I grew up
in the country. Like most everyone in
the country I learned to shoot and handle firearms safely when I was very
young. To us country folk guns are tools
just like any other tool. Their uses are
many, hunting, target shooting, collecting, and in the gravest extreme
self-defense. So I was surprised when
one of my relatives from the country said this to me just last week. "I hate guns, especially automatic
handguns and automatic assault rifles. The only guns I like are shotguns and
hunting rifles. We should ban those
ugly automatic military guns that are not made for hunting."
Her comment concerned me because she is very active in politics and has been considering a run for office.
"Have you ever fired a gun?" I asked.
"No," She replied. (amazing for a country born woman!)
"Why are shotguns and hunting rifles okay?" I asked.
"Because they are not dangerous automatic assault weapons." She said.
"What is an assault weapon?" I asked. I showed her a page full of pictures of rifles on Google. She pointed to the AR15 and the AK47.
"Show me a hunting rifle," I said. She pointed to the Marlin Model 336W .30-30 rifle.
"Which rifle is more powerful?" I asked.
"The automatic assault weapon," she said.
When I explained that the .30-30 was much, much more powerful than the AR15 and the AK47 she was shocked. “No kidding?” she said.
"Why do you call the less powerful rifles 'assault' rifles?" I asked.
"That's what they say on TV," she sad.
"Did you know," I asked, "that your son, your grandson and thousands of other hunters use AR15s and AK47s to hunt wild hogs and other game?"
"No way," she said. "Really?"
I pointed to the AR15 and the .30-30 again. "Which one is an automatic?" I asked.
She pointed to the AR15. "Nope," I said. "Neither gun is an automatic."
"What is the most lethal close-range civilian firearm?" I asked. "Do you know?"
"No."
"Most people say the shotgun," I replied.
"The shotgun? Your kidding!"
"Think about it. Every police force in the US and most in the world use the shotgun for close quarter battles with bad guys. Shotguns are super-lethal."
"Well at least the government should ban automatic weapons," she said.
"Automatic weapons are illegal now, accept to persons with very expensive federal licenses," I said.
"Really?" she said.
"Yes," I said. "The narrative about firearms has been totally politicized by the media and by anti-gun politicians. People that don't know anything about guns are being brainwashed."
"Maybe so," she said. "But I still don't like those ugly guns!"
Mark VanSchuyver
Her comment concerned me because she is very active in politics and has been considering a run for office.
"Have you ever fired a gun?" I asked.
"No," She replied. (amazing for a country born woman!)
"Why are shotguns and hunting rifles okay?" I asked.
"Because they are not dangerous automatic assault weapons." She said.
"What is an assault weapon?" I asked. I showed her a page full of pictures of rifles on Google. She pointed to the AR15 and the AK47.
"Show me a hunting rifle," I said. She pointed to the Marlin Model 336W .30-30 rifle.
"Which rifle is more powerful?" I asked.
"The automatic assault weapon," she said.
When I explained that the .30-30 was much, much more powerful than the AR15 and the AK47 she was shocked. “No kidding?” she said.
"Why do you call the less powerful rifles 'assault' rifles?" I asked.
"That's what they say on TV," she sad.
"Did you know," I asked, "that your son, your grandson and thousands of other hunters use AR15s and AK47s to hunt wild hogs and other game?"
"No way," she said. "Really?"
I pointed to the AR15 and the .30-30 again. "Which one is an automatic?" I asked.
She pointed to the AR15. "Nope," I said. "Neither gun is an automatic."
"What is the most lethal close-range civilian firearm?" I asked. "Do you know?"
"No."
"Most people say the shotgun," I replied.
"The shotgun? Your kidding!"
"Think about it. Every police force in the US and most in the world use the shotgun for close quarter battles with bad guys. Shotguns are super-lethal."
"Well at least the government should ban automatic weapons," she said.
"Automatic weapons are illegal now, accept to persons with very expensive federal licenses," I said.
"Really?" she said.
"Yes," I said. "The narrative about firearms has been totally politicized by the media and by anti-gun politicians. People that don't know anything about guns are being brainwashed."
"Maybe so," she said. "But I still don't like those ugly guns!"
Mark VanSchuyver
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