Train to Retain

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Adopted in 1791, the Second Amendment has helped guarantee our nation’s freedom from the tyranny that caused our founders to break away from England. It is the amendment that guarantees all the others and can be considered the nation’s hard-reset button, to be pressed only in the direst of circumstances.

The Second Amendment is the one thing that differentiates our nation from others. Of the three countries with a constitutional guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms*, only the U.S. has no restrictions on this right written into our founding documents. It was designed to be the last line of defense against despotism. To my knowledge, no other country has this.

If you own a firearm for hunting, sport, or as a member of the broader militia, you have not only a responsibility to get training, but also a moral obligation to do so. If you carry a firearm for self-protection, we would argue it’s doubly so.

Self-defense can be personally focused in defending your family or outwardly focused on protecting the community at large, which was the concept behind the Militia. The armed citizen defending hearth and home used to be a part of our culture. 

Changes in recent decades, however, have removed the passing of the gun culture that was handed down from generation to generation. Also lost is the concept of personal responsibility that was a part of life in America. In some cases this sense of responsibility often finds its way back into gun-owning society, but not always.

If you’re new to firearms, you need to understand training is not a ‘one-and-done’ proposition. Those who’ve been around firearms for some time understand that marksmanship is a perishable skill, firearm safety never goes out of style and laws surrounding self-defense can change. It is up to you to keep current on these topics; nobody will do it for you, and failure to do so can have dire personal or legal consequences.

Safe firearm handling, and enforces and reinforces it during the courseWhether it’s through a formalized firearms course, competitions, or structured self-practice, get training. When reviewing programs, make sure the instructor(s) cover topics such as: 

• Shooting as quickly as you can be accurate because, as one instructor said, “you can’t miss fast enough.”

• Drawing from a holster

• Reloading techniques

• Movement of target during shooting

• Moving while shooting

• Engaging multiple targets

• One-hand and weak-hand shooting 

Some instructors cover your state’s laws surrounding self-defense, and even better is if this instructor is also an attorney specializing in criminal law.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a God-given right that’s protected by the Second Amendment. Exercise that right to the fullest extent you can, but also exercise the responsibility to get the training that should come with it. 

* Besides the United States, Mexico and Guatemala are the two other countries with RKBA guarantees in their constitutions, but which also indicate the government can regulate this ‘right’.