Wednesday, October 18, 2006
To Know
it's a matter of education.
I remembered asking M many years ago where/how he stored his gun at home. he gave me the 'i-cannot-tell-you-look'. thinking back, it felt really annoying.
Now, i know friends who own firearms of all sorts for leisure. while most of the guns are unloaded, there are loaded (hence 'fire-ready') ones meant for protection sitting at some easy to reach places. No, not hidding in the flower pot or stucked under the desk, but next to the phone on the computer table, or in the tool drawer of the garage.
These friends grew up having guns as part of their lives. They've learned to respect and handle them properly. my analogy to this is - the kitchen knives. we learn to handle them for a proper purpose and use them correctly. While we may put them away where there are small children, we slowly impart them the use of this 'weapon' as they grow. we are never sheepish or secretive about them. Then why a different attitude for guns?
we all knew M has a gun issued to him since he was a law enforcer. This was no secret at least among us who knew him well. it is a matter of being informed and educated. we fear the unknown. please, cut the crap about guns being dangerous to handle blah blah blah. anything mishandled is dangerous. guns, knives, even relationships, can be fatal!! a gun that is lying on the table quietly does not fire on its own. I laugh when i look back at my own fear.
i remembered the time i was at the airport after 9/11. My heart skipped at the sight of a SAF personel holding a M-16 patrolling the ground - it was the 'live' firearm that he was holding. i was a little scared, actually.
i now handle handguns every week. Dangerous? (ha ha ha, look what you are asking!!) Hell no. there are lots of safety precautions, but they become 2nd nature once the gadget is in my hand. They are no longer unknown, hence, no longer frightening.
I remembered asking M many years ago where/how he stored his gun at home. he gave me the 'i-cannot-tell-you-look'. thinking back, it felt really annoying.
Now, i know friends who own firearms of all sorts for leisure. while most of the guns are unloaded, there are loaded (hence 'fire-ready') ones meant for protection sitting at some easy to reach places. No, not hidding in the flower pot or stucked under the desk, but next to the phone on the computer table, or in the tool drawer of the garage.
These friends grew up having guns as part of their lives. They've learned to respect and handle them properly. my analogy to this is - the kitchen knives. we learn to handle them for a proper purpose and use them correctly. While we may put them away where there are small children, we slowly impart them the use of this 'weapon' as they grow. we are never sheepish or secretive about them. Then why a different attitude for guns?
we all knew M has a gun issued to him since he was a law enforcer. This was no secret at least among us who knew him well. it is a matter of being informed and educated. we fear the unknown. please, cut the crap about guns being dangerous to handle blah blah blah. anything mishandled is dangerous. guns, knives, even relationships, can be fatal!! a gun that is lying on the table quietly does not fire on its own. I laugh when i look back at my own fear.
i remembered the time i was at the airport after 9/11. My heart skipped at the sight of a SAF personel holding a M-16 patrolling the ground - it was the 'live' firearm that he was holding. i was a little scared, actually.
i now handle handguns every week. Dangerous? (ha ha ha, look what you are asking!!) Hell no. there are lots of safety precautions, but they become 2nd nature once the gadget is in my hand. They are no longer unknown, hence, no longer frightening.
# posted by nic @ 2:58 PM 
