A couple weeks ago I shot a gun for the first time in my life.
Lauren, who's big on guns, was in town, and since I'd been curious to shoot we decided to just go ahead and do it. Lauren brought her personal cannon down to LA in the trunk of her car. I get the feeling that Lauren is prepared—for whatever.
I convinced Geoff, Scott and Ronnie to come along, too. Besides Lauren, Scott was the only other person who'd shot before. Lauren gave us some quick lessons.
For the first 5 minutes in the range every time someone fired anything larger than a .22 Ronnie and I jumped involuntarily.
But we both got over that and had fun. By the end of the night, guns had gone from being chilling instruments of death that I was nervous just to touch to charming little devices that I treated with a casual disregard.
> ..guns had gone from being chilling instruments of death that I was nervous just to touch to charming little devices that I treated with a casual disregard.
Well, guns are really chilling instruments of death.
Do not treat guns with casual disregard, even if you know how to handle them. In particular:
- always point the barrel down unless you are preparing to shoot;
- never point even an unloaded gun on people unless you are determined to kill them;
- always treat the gun as if it charged and armed, even if you were told or saw that it isn't, or even if it was disarmed by yourself just five seconds ago;
- when disarming weapons, always check for ammo in the chamber.
You probably were told these rules, but repeating them shouldn't hurt. It would be sad to loose your entertaining blog due to Careless Gunner Syndrome :)
Posted by: Eugene Zaikonnikov on August 28, 2003 02:24 AMyou have seen "Bowling for columbine"? That's my impression on how useful and nice are guns.
Stan.
Posted by: Stan on August 28, 2003 11:59 PMHeh, don't trust anything Michael Moore says. I certainly[1] don't.
[1] http://www.wunderkinder.org/archives/2003_03.html#001026
Posted by: Keith on August 30, 2003 12:30 AMHave you ever seen that episode of the Simpsons where Homer bought a gun? That's my impression on how useful and nice guns are. You can use them to open a can of beer AND change the TV station.
Posted by: rps on August 31, 2003 09:50 AMHeh.
Guns are basically metal pacifiers people use to somehow compensate for their own insecurities. Guns sure as hell don't make anything "safer". American news is filled daily with stories of the fruits of policies allowing easy access to firearms.
Don't trust anything the NRA or its many lobbyists (hello, ESR?) say. I certainly don't.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/press/release.asp?Record=321
http://www.gunlawsuits.org/defend/second/articles/nramyths.asp
Guns make holes in paper. Quickly. What's not to like? I suppose they also put holes in clay discs, tin cans, watermelons, and other objects, if you are so inclined...My gun is not for protection, it's just for fun. I like things that explode and things that go fast, bullets do both. I don't even keep ammunition, so I expect it'd be difficult for me to ever shoot someone with my gun, unless I did it at a practise range. They tend to frown upon that, though.
Seriously, guns are not the evil killer-creaters people like to label them. I like that I have the option NOT to put holes in people, just like I have the option not to run small children down with my automobile.
Posted by: Lauren on November 7, 2003 06:26 PM