Prof Meets Gun 3: On Scholars Visiting Gun Ranges
The author of University Diaries, over at Inside Higher Ed, liked my description of Dad’s walking stick, but apparently she still hasn’t made up her mind as to whether or not to go to the range and learn how to shoot, so I’ve prodded her again:
This shouldn’t be a hard decision, We’re not talking about going on a SWAT raid, or fighting terrorists, or hunting Bambi, or robbing a bank, or assassinating politicians.
We’re not talking about buying anything, not a philosophy, or a gun or, given the offers you’ve had, even so much as a bullet.
We’re talking about learning to use a hammer, or an axe, or a power saw, just enough to see what it’s like.
We’re talking about going to a carefully controlled environment, getting a few minutes of usage and safety instruction, and using a tool to punch holes in pieces of paper that happen to be 5-10 yards away.
We’re talking about finding out for yourself, something any scholar should be willing and eager to do.
Do you think you won’t be able to learn? Ignorant backwoods rednecks learn to do it quite well. You have a college degree, proof of your learning ability. It’s not math, or quantum physics, or neuroanatomy. It’s not professional basketball, or flying, or ballet. It’s not magic. You’ll do fine. (I have a niece who scorns as “stupid” arithmetic problems she can’t figure out. That’s not what you’re doing, is it?)
Are you afraid? You have likely done far riskier things in your life: driven in cars, cooked with stoves, married a man….
Is this a moral struggle? Why should anyone remotely criticize you over it? Why is this even an issue? Deciding to own a firearm is one thing. Deciding which one to own is admittedly very confusing, even for experts (which is partly why so many experts have so many guns). Deciding you’re willing to use it against another human being, now that’s a very hard question, eminently worth pondering over, at length, with much reading and discussion.
But simply borrowing one and trying it out? pfft.
Go to the range. Ask questions. Use a tool. Learn.
Be free.
(That comment is still awaiting moderation.) It’s up now.
[Series note]
I didn’t realize this was going to turn into a series. I’ve retitled the posts so far, but have left their URLs untouched so as not to break any existing links. Note that my numbers are not consistent with UD’s.
Posts in this series:
Prof Meets Gun 4: UD Visiting Gun Show, Range
Prof Meets Gun 3: On Scholars Visiting Gun Ranges (This post)
Prof Meets Gun 2: Gun Range Visit & Gun Answers
Prof Meets Gun 1
Tags: gun range, Inside Higher Education, prof meets gun, professor meets gun, shooting, University Diaries