I’m a former soldier who has never owned a firearm. Yesterday I went to a gun range in Texas and formed an opinion about the second amendment.

When I was a soldier I was forced to carry a rifle and pistol at all times. I was required to pass shooting qualifications. I was never a fan of it but I did what I was told. I was shot at multiple times in combat and never enjoyed the feeling of being shot at or shooting back. I was relieved when I was honorably discharged years ago. I have been against guns my whole life and have never owned a firearm. I believe in doing what you want to do on your own property as long as you’re not hurting someone else. I also believe that people shouldn’t have access to assault rifles. I believe that we need stricter gun laws to prevent deranged people from buying guns. <br><br>Flash forward to now, I recently moved to Texas for my civilian job. I have never been to Texas in my life. I am not a redneck or a country boy by any means. I’m a city guy from Pennsylvania. I have to travel a lot for work all over that state and I have seen a lot of “open carry” signs at restaurants and “no guns allowed” signs at businesses. I’ve never seen this before in my life. <br><br>This week I had some free time while staying in Austin and I decided to go to a gun range. Why not it’s Texas. I went to the range and was greeted by a nice woman working at the front desk. I explained to her that I am former military and have never been to a gun range before. She smiled and said all our guns are unlocked, that locker right there is full of free ear protection and eye protection. All of our guns are first come first serve. Write down the gun number (on the gun locked in the display case) of the weapon you would like to shoot and we will give you a cartridge to put in the gun. The locker to your right is full of free ammo. Please pick out a box of ammo for the gun you chose and give it to us so we can verify you have the correct ammo for your chosen gun. I was taken back. I was expecting crazy red tape and legal requirements. I was expecting a page full of paperwork just like when you bought a gun. The only thing they asked from me was my driver’s license. <br><br>I picked out a handgun and they showed me how to unlock it from the display case. I picked out a box of ammo and they verified that it was correct. I carried a Glock to the shooting gallery where there were probably 20 or so other people around. I walked up to the shooting lane closest to me, right between two other gentlemen. I loaded the gun to the best of my ability but wasn’t sure. I tapped both of the gentlemen on the shoulder nearest to me and politely asked them if I did it correctly. They politely stopped shooting, took the gun from me, and pointed out the correct way to load a Glock. One man even gave me a few of his bullets and let me shoot his gun. <br><br>I shot the Glock and enjoyed it. I went back to the front desk and picked out an AK47. Same process. I took it to be locker and loaded it to the best of my ability and wasn’t sure if it was correct. Again, I politely tapped the two gentlemen nearest to me on the shoulder and asked them if I loaded it correctly. They politely stopped shooting and showed me how to correctly load the AK. After I figured it out, they said I should go first since I interrupted them. So I went first and then they took their turns. We talked for a bit and I learned one had an AK when he was in the military and missed shooting it. He told me all about the history of that gun and how he views it as a piece of history in America. I then asked the other gentlemen why he was shooting. He told me it was for self protection. That he had been mugged many times in Austin (not safe right now) and he wants to protect himself and his family. I asked him why he chose an AK47 specifically. He said because he grew up shooting them in Eastern Europe with his grandpa and they are very cheap. <br><br>After talking with both gentlemen I went back to the desk and picked out an AR15. I went back to the same shooting lane and again politely tapped the nearest gentlemen on the shoulder and asked for their guidance. One man was happy to help and he too learned how to shoot an AR in the military. He showed me how to correctly load it and let me shoot his gun. After we had both finished shooting we talked for a bit. He was a vet who moved to Texas specifically because of their second amendment laws. He told me when police are non responsive in an emergency, you need to be able to protect yourself. <br><br>I talked to multiple people while I was there and every person was polite and courteous. I learned a lot about guns, people who own guns, and many views on the second amendment. I’m still against assault rifles but I now see a different perspective. I had a great time. I met a lot of great people. I learned a lot about our county. I enjoyed myself. <br><br>The second amendment is a very polarizing topic and I can see both sides of the argument. I will never own a gun and I’m still against assault weapons but I have a different feeling about it now. I will never tell anyone else what to do with their life but I can see why this means so much to some people. I still feel like stricter gun laws are needed but I can see why people enjoy this.