Monday, February 26, 2007

Guns.

An interresting link can be found at http://www.armedamerica.org/

It is a collection of photos and short stories about gun owners and their guns.

It's strange. One thinks of photos of armed men and women as a product of the past. Civil War soldiers and square jawed lawmen. Or maybe smirking gangsters or on the lamb bank robbers. But there are just ordinary people who happen to own guns.

I myself remain on the fence about guns. On the one hand I was raised on really cool gun fights. I like the technology and the artistry of the gun. I just wish that they were somehow smarter than the people that wield them. That they could somehow know when they were being handled by a six year old, or that the bearer was drunk or depressed. I'm a big believer in science. Maybe someday guns will be that smart.

I still don't own one. I've been tempted. But the responsibility of owning an object that can kill another person just by pointing it at them, either intentionally or unintentionally, is just too much for me. There's a ghost that haunt me whenever I look at a table of handguns. And in the end I say "Not today".

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This from the man that was recently talking of building a ballista?

Nims

Guns don't kill people. and idiot gun owners have dead kids. Darwin wins.

Steve said...

I find a slight difference between a handgun and a ballista. It is unlikely that in a fit of anger or depression i will go to my shop, assemble the ballista, string the prod, crank the string, load the weapon and do myself of someone else some harm.

Of course, I also can't whip it out and scare off a burglar either. Well, I COULD, but it wouldn;t be easy.

"Say hello to my little friend!!"
TWANG!!!!

Anonymous said...

OK. Maybe I jumped of the deep end to fast but I consider a hand gun a tool. And just like any tool it can be abused. Used responsibly it can save your life or be an enjoyable pass time. your ballista could wreak as much havoc as a guy with a high powered rifle in a crowd and a head full of hate.

Nims

Steve said...

I beg to differ good sir,

First, the loading and firing of a Ballista is a time consuming process. If you are confronted by a ballista wielding madman, walk calmly away from him and all will be well.

Second, this thing is built by Grimm and I so there may in fact be NO danger whatsoever unless we hot you with the prod or run over your toes.

Also, it is designed to SCA combat specs so it should be fairly non lethal. They frown of that sort of thing.