I am a former police officer, here's why I no longer think that owning a gun is a good idea.

I am a former police officer, and I no longer keep a gun in my house.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>I used to think that owning an assault rifle or a large capacity handgun was a great idea. I used to think that not only was it a great idea, but that I was qualified to own one.<br><br>I've now seen enough shit that I have changed my mind. I don't keep weapons in my house, because statistically I am more likely to hurt myself than a trespasser. My children are no longer little, so I don't have to worry about them getting into things that they shouldn't. Honestly though, I probably wouldn't keep a weapon in the house even if I had young kids. I don't want to risk blowing my own kid's face off at 3AM if I mistake them for a bad guy.<br><br>I am also a former soldier, and I know that even with my training, it is extremely difficult to keep a level head and make good decisions in the heat of the moment. I was shot at while I was in the military. I was shot at as a police officer. Soldiers and police officers are trained for these situations. They are trained on deadly force encounters, and they still mess up, even when everything goes perfectly and they do everything right.<br><br>The average citizen isn't trained for this, and we still expect them to be able to handle an armed confrontation correctly? We still expect them to make the right decisions? I think those expectations are unrealistic.<br><br>Plus, I am required to keep my training up to date as a police officer. I go to the range multiple times a year. I go to classes multiple times a year. I study on my own time. I read books, I watch videos, I get as much training as I can, because I am forced to do so.<br><br>I think that gun owners should be required to go through similar training. They should go to the range at least a couple of times a year. They should be required to go to classes. They should be forced to get more training. Because guns are dangerous, and if you want to keep one in your home then you should be better trained. A one hour class where you learn how to aim and fire a gun, and a quick background check, shouldn't be enough to carry a deadly weapon.<br><br>I know that's not how it is though.<br><br>I know most people haven't actually fired a gun, and I know most people won't get enough training.<br><br>I do know that the average person is more likely to hurt themselves than an intruder.<br><br>I do know that statistically you are more likely to get shot if you have a weapon.<br><br>I do know that even with training, you're still prone to making mistakes in the heat of the moment.<br><br>I do know that you will be held to the standard of a professional trained officer if you discharge your weapon, even if you're just a citizen.<br><br>Honestly, I've seen enough that I don't think the risk is worth it. Not for my family, not for my children, not for me. Even if you do everything right, you're still at risk of blowing your own kid's face off in the middle of the night. Even if you do everything right, you're still at risk of mistakenly detaining the neighbors child because you're on an adrenaline high and you can't think straight.<br><br>Plus, I've seen what guns do to people. I've seen what they do to bodies. I've seen what the bullet does when it enters a person. I've seen what happens when a bullet rips through a person's skull. I've seen what guns do to families. I've seen what they do to friends. I've seen what they do to kids who find their Dad's handgun.<br><br>I think the risk is too high, and that most people are too ignorant.<br><br>So I don't keep a weapon in my home. I used to, back when I was ignorant and thought that I was doing the right thing. Now I don't. I used to think that the best way to protect yourself was to own a gun. Now I think it's the opposite.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>unqueod