I am bullet.
I am lead and copper, brass and nickel, powder and primer.
I am chemistry, metallurgy and physics.
Load me into a chamber, and I will fire when struck by a firing pin, no matter who pulls the trigger, and no matter where I am aimed.
Once I am fired, you cannot recall me, or redirect me. I will freeze your decision, right or wrong, in the very fragment of time it takes for you to pull that trigger, with no way for you to undo it.
No prayer, no regret, no bribe can alter my path.
I can pierce air, paper, drywall, wood, and flesh.
I can take everything away from a person: their thoughts, memories, hopes, fears, and dreams. I can take everything they were, everything they are, and everything they’re going to be.
I can take a life, for whatever reason: good or bad, right or wrong, intentional or accidental.
I am a piece of metal, mindless and inert. I have no morals, no intentions, no desires, and no ethics. I take on all those values from you when you launch me out of that barrel.
Do not pull that trigger lightly, because you are responsible for the path I take, the target I hit, and the damage I inflict.
Pull the trigger with respect, with resolve, with trepidation, or even with dread if you must–but you must never pull that trigger lightly.
), I find this essay to be profound. All of its contents should be understood by any gun owner and anyone thinking of buying a gun.