Uncle Jim used to herd a group of us kids into the car on a Saturday morning and head to an isolated area outside town. His son, little Jim, my two cousins, Sandy and Terry, and I were full of anticipation. We were going target shooting — with a real gun — guided every step of the way in gun safety by Uncle Jim. I was about 10 or 11 years old, the oldest kid in the group.

“Always keep a gun pointed toward the ground until you are ready to shoot,” Uncle Jim would say as he set up soda cans on a fence post about 20 yards away. “Never, ever point a gun toward another person.”