%attering glass %itting &y li+ing roo& floor an t%e footste,s of so&eone )al-ing aroun &y li+ing roo&. My sto&ac% clenc%e an $ i&&e iately -ne) so&et%ing *a )as going to %a,,en. $ reac%e o+er &y slee,ing )ife! an into &y nig%tstan ra)er! gra**ing &y .4. cali*er %an gun. $

ste,,e out of &y roo& an into t%e ,itc% *lac- %all listening for )%oe+er )as out t%ere )%en su enly $ felt t%e col *arrel of a gun on t%e *ac- of &y %ea ./ A +ery close fa&ily frien of &ine! 0e+in 1as%1! %as %a a life t%reatening e2,erience )it% guns. 3e sa) *ot% t%e *a si e! an t%e goo si e of %a+ing firear&s. 0e+in )as al)ays t%at o+er-,rotecti+e fat%er )%o i n4t )ant firear&s any)%ere near %is c%il ren. 3e al)ays store t%e& in %is safe an only %e an %is )ife -ne) t%e co&*ination. 3e ne+er s%o)e %is c%il ren )%at firear&s )ere! an ne+er ,lanne too *ut t%en one %orrific ay c%ange %is &in set on t%at i ea fore+er. 3e li+e in 'est (alley )it% %is )ife an t%ree young c%il ren. "%ey i n4t li-e t%e area an felt it )as no goo ! *ut it )as c%ea, an t%ey coul n4t affor a fancy a,art&ent in a nicer area. $n 5une of 2... %is car %a recently *een stolen. 6oon after! %e caug%t t%e cul,rit an *efore %a+ing %i& arreste %e attac-e ! an in7ure %i&. 0e+in su enly feare for t%e )ell-

*eing of %is fa&ily *ecause t%e &an sai %e4 get %is re+enge on %i& an %is fa&ily one ay! %e

1 This is not his real name. He wished to remain anonymous.

Layton 2 7ust i n4t -no) %o) an )%en t%at ay )as. $ re&e&*er 0e+in escri*ing t%e %ostility *e%in t%e &an4s +oice an %o) it sent c%ills u, an o)n %is *o y.

8ne nig%t after %e tuc-e %is c%il ren in for *e ! %e an %is )ife )ere in t%e li+ing roo& )atc%ing ".(. an s%e tol %i& s%e %a seen a guy earlier t%at ay across t%e street staring at t%eir %ouse. 6%e sai %e stoo t%ere for %ours 7ust )atc%ing t%e&. 6%e i n4t say anyt%ing earlier *ecause s%e i n4t )ant to frig%ten t%e -i s. 6%e &entione t%at it loo-e li-e t%e sa&e &an )%o %a stolen t%eir car a fe) &ont%s *efore. "%at nig%t *efore %e )ent to *e %e got %is %an gun out of t%e safe an ,ut it in %is nig%tstan . 3e %a a gut )renc%ing feeling t%at so&et%ing )as going to %a,,en t%at nig%t an it )asn4t going to *e goo . 3e lay a)a-e for %ours! %is &in )as s,inning an %e coul n4t s%a-e t%at a)ful feeling. 8nce %e )as finally rifting off to slee,! %e %ear %is li+ing roo& )in o) s%atter an so&eone entering %is %ouse. #$ felt t%e col *arrel of a gun on t%e *ac- of &y %ea . $ )as startle ! $ i n4t -no) )%at to o. $ )as t%in-ing of e+ery *a scenario t%at coul %a,,en. "%is guy coul *lo) &y *rains out rig%t no) an &y fa&ily )oul )a-e u, an see it. 3e coul go after t%e&! too. $ i n4t -no) )%at to o. $ 7ust stoo t%ere. 9+ery %air on &y *o y )as stan ing straig%t u,. $ )as t%in-ing to &yself! :"%is is it. $4& going to ie an $ can4t o anyt%ing a*out it.4 3e %a t%e a +antage! t%e gun )as rea y an ,ointe at &y %ea . 3e ;uietly )%is,ere to &e! :<ou ruine &y life. 1o) $4& going ruin yours.4 5ust t%en! $ %ear a gun s%ot! *ut it )asn4t &y gun an $ )as still ali+e. $ )as )on ering )%at %a,,ene ! an )%o else )as t%ere. $ i n4t -no) %o) t%at )as ,ossi*le. "%e guy fell to t%e groun in agoni=ing ,ain an $ turne aroun to see &y )ife! an &y t%ree little -i s stan ing t%ere in is&ay. My )ife )as %ol ing a gun an it occurre to &e t%at s%e )as t%e one )%o 7ust s%ot t%is &an. 6%e )as crying! &y -i s )ere crying! an su crying./ enly $ )as

Layton 3 "%ey ca&e to +isit &y fa&ily s%ortly after it %a,,ene an )%ile 0e+in )as telling &y a a*out it $ 7ust sat t%ere listening! $ felt li-e $ )as )atc%ing a &o+ie *ecause of t%e )ay %e )ent o+er eac% e+ent in suc% etail. $ re&e&*er *eing nine years ol an )on ering %o) so&eone coul o so&et%ing so &ean to suc% nice! frien ly ,eo,le. $ as-e %i& %o) %is )ife

s%ot %i& if %e only %a one gun in t%e nig%t stan an %is re,ly )as! #'ell! $ i n4t -no) it *ut s%e4s al)ays -e,t %er o)n gun in t%e nig%tstan . 6%e ne+er tol &e *ecause s%e -ne) $ )oul n4t *e fon of %a+ing a loa e gun in reac% of our c%il ren so s%e -e,t it %i en. But $ a& sure gla s%e )as s&art enoug% to %a+e one! ot%er)ise $ )oul n4t *e %ere an t%ey ,ro*a*ly )oul n4t! eit%er./ Being suc% a young c%il ! $ )as intereste in all t%e gory etails li-e! #Di t%e &an ie> 'as your %ouse a &ess> '%at i t%e ,olice say a*out it>/ 0e+in res,on e to eac% of &y aunting ;uestions in an +ery nice &anner consi ering %o) o,en &y ;uestions )ere. 3e assure &e t%at t%e &an i n4t ie! %e )as 7ust in7ure *a ly. 3is )ife %a only s%ot %i& in t%e leg to -ee, %i& fro& s%ooting 0e+in. 3e t%en ga+e &e all t%e o*scene etails a*out %is %ouse an %o) istur*ing t%e %all)ay )as. 3is e2act )or s )ere! #'e coul n4t e+en enter t%e %ouse until t%e cleaning cre) cleane t%e &ess u,! after t%at )e ,ac-e our stuff an left./ 3is )ife )as sent into ;uestioning at t%e local ,olice station! as it )as &an atory for any cri&e li-e t%at. 6%e )as s%ortly release after gi+ing all t%e etails on %o) it )as ,urely self efense an s%e )as only ,rotecting %er %us*an an ,otentially %erself an %er c%il ren fro& a &an )it% t%e intent to -ill. During t%at +isit! &y a ! 0e+in! %is -i s an $ )ent to t%e &ountains to s%oot guns an learn a*out t%e ,ro,er )ays to %an le t%e&! loa t%e&! an carry t%e&.! as )ell as t%e ,ro,er )ay to s%oot t%e&. 0e+in4s -i s 7ust sat *ac- an )atc%e &e )it% fear in t%eir eyes as $ s%ot t%e guns an %el t%e&. "%ey )ere too scare to ,artici,ate. $ learne t%e i&,ortance of gun safety

Layton 4 an t%e conse;uences if $ faile to use t%e& ,ro,erly. $ )as lecture t%e &ost *y &y a on %o) $ s%oul ne+er touc% t%e& unless $ nee e to in or er to ,rotect so&eone an %o) $ s%oul ne+er ,oint t%e& at a ,erson unless it )as strictly for ,rotection! e+en if it )as a fa-e gun. My a s%o)e &e t%e safe t%at %el all %is guns! an tol &e )%at eac% gun )as! an )%at *ullets t%ey too- an %o) to loa t%e& an ,ut t%e& a)ay again. 3e e+en ;ui==e &e on eac% gun an if $ got an ans)er )rong it e;uale one ay of *eing groun e for eac% &isse ;uestion %e as-e &e. $ learne ;uic-ly *y t%is e2,erience. Because 0e+in4s c%il ren )ere too scare to ,artici,ate t%e ay $ )as taug%t all a*out guns! t%ey i n4t learn a*out gun safety an t%e ,ro,er %an ling until a fe) years later! *ut 0e+in taug%t t%e& t%e sa&e )ay &y a taug%t &e. My fa&ily an $ %a+e learne t%roug% %is e2,erience t%at it is o-ay to -ee, a gun in reac% of any fa&ily &e&*er *ecause situations li-e t%at o %a,,en an it4s great to *e ,re,are ! as long as t%e )%ole fa&ily is taug%t a*out t%e ,ro,er gun safety an t%e ,ro,er )ay to loa an s%oot one. 6ince t%at ay! &y fat%er %as al)ays %a a %an gun in %is *e roo&! an %e4s tol e+ery one of %is c%il ren )%ere it is an %as taug%t all of us %o) to use it ,ro,erly. 3e4s also tol us t%at it is strictly for ,rotection use only an )e all un erstan t%at. 3e also %as %is conceale )ea,ons ,er&it an carries a gun on %i& at all ti&es. Peo,le on4t e+en notice %e is carrying a )ea,on! *ut $4& sure t%ey )oul all *e grateful if so&et%ing *a )ere to %a,,en an %e use it to ,rotect %i&self an ot%ers aroun %i&. $t4s *een fourteen years no)! an 0e+in says t%at nig%t still %aunts %i&. $n a recent +isit )it% %i& an %is fa&ily! $ notice %o) ti&i %is c%il ren are! to t%is ay! to)ar strangers co&ing into t%eir %o&e. Alt%oug% $ a& not really a stranger! t%e last ti&e $ sa) t%ose girls )as ,ro*a*ly fi+e or si2 years ago an t%ey %a+e forgotten &e *ecause t%ey )ere still +ery young at t%e ti&e. All t%ree of t%e& cling to t%eir fat%er or &ot%er an e+en after *eing assure t%at it4s

Layton 5 o-ay! t%ey are still a little frig%tene an it ta-es t%e& a lot of ti&e for t%e& to trust a ne) ,erson. $t4s insane to see %o) a nig%t li-e t%at one! )it% t%e& *eing so young! %a suc% an affect on t%e& an %o) t%ey see ne) ,eo,le. 'e )ent an s%ot so&e guns! an t%e )ay t%ose c%il ren %an le t%e& co&,are to fourteen years ago )as a&a=ing. "%ey )ere taug%t )ell! an t%ey are efinitely rea y to use t%e& for ,rotection if e+er nee e . 0e+in learne t%at %a+ing firear&s in t%e %ouse! in a easily accessi*le area! isn4t al)ays *a *ecause in a situation li-e %is it coul really sa+e li+es. $f %is )ife %a n4t %a %er o)n gun in t%e nig%tstan $ )oul no longer %a+e t%at fa&ily in &y life. $t )as %er actions t%at sa+e %is life. Guns can *e goo ! as long as you -no) %o) to use t%e& ,ro,erly! an store t%e& safely. $ *elie+e e+ery %ouse%ol s%oul %a+e at least one firear& in case of an e&ergency. 9s,ecially if so&eone %as c%il ren. As long as t%ey %a+e taug%t t%e& t%e correct )ay to use a firear& an t%e ifference *et)een using one as a )ea,on +ersus using one for ,rotection. More ,eo,le

use guns as a )ea,on t%an as &eans for ,rotection! *ut t%at4s no reason to ,unis% t%e ,eo,le )%o o %a+e t%e& for ,rotection an %unting ,ur,oses. "%ey )oul *e t%e only ones to follo) any la) t%at *ans certain guns for certain uses. "%e ,eo,le )%o use t%e& for -illing )oul still use t%e *anne guns for -illing. 6o not%ing )oul c%ange! ot%er t%an t%e innocent ,eo,le losing t%e rig%t to ,rotect t%e&sel+es an t%eir fa&ily. Alt%oug% %is )ife i n4t s%oot t%e &an &ore t%an ten ti&es! t%e gun s%e use still %el &ore t%an ten roun s at a ti&e! so if t%ere )as a la) *anning any firear&s t%at %ol ten roun s or &ore %e an %is )ife )oul not %a+e %a t%ose guns! t%e guns t%at 7ust so %a,,ene to sa+e t%eir li+es t%at nig%t. Pro,er e ucation an storing all firear&s safely )ill greatly ecrease any c%ance of an acci ental s%ooting or a +iolent one.