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Thoughts on different sports
The Armed School Teacher's comment on the previous post brings to mind the nature of different sports.
Soccer: Soccer hooligans terrorize European games, tearing down goal posts, assaulting opposing fans, and rioting.
Shooting's equivalent: Two spectators get dirty looks for muttering "Semper Fi" a little too loudly after a Marine takes his shot.
Football: Stars get busted for drugs, assault and battery, etc., etc.. Joke is that a certain team cannot huddle because it would violate their terms of probation, viz., not consorting with convicted felons.
Shooting's equivalent: a Camp Perry winner almost gets a speeding ticket, but since he has no points on his record, the officer gives him a warning. (And if he did have points, he would have admitted it. You just can't lie to an officer).
Tennis: Top ranked player throws a screaming fit when the ref calls his shot out of bounds.
Shooting's equivalent: shooter is eliminated from finals at the Wimbledon, says "I knew I pulled that shot."
Most sports: player is stopped by police after driving down the wrong side of the road, is found drunk as a skunk with a snoot full of cocaine, pleads guilty and is admitted to rehab for the third time.
Shooting's equivalent: a shooter gives up coffee out of concern it might make his hands tremble.
· shooting
3 Comments | Leave a comment
Aren't you generalizing too much in those examples? Not all soccer fans are like that, or tennis players. Can the same not be said about shooters? They're not all like that, or are they?
On my blog the gun enthusiasts who come to debate with me, seem to think that gun owners are more responsible than other folks. Do you agree with that? Why, I wonder? I could see how one might suddenly behave more carefully; develop better habits, etc., due to the lethal nature of the gun. But, people are people. And even among gun sportsmen, you must have some problems, no?
"Aren't you generalizing too much in those examples?"
No, not really, as they are intended to be general examples. How does one over-generalize a generalization?
"Not all soccer fans are like that, or tennis players."
True, but many are. One might argue that this is the effect of the mass. This is not speaking of individuals on an individual basis, this is about the gross outcome of the population thereof. This is not psychology but sociology.
"Can the same not be said about shooters? They're not all like that, or are they?"
Speaking generally. There are bad seeds everywhere, but for many specific reasons, one tends not to see them in the shooting sports. We will get to that momentarily.
"On my blog the gun enthusiasts who come to debate with me, seem to think that gun owners are more responsible than other folks. Do you agree with that?"
Absolutely.
"Why, I wonder?"
Why do you think?
"I could see how one might suddenly behave more carefully; develop better habits, etc., due to the lethal nature of the gun."
Bingo! Ring the bell and you get a cookie. It's all about accountability. The repercussions of irresponsible gun usage are simply too great to bear, and even the most simple of people understand and respect that fact.
"But, people are people."
This is true. I believe what you are saying is "for all have sinned and fallen shorty of the glory of God." Truer words cannot be spoken.
We are all flawed creatures that develop bad habits.
"And even among gun sportsmen, you must have some problems, no?"
Problem shooters wind up dead or in jail. I hate to sound so cruel and crass, but it tends to weed out the problems nicely.
It wasn't so staid in the earlier years of the action pistol sports. Ask Massage Aboob about shooting Second Chance with a hangover if you get the opportunity.