The Second Amendment to the Constitution says I have the right to bear arms, but I really dont think it applies to me. I just have the feeling the Founding Fathers didnt have me in mind when it was approved in 1791. Let me explain.

As a teenager I had a couple of guns, a 410 shotgun and a .22 rifle. I was taught to shoot by my brother-in-law and a lot of his instruction included gun safety. He emphasized that guns are not toys. He took me to a shooting range not far from my home in North Omaha where I practiced my skill at hitting a target under his tutelage. I loved shooting at targets with the rifle and clay pigeons with the shotgun, but I never got interested in hunting. When I went into the Air Force after high school we had to quality on the rifle range and I did pretty well thanks to my brother-in-laws instructions.

When I got married I quickly discovered my new bride did not like guns and didnt want any in the house. That was OK since I couldnt afford a gun or ammo anyway. The no guns rule went on until all our kids had grown and left home. It was then I started a campaign to get a shotgun. I heard there was a skeet range nearby where I could shoot clay pigeons. My campaign to get a shotgun was simple but effective. It consisted of hours of, Please, please, please -- it seemed to work for the kids so I thought Id give it a try. After months of begging she finally relented.

After work one day I went to a local sporting goods store and bought a beautiful 12 gauge pump shotgun. I brought it home and showed my wife. Then as instructed by her I put a trigger lock on it, placed it in a case and put it in my closet. What happened next occurred the very same evening after buying the shotgun.

We ate supper and were in the process of cleaning up when the phone rang. I answered it. A voice on the other end said, This is the Woodbury County Sheriffs Office and there is a deputy outside your door and he wants to talk to you. As I hung up the phone I thought, Oh my gosh they found out I bought a gun!

I told my wife what was going on and then stepped outside. There in front of my house were cars from every law enforcement agency in the area. There were a couple of State Patrol cars, several sheriffs cars and the local police. The officers were out of their cars and searching my lawn.

There was a deputy at the bottom of the porch steps who politely explained, The local police officer reported he heard gunshots in the area and thought it came from here. I thought about it and then remembered hearing something. I told the deputy I heard it too but thought it sounded like a car backfiring.

We talked for a few more minutes and when they couldnt find anything everyone left. I walked back in the house satisfied that the incident was over. There was my wife standing in the living room. She had watched the drama unfold from the window. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at me. She said, I told you not to buy that damn gun! And walked away.

After a few years of languishing in the closet I finally sold the gun and havent owned one since. Like I said I dont think the Second Amendment applies to me.

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Terry's Turn: The Second Amendment | Special Sections ... - Sioux City Journal