Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/10/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jay, Times have changed and so have I, but I've owned a Walther P38 (WWII) and a Walther PPKS (James Bond's pistol). I rarely fired either of them, almost always at our family farm. I did not own them for protection; I truly was fascinated by the mechanics. I traded one for the other, then sold the PPK when I needed to pay some bills. I now own three firearms; a shotgun, a 22 rifle and a 22 pistol. I've not seen any of them for several years, and the last time we used them was at the range, (I think I posted those pix) ?I'm pretty ambivalent about the issue when it comes to small arms like I own. I really don't understand, and get aggressive when the machine is very automatic ?and has a clip with a multitude of bullets. I don't know why anyone needs that, (surely not hunters). On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 10:09 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand at gmail.com>wrote: > Larry, > I disagree with you completely. My view is simple - any "civilized" > human being who feels the need to own a gun (or any weapon of minor > mass destruction) to show his/her macho credentials, and get his self > respect into order, is not civilized but a barbarian. Fine > instruments, indeed, what a cop out! A Leica is a far simpler way of > reaching the same goal...(-: Taught to shoot at ten years, and you > consider it "normal" - even if you are just busy exterminating animals > instead of human beings - this is just unbelievable to the vast > majority of humans on Earth. Those "military types" are far more > trained and responsible, as well as safer for everyone than than the > general public with cupboards full of guns, mostly unlicensed. > > Tina's photo is brilliant, and to a person like me who is not used to > guns at all, except in the hands of the police/armed forces, is spine > chilling in the extreme. > > I know you will come back at me with some slanging comments on India, > as you normally do, but what India is does not change the reality of > what the USA is. Remember that. > > Cheers > Jayanand > > On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 1:24 AM, <lrzeitlin at aol.com> wrote: > > Don't over react to guns. They are common in rural America. There are far > > more guns in the US than there are Leicas, Nikon, Canons, and all other > fine > > cameras combined. The gun culture is alive and well not only in the south > > but in the North West, the mid-Atlantic states and in New England. The > next > > time you take a drive on a cross country highway stop in at a Cabella's > or a > > Bass Pro sporting goods store. You will see enough guns on display to > arm a > > regiment and enough ammunition to stock a medium sized rebellion. Schools > > are even closed during deer hunting season in much of Pennsylvania. A > > successful hunt is the key to a well fed holiday season. New York City > even > > hosted the Bannerman warehouse until it moved up the Hudson to Pollopel > > Island. Bannerman and family were merchants who bought up most of the > > military surplus from the Civil War, the Spanish-American war and WW I. > Most > > of the world's rebellions until the outbreak of WW 2 used Bannerman > supplied > > weapons. My father even had a Sears Roebuck sized catalog of Bannerman's > > arms available for resale. > > > > When I was a boy the country was much less urban than it is now. In rural > > communities gun ownership was accepted as a fact of life. Most families > > owned at least two guns, a shotgun for hunting and a 22 cal. rifle for > the > > kids to plink around with. Most high schools had rifle teams, usually > > subsidized by the Army. Indeed an armed population was considered the > key to > > national defense. What enemy would attack a country with a well armed > > citizenry? The NRA, rather than being dedicated to supporting the Second > > Amendment, was an advocate of teaching marksmanship in schools. > > > > I currently own three guns, a shotgun, a rifle, and a handgun. My > favorite > > is a Browning semi-automatic 22 rifle, also John Browning's favorite > gun. It > > is beautiful, a true work of art. I bought it on sight 40 years ago. I > > lusted after that gun more than I ever lusted after a Leica camera. It > has > > appreciated in price more than twenty times the price I paid. > > < > http://www.basspro.com/Browning-SemiAuto-Grade-I-22-LR-Rifle/product/102 > > 17873/> > > > > I was taught to shoot as a ten year old at a YMCA camp by a German doctor > > who had served as in infantryman under the Kaiser during WW I. At one > time I > > was even capable of shooting a bullet through the center of a cigarette, > end > > on, at 50 ft. I shake too much now and my vision isn't what it used to > be. > > > > The prevalence of arms has a low correlation with gun murder rates. > Vermont > > and New Hampshire are the U.S. states with the highest per capita gun > > ownership, minimum regulatory requirements, and also the lowest rates of > gun > > homicides. What really disturbs me is traveling through Europe and the > > Middle East and seeing all those young military types in airports and > > wandering the streets with fully armed large magazine assault rifles > slung > > over their backs. How responsible are they? You guys who are appalled at > > seeing weapons, think about that. > > > > Now about Tina's picture of a "Tea Party" family reunion. This may be a > > minority opinion but I think it is a poorly composed, unsharp, snapshot > of a > > family at a dinner table with one person handing a gun to another. Just a > > bad picture. Peter is right is stating that prudent gun handling > practices > > are being violated. The is no indication that it is a "Tea Party" > meeting at > > all. Even Tina's original title on her web site does not identify it as > > such. This picture is far below Tina's usual standard and I suspect was > > titled and posted only to evoke comment. And you can see. It did. > > > > Larry Z > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- Regards, Sonny http://sonc.com/look/ Natchitoches, Louisiana 1714 Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase USA