Trigger Warning: discusses gun use, regulation, and may contain a swear word or two.
I saw this gem on Facebook this morning, prefaced by a well-thought out introduction from someone I respect.
Growing up, there were guns in my house. Hunting rifles my dad used when hunting with Grandpa. A 22 and a 12 gauge. In target practice on a piece of property the family owned, I shot both types of guns. I saw that either gun effectively dispatched pocket gophers, the main vermin in the area.
Many friends are or were deer hunters. Again, a 22 or a 12 gauge was the gun of choice. They spent many boring hours in stands, waiting for the right shot. One friend hunted with a bow and arrow; his hunting story were epic tales of pursuit of his targeted animal and the hard work it took to make a kill. He also made it a point to never go out when it was rifle season, because “there were too many drunk idiots out there with guns”.
For all of these hunters, the goals of hunting were to make a clean kill to reduce the suffering of the animal, and bring home meat to the family.
To accomplish that goal, real hunters only need a 22 or a 12 gauge shot gun. Or if you want to be a real badass, you’ll use a bow and arrow to go after a deer. If you have vermin to remove from your property, again a 22 or 12 gauge will work.
Automatic weapons like AK-47s and AR-15s are only built to kill people, not animals you intend to eat. And really, do you need a magazine of 30+ bullets to take down a deer? Because, if you do, you really suck as a hunter.
Need to “blow something up” or need an automatic weapon to get rid of your property’s vermin? You’ve got a serious executive functioning problem and shouldn’t own a gun. Period.
I don’t believe the bullshit that “all guns will be banned”. You know why? Because only the people-splattering guns of war will be restricted.
There are WAY more responsible hunters out there, using non-automatic weapons to do their hunting. They don’t need their weapons banned. Licensed, background check, liability insurance secured, yes (I’d also check for DUI/DWI offenses and domestic abuse allegations, if I had my druthers). Responsible gun owners will go through the paperwork to be authorized to pursuit their sport.
Those requirements need to be in place because irresponsible gun owners have ruined the sport of hunting. Politicians have taken the blood money from the NRA and gun manufacturers. The public needs to be protected from those idiots. The NRA also need to go back to their original purpose, a gun safety and the promotion of rifle marksmanship, instead of the leadership trying to line their pockets and line the pockets of legislators to promote their financial and power agendas.