By now, everyone has heard several sides to the heated debate on gun control by listening to the news or maybe just hearing the opinions of friends and family. Some say owning guns is a right of every American, while others say the country would be much safer if the ordinary citizen wouldn’t be allowed to own certain kinds of guns. But, in the event of such extreme gun control — where the average person would not be allowed to own a firearm — who would actually benefit?

As with any illegal object, if someone was dead set on obtaining a gun he or she could certainly find a way to do so. By outlawing them, we would not prevent criminals from owning guns. All we would be doing is banning law-abiding citizens from gun ownership, which could also prevent them from defending themselves if someone broke into their house or threatened them in some way. In certain cases, not being able to defend yourself could actually result in your death or the deaths of those around you.

In other words, having the right to bear arms is nearly synonymous with having a right to protect yourself, your family, and your property. While in the wrong hands, guns can be disastrous, banning or limiting gun ownership isn’t going to completely solve the problem. What could actually help is having those who wish to own guns taught proper gun safety and how to shoot correctly, which would decrease the number of accidental wounds and fatalities from firearms.

Learning to use a gun can be beneficial to anyone who is old enough and mature enough to handle it. It is a form of protection and can even be a deterrent for crime in some situations. For example, I grew up in a farmhouse a few miles away from a small town, and you can bet that just about all of my neighbors had a gun and could be ready to use it very quickly. Do they use it a lot? Probably not, aside from scaring off predators that might attack their livestock. Would they be quickly armed if someone tried to break into their house? You bet they would be, and any criminal with an ounce of intelligence knows that breaking into these homes could possibly result in a gunshot wound before they come within 50 feet of the house. Learning how to shoot, whether you’re a man or woman, can come in handy and it’s a good idea to at least know how to shoot if the situation arises.

Guns can also be used for hunting and recreational use and many people enjoy that, especially in Iowa. That being said, accidents do happen when hunting or even just target shooting, especially for people who are new to it. A main reason is that they were not taught correct hunting safety, or even just basic gun safety.

Firearm safety is important for anyone to know. Whether you are shooting the gun or you are just around it, being knowledgeable is necessary for your safety and the safety of anyone around you. I learned how to shoot from my father and before he even let me touch a gun he went over every part of gun safety you could imagine, most of which is really just common sense.

One of the main rules to keep in mind when operating guns is to inspect your gun before you use it, especially if you don’t shoot frequently. Without a simple inspection, you might discover that the safety is actually off and the gun is loaded after you accidentally shoot a hole into the wall of your living room. When inspecting it, make sure the gun is completely unloaded before you do anything and keep it pointed in a safe direction. Make sure the safety is on, but stay away from the trigger in case there is a malfunction in the safety and the gun does go off. Check the barrel to make sure it’s not obstructed, because if something is stuck in the barrel it can cause increased pressure that could “explode” the barrel and cause injury to those around it. Other general safety tips include wearing ear and eye protection, using appropriate ammunition, and checking to see if anything is near or behind your chosen target.

There are other important safety precautions regarding guns, and if you’re planning to own a gun you should become familiar with all of them or take a firearm safety course. If more people learned how to safely use them it would cut back on the number of gun related accidents. Overall, a gun is only as dangerous as the person who is operating it, and it’s more beneficial for the country as a whole to have intelligent gun owners who can protect themselves than to take away or limit their guns altogether.

Caitlin Ellingson is a senior in journalism and mass communication and environmental studies from Milo, Iowa.