Guinea Get Your Gun
How I learned to love firearms.
"Happiness is a warm gun," I replied, aware that John Lennon, who wrote those lyrics, was gunned down by a madman. Dianna shot well.
My lessons were over, and Ricardo walked me to the parking lot to say goodbye. He handed me a piece of paper. It was from the NRA, a certificate saying I had successfully completed its basic pistol course. I got in my car and turned the key. The sounds of NPR came through the speaker. I felt confused. NPR or NRA? NPR or NRA? Then I thought of a line from another movie, Chinatown: "She's my sister! She's my daughter! My sister, my daughter. She's my sister and my daughter."
Is there something you've always wanted to do but were too scared or embarrassed to try? Ask the Human Guinea Pig to do it for you. E-mail me your ideas at
Emily Yoffe is a regular Slate contributor. She writes the Dear Prudence and Human Guinea Pig columns. You can send Dear Prudence questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Subscribe to Emily Yoffe's Facebook page.
Illustrations by Nina Frenkel.



Tornado Destroys Oklahoma City Suburb
How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?
Is Your State Bird a Stupid State Bird? What It Should Be Instead.