The popular host of the TV show “Dirty Jobs,” Mike Rowe is also well known for his down-to-earth commonsense approach to living life. On occasion he has been known to share his views on a variety of social issues — always in a gracious yet pointed manner.

Recently Rowe attended SHOT Show 2019, the nation’s largest annual gun-industry convention, where he spoke about what he has learned from gun owners. “So much of what matters most to me came from people who own firearms,” he stated. Rowe then proceed to relay several experiences in which he learned valuable lessons from individuals who embraced the Second Amendment as a right and a personal responsibility.

Specifically regarding responsibility, Rowe told a story of his brief excursion on a crab boat while narrating “Deadliest Catch” and his interaction with a boat captain during a storm. As the storm intensified, Rowe suggested that they should head back to harbor because safety comes first. The captain responded, “Safety first? I’m the captain of a crab boat. My job is not to get you home safe. My job is to get you home rich.” The captain then added, “if you want to get home safe, that’s on you.”

Rowe, noting that the captain was also a gun owner, observed an important lesson: “Personal responsibility is your best defense against a potential calamity.” He then asserted, “Be wary of experts. Don’t dismiss them out of hand, but don’t always assume they know what they’re talking about. A pig farmer might know more than an MBA. A farmer might know more about being kind to animals than a self-appointed expert.”

As always, Rowe has a way of communicating good ideas to live by.