Posted on 12/02/2002 5:41:09 PM PST by tarawa
Copyright 2002 Boston Herald Inc. The Boston Herald
December 1, 2002 Sunday ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: ARTS & LIFE; Pg. 045
LENGTH: 940 words
HEADLINE: COMMENTARY; Novice gives firearms a shot; Writer's notions about weapons put to the test
BYLINE: By Joe Keohane
BODY: Special to the Herald
I had heard the stories, read the statistics and witnessed popular portrayals both here and abroad, but as I strolled through the doors of the gun range, that unique species of American known as the gun enthusiast still was completely alien to me.
For one, I hail from a state with the nation's strictest gun laws, as well as some of its most vocal anti-gun activists. This leaves me subject to plenty of anti-gun rhetoric that goes largely unchallenged, owing in part to the absence of gun enthusiasts in the area and the sheer volume of their opponents.
Ever mindful of my regional biases, I went to Boston Gun Range in Worcester as part of an experiment to see if the physical act of firing a gun would have any effect on my way of thinking about the Second Amendment debate. Like those who believe conservatives are simply liberals who have been mugged, I recognize the importance of firsthand experience in political thought. I also recognize that many members of the anti-gun left, especially in Massachusetts, have had no direct experience with the firearms they've condemned. So before engaging in another gun argument, I was going to fire off a few rounds and come back either stripped of my illusions or justifiably outraged.
Before setting out, I consulted advocates from both sides of the issue to see what I could expect to gain from the experience.
Angel Shamaya, founder and executive director of KeepandBearArms.org, an Arizona-based organization committed to protecting the right to own firearms and fighting any piece of legislation it feels is in violation of the Second Amendment, offered me the following advice via e-mail.
"Anyone who'd like to further explore the issue of firearms ought to connect with someone who's well-trained and then go out for a day at the range," he wrote. "Many people simply fear guns for lack of knowledge or experience. A day at the range is fun, even for people who started the day hating firearms."
On the other hand, Jude Pearson of Stop Handgun Violence Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting safety and responsibility among gun owners, made her first trip to a gun range more than a year ago, and has yet to return to one.
"It scared the hell out of me - I guess because a lot of us, particularly women, have seen it on TV and it looks like it would be easy to do," she said. "It's not. You have to have quite a bit of strength. I'm quite strong - I'm a personal trainer - and I felt like it was completely out of control."
Pearson, daunted though she was by the experience, did see value in prospective gun owners regularly visiting a range for training in a safe, professional setting.
GoodByeGuns.org, an radical leftist organization demanding the U.S. government buy back all privately owned firearms and then criminalize their possession, did not respond to repeated inquiries.
I arrived at my range of choice and found, contrary to my worst fears, it was a sane, safety-conscious place. Granted, there were a few things at first glance that set off alarms for the urban greenhorn. Laser sights, bullets boasting "unequalled stopping power," Osama bin Laden targets and "Terrorist Hunting Permits" for both New York and Rhode Island gave me pause, and the wall-to-wall gun selection was rather unnerving. But what did I expect? It's a gun shop.
I was met at the counter by Mark Tashjian, the amiable, pony-tailed owner and manager, who briefed me on the ins and outs of the weapon I'd be using that day: a Barretta .380-caliber, semiautomatic pistol. Safety was paramount, and I was offered goggles, ear protection and the rules of the range to drive that point home. The gun is to be pointed downrange at all times, I was told. The safety is to be engaged should I need to exit the range, and any questions I had would be answered by one of the certified range instructors.
I donned my safety gear and stepped through one of the two soundproofed doors to the range. There I was greeted by one of the range instructors, who walked the breadth of the range, keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
I stepped into my assigned lane, loaded my target (a green fellow with lines on his chest like the rings of a tree stump) and hit the switch that sent it whizzing downrange. I loaded the gun according to Tashjian's instructions, disengaged the safety, cocked it and began systematically tattering the green man.
What did I take away from the experience? For one, I'm inclined to agree with Shamaya, but only to an extent. Target shooting is a lot of fun - challenging, satisfying and, least of all, loud. My time at the range was an enjoyable experience. The safe atmosphere, the professionalism and the respect shown by the employees went a long way toward debunking the negative image I had of gun enthusiasts. All told, the experience is highly recommended for anyone with the interest or inclination.
That said, however, the physical act of shooting a gun in the presence of safe, responsible people had little effect on my political orientation. For one, the adage "Guns don't kill people; people kill people" has always felt like a cop-out. I once heard an ardent Second Amendment advocate suggest blaming guns for crime is like blaming spoons for obesity, and that it would be unfair to severely restrict the public's ability to obtain spoons simply because a few cannot handle them responsibly.
Sure, I thought, but barring a extremely unusual set of circumstances, there is little chance of a one man's spoon giving another man a weight problem.
Joe Keohane is a freelance writer in the Boston area.
"Jude Pearson of Stop Handgun Violence Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting safety and responsibility among gun owners, made her first trip to a gun range more than a year ago, and has yet to return to one."
"It scared the hell out of me - I guess because a lot of us, particularly women, have seen it on TV and it looks like it would be easy to do," she said. "It's not. You have to have quite a bit of strength. I'm quite strong - I'm a personal trainer - and I felt like it was completely out of control."
This, because the left has nothing but contempt for the average American citizen - they just have to feel so superior - that if everyone was disarmed, then a peaceful Utopia would result. These morons are always "out of control". I guess she is more afraid of having a firearm then she is about the possibility of being raped, which in Boston, is considerable.
Yo, dude! Either you just invented a nifty sound bite which will totally blow away all of those 2nd amendment fools -- or else you are using a totally stupid analogy.
Keohane took a notoriously low-powered handgun out to the line by himself with no training and now offers us categorical advice about the "gun culture?" I don't think so.
I am not a "personal trainer," nor am I particularly well-endowed in the upper body department, yet I shoot a .41 and .44 magnum on a weekly basis - you don't have to be strong, in fact, it works against you because (and most men do this) you tend to try to muscle the firearm back into position after a shot. Dumb. That's one reason women turn into excellent handgunners more quickly than men, or at least the ones I know do. Fewer bad macho habits.
But anyone who thinks you just grab a handgun and head to the line and start blasting (and hit something) has watched way too much TV, and is probably unsafe to boot. What our nimrod needed was some personal instruction from a gun-savvy friend, if in fact he has any (and it doesn't sound as if he does). If you can't do that you take a class. THEN offer us your first impressions, but please don't think this guy's are worth the paper they're printed on. An idiot running into a tree on his first drive probably would tell you driving's really tough, too. Maybe it is, but he's still an idiot.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Those evil guns, hurling even muscular, athletic women out of control!
She should have started off with a .22.In her arrogance, she probably picked a .44 or a 9mm and had an unfortunate encounter with the laws of ESO.(Equipment Superior to Operator)
Such inane blather, where do they find these women to quote? I used to plink my .22 long from the hip and make tin cans dance.I preferred a snub-nosed 38 as my favorite handgun.The weight,balance and kick just worked for me, personally.I much preferred to hone my point and shoot skills over paper target practice, although that has its place in skill training.
Oh well, I guess if I were to write an article about why I think golf is a stupid game, then go to a golfcourse and hit a few balls, that increases my credibility and adds weight to my opinion.....
I agree. Shooting at paper targets is about as bland as it gets. For fun, shoot at something that reacts. Knock something over, blow something apart, kick it into the air, send it spinning, etc. Shooting paper targets is less satisfying than hitting golf balls on a range but for about the same purpose, to hopefully improve skills in the real thing.
Like others, I think the two liberal writers went with a purpose in mind and then came back saying been there, done that, feel the same. I am also surprised that a licensed, well run shooting range would take a person who has never fired a gun, give him a gun and ammo, tell him how to load it and how to operate the safety, give him two safety tips (always point downrange, and activate the safety when leaving the booth), and then leave him to his own devices. Doesn't sound responsible to me.
I can't believe this, even I can use .45s and 10mm autopistols.
"Try it, maybe you'll like it," I say.
"No. I hate it."
"How do you know?"
"I just know."
"Try it anyway."
He does.
"Well?"
"I hate it."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.