I spend a lot of my day cringing.

Why? Because gun owners aren’t exactly treated sympathetically by the media, and I have to read a ton of stuff like that. I can’t write about everything, especially because so much of it would just be a rehash of so much of what we’ve seen over and over again. Plus, some of it is a bit more subtle than other examples.

But when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a gun piece, I first look at the byline. John Diedrich may not always write stuff I agree with, but he’s probably the only mainstream journalist out there who legitimately tries to be fair when he covers gun-related stories.

And so I shouldn’t be surprised that he penned a piece about a couple of firearm instructors who take things a step further than most would.

With a folder and pen in hand, Jieire Vance stepped to the front door of the bungalow on Milwaukee’s north side. He looked like a remodeling contractor or maybe the cable guy.

But Vance was there for what could be a matter of life and death.

Vance, a firearms instructor, was helping a family develop a plan for what to do if an intruder breaks into their home and deadly force is needed.

It was the home of Mikieya Williams, who recently had taken a gun safety class. She already owned a gun but wanted better training and, most of all, guidance on how to create a home defense plan.

The free home evaluation is part of what Vance and his partner, Theron Rogers, offer to those who take their classes. The two are both former law enforcement officers and know it’s one thing to talk about gun safety and home defense in a classroom setting; it’s another in the home.

…

Vance’s first questions are quickly answered: Do the children know there is a gun in the house? Yes. And will they be part of the home defense plan? Yes, in part.

Security experts stress that a gun is not the first line of home defense; it is the final line.

Developing a home security plan starts with keeping doors and windows locked and reinforced, adding outside lighting, coordinating with neighbors to keep an eye out for each other, and considering cameras, an alarm system and a dog.

Vance is preparing this family for an event where those precautions fail. 

I legitimately love this.

It should be noted that I didn’t include the discussion of firearm storage that was also there, but I’m glad to see that it’s there. Vance essentially makes the argument that there’s a way to have a gun properly stored and still be accessible in the event of an emergency. Depending on exactly what that entails, of course, but focusing on proper gun storage is a good thing. This seems to include new technology, which I’m personally hesitant to trust, but that’s just me.

Yet beyond that, helping students evaluate their home and make a home defense plan is something I can’t say I’ve heard of many instructors offering. It’s a very good thing because let’s face it, no one takes a weekend class, then walks home fully understanding all the nuances that would go into defending your home.

Having someone who knows more come in and take a look and offer guidance is a good thing.

Well, it is if the advice is good, anyway.

That’s not a criticism of Vance or anyone else. I honestly don’t know precisely what kind of advice they’re giving, but I do think it’s a good thing to help people who may not know what to do figure out how to have an overall defensive plan beyond just “get my gun and shoot the bad guy.” Especially if there are kids in the mix. They need to know their role in things, and that’s what’s happening here.

I’m glad to see stories like this amplified.