In reply to a discussion on doublegunshop.com regarding those scarey lookin' guns; RE: the massacre in Virginia
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My dear DblTrbl,
The Russian Kalishnikov system is prolly the most reliable firearm in the world. It's looks and military heritage notwithstanding, it is a superb invention that may be adapted to many tasks and calibers. The USA's AR15/M16 action is now used in the finest long range varmint rifles, and can shoot considerably less than sub-half inch groups --- results that competitive benchrest shooters of a decade ago would have paid any money to obtain.
Technology is not static. We don't hunt with Sixteenth Century wheel locks, unless we choose to build them and use them. Nor do we stop to think that a Winchester lever action rifle gave a revolutionary and shocking amount of firepower in it's day. However, the Russian soldiers that frontally stormed the .44-40 Winchester-shooting Turks in some 19th Century set-to, were horrified by their causalities in the face of fast firing repeaters.
Note that the shooting casualties of the War to End all Wars, other than machine guns and artillery, were primarily inflicted with bolt action rifles -- which are the basis for the same well-esteemed custom sporters lining any good gun cabinet.
From the WWTwice era, there are pretty much descended the commercial semi-autos of today sold by the Remingtons, Brownings, Berettas and the rest. The 'functional' argument against MILspec "looking" guns is a stalking horse, at the least.
I have promised myself to dip lightly into BBS's and to skim the least amount with which I may stay informed of my hobbies. BBS's are time-eaters and little is accomplished by engaging in such discussions as this, or "what wood finish would God use?"
However, it's obvious that nearly all casual sportsman and a good many enthusiasts have no, or little, understanding of the world-wide and well-funded antigun movement. There is virtually no planetary opposition it, no money, no staff, no cohesive monitoring of its progress within the European Union's bureaucratic structure, and no reporting to the sportsmen of world of the over 4000 international delegates to the annual conference on civilian disarmament. George Soros and his money has contributed to and fully funds a good deal of this activity, BTW
Nothing which has grabbed the sportsmen's attention severely, where it hurts, is published or being done effectively. Yes, the NRA has trickled this into it's general approach, and the NRA is good at fighting the Aunties. But, we need to WIN this political battle and we are NOT winning. It is an industrial and commercial battle that 95% of the world sees only in profitable terms, in which case the civilian weapon industry is a drop in the bucket -- in return for lucrative mass money trading concessions.
Hardly any government in the world sees the right to self defense and the ownership of civilian arms as being of any merit, period. Let alone, recognizing it as an inalienable right. In short, our Senate and House are mere footnotes in this business. We can place pressure on them, but even that will be at the arbitrary chance of political fortune. As will, incidentally, the Supreme Court ruling on the Second, when that finally does happen.
Now, about those un-aesthetic guns that look scary and cause repugnance among the well-washed. I would advise, that if you have an interest in continued ownership of that lovely blue steel and walnut and case colors in your gun safe -- that you research, most assiduously, the core goals of the antigun orgs. Don't want to? Fine. You do? Fine, too.
Want to take my word for it, because I did my own research? OK: plan on owning no guns at all, just as soon the very well thought out and incremental plans of the gun abolishers come to full fruition. And they will come to pass: there are layers of alternate routes, info and dis-info, and networking with the media to produce a 'shock' word of the month to continue the horror-the horror.
There is all sorts of fundraising, there are large UN funds for the orgs, there are allies such as the absolute genius that runs the Humane Society of America and has PETA under its wing, there's the liaison with the whole spectrum of 'special rights' descended from the Lefty-Marxo popular fronts, and finally a whole buncha scared non-hunting, non-gunowning suburbanites.
Not to speak of a 300 page United Nations paper recently produced by one of Soro's front groups which concluded that "There is no basic right to self-defense." This issue has nada to do with hunting, period. It's just that hunters will be peripherally affected, in that a new hobby will be in their future.
So...when a person decides that 'some' guns are bad, be aware that you are thinking exactly what the Aunties wish you to think. It's called a wedge issue, and it's very effective. I know hunters in my State -- Ohio -- that were appalled when CCW was approved. "Why, why would a person want to do that?" one fellow asked me at an outdoors show, where i was manning a petition table. "Well", I told him,, "so the next time I'm in a store that's being held up, I have a choice about laying down on the floor while hoping that the poor misunderstood felon doesn't blow my brains out, or I can just say "No".
John Meeker, a mere 62 years old,
at the West End of Lake Erie,
Make mine Tens, Chessies and waterfowl, please.
PS: My friend, King, thanks for your kind commentary. I understand the difference in cultures between CANADA and the USA, but believe that we are allies on the cause of human decency and the neccesity for a civil society.
And no Morlocks
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Last edited by JohnM; 04/17/07 10:42 PM.
