USMCM16A2
06-10-2007, 04:29 PM
Gents,
I was just watching several film clips of Carolyn McCarthy explaining her rational for the proposed assault Weapons Ban and I have come to a conclusion. A conclusion that most of us already knew, she has no idea what she is banning. Furthermore it has nothing to do with public safety, it is raw, painful emotion that fuels this fit of legislative stupidity.
What I mean by the above statement, is that her husband was killed in a New York subway some years ago, in a robbery that went bad. She was there, and that any logic we as firearms owners try to apply to her motivation for writing such legislation is useless. She like Finestein, were involved in crimes that involved firearms, (Finestein was in office when Harvey Milk was killed). These are people that cannot be reached, cannot be made to understand what motivates us as firearms enthusiasts.
All they see are that firearms are useless death machines, that kill people.
What we see in a hunter who has enjoyed in his time afield, and taken a great trophy, people like McCarthy see someone who has just blown away a beautiful animal of the forest. Some who enjoy going to the shooting range, to punch paper and steel, are pictured as bloody group practicing for the Apocolypse.
We are people who enjoy a sport that has many different facets, from the hunter, to the collector, the fella that enjoys fine antique black powder firearms to the guy who collects AK47 rifles (when it was legal in California).
We are not a group of people that are going out killing people or planning for the end of the world.
As I sit here writing this diatribe, I was at the gunshow last week in Costa Mesa, and I was talking to another enthusiast, and the topic was perception.
We as a group are portrayed by the liberal media in the terms I described, but what I saw in line last week gave me a true understanding of who we are as firearms enthusiasts. I saw a large group of people that enjoy a sport, a hobby, a passion. Groups of men and women acting like kids, thrilled about the thought of getting in and buying what they want. Thrilled like we used to be when we young when the circus came to town. Thrilled about trading or selling a rifle so they could buy another rifle that they really want, like we used to do with baseball cards.
Firearms to us are an outlet, a way to escape the reality of our daily grind, a way to meet and socialize with like minded folk. In a life that grows increasingly complicated and does more to separate people than bring them together,our hobby, passion, gives a chance to participate and be human beings.
I believe that it is our duty as members of the shooting fraternity to put our best face forward, but stay true to our goals. People like McCarthy CANNOT be changed, it is perception that must be changed. We are doing it by joining the NRA, CRPA. And we must keep up the fight, because it is not just a war to keep our firearms, it is a war of perception.
Thanks, USMCM16A2
I was just watching several film clips of Carolyn McCarthy explaining her rational for the proposed assault Weapons Ban and I have come to a conclusion. A conclusion that most of us already knew, she has no idea what she is banning. Furthermore it has nothing to do with public safety, it is raw, painful emotion that fuels this fit of legislative stupidity.
What I mean by the above statement, is that her husband was killed in a New York subway some years ago, in a robbery that went bad. She was there, and that any logic we as firearms owners try to apply to her motivation for writing such legislation is useless. She like Finestein, were involved in crimes that involved firearms, (Finestein was in office when Harvey Milk was killed). These are people that cannot be reached, cannot be made to understand what motivates us as firearms enthusiasts.
All they see are that firearms are useless death machines, that kill people.
What we see in a hunter who has enjoyed in his time afield, and taken a great trophy, people like McCarthy see someone who has just blown away a beautiful animal of the forest. Some who enjoy going to the shooting range, to punch paper and steel, are pictured as bloody group practicing for the Apocolypse.
We are people who enjoy a sport that has many different facets, from the hunter, to the collector, the fella that enjoys fine antique black powder firearms to the guy who collects AK47 rifles (when it was legal in California).
We are not a group of people that are going out killing people or planning for the end of the world.
As I sit here writing this diatribe, I was at the gunshow last week in Costa Mesa, and I was talking to another enthusiast, and the topic was perception.
We as a group are portrayed by the liberal media in the terms I described, but what I saw in line last week gave me a true understanding of who we are as firearms enthusiasts. I saw a large group of people that enjoy a sport, a hobby, a passion. Groups of men and women acting like kids, thrilled about the thought of getting in and buying what they want. Thrilled like we used to be when we young when the circus came to town. Thrilled about trading or selling a rifle so they could buy another rifle that they really want, like we used to do with baseball cards.
Firearms to us are an outlet, a way to escape the reality of our daily grind, a way to meet and socialize with like minded folk. In a life that grows increasingly complicated and does more to separate people than bring them together,our hobby, passion, gives a chance to participate and be human beings.
I believe that it is our duty as members of the shooting fraternity to put our best face forward, but stay true to our goals. People like McCarthy CANNOT be changed, it is perception that must be changed. We are doing it by joining the NRA, CRPA. And we must keep up the fight, because it is not just a war to keep our firearms, it is a war of perception.
Thanks, USMCM16A2