Zingtea:
Guns are made to kill. I would like to hear any better uses you have for them. I would also like to point out that the United States has the sixth highest murder rate in the world, and I can guess why after reading some of these posts (by two particular posters).
Guns are made to kill. The most common application of that killing ability these days for civilians is hunting which is legal in the US.
I started going hunting with my father as soon as I had long enough legs to make my way through the fields. As soon as I had long enough arms and big enough hands I started shooting. When my father decided that I was ready I carried a gun in the field.
We hunted rabbits, squirrels, doves, woodcock, pheasant, ducks, geese, quail and a few grouse.
Aside from hunting, target shooting is fantastic fun and to be skilled with handgun, shotgun or rifle is of the highest kind of skill. I have owned all sorts of guns of more types than I'm going into here but the thousands and thousands of hours of pure pleasure that guns, hunting and fishing were part of with both family and friends is beyond description. In all of it no person ever died or was injured. I have personally seen several hurt diving though.
I should also point out that while we do have murder in this country, in general, our nations murderers and our nations sportsmen are two completely different groups. They even prefer different sorts of guns usually. Gangs and drugs, now there are a couple of things that really lead to murder. Poverty...when one person wants to take anothers money somethimes people get hurt. Hunting? Good family fun and it puts food on the table. I really feel for the people who grow up so afraid of such common tools just because there are ways to misuse those tools. Where I come from, learning to hunt fish and prepare game for the table was all just part of growing up especially for a young boy. Many of the skills and responsibilities learned aren't all that different from those associated with taking care of a family. Something that a young boy will likey need to do some day. And yes I suppose that a gun could also be used to protect ones family...another responsibility. If my family is threatened, whether I am bare handed or use nuclear weapons, It's my job to be the first line of defense, by my witts first but failing all else by my skill as a protector.
To be sure, these values are becoming obsolete. Pardon me if I try to hold onto them for what's left of my life. Hopefully, the really ugly changes will hold off until I'm gone.
I don't hunt much these days and I don't have any guns left. I like shooting a bow. Another tool that is primarily designed for killing that also does a great job at punching holes in paper, foam, plastic bottles and whatever else I can find to pierce. I get to reuse the ammo and it's nice and quiet so I can shoot all I want right out in my yard. It's getting harder and harder to find places where you can shoot guns or hunt around here.
There are a number of other tools that also do a fair job of killing. Knives, hammers, hatchets, basball bats, cars and my favorite the CHAINSAW. Let's not forget the now famous box cutter. I make knives and hatchets, BTW. I forge them and do all the grinding and polishing by hand, the old fashioned way. People killed each other long before there were guns.
