Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Buddy asked why the sudden interest?

Recently, My Buddy the Gun Enthusiast asked me why the explosion of firearm interest. Good question. I’m not sure. Why now? Why am I trying to go deer hunting so late in life, too? Part of it is because I can, now. I now have a range to shoot at, I have enough disposable income, I have reached a level of maturity that is more than adequate. I think part of it making up for a developmental deficiency that I should have put behind me much earlier in life. I am comfortable in the woods, but I am not master of the woods. The hunting rite of passage was skipped over. And MBtGE is more than happy to help guide me through the hunting phase of my goals.

I don’t want to be a victim, in my home or on the street, and smallarms are the ultimate equalizer. But it is not enough to POSSESS smallarms, it is a duty and responsibility to operate a weapon effectively and properly, to myself prepare mentally, as well as by improving the skills involved. The recent flurry of activity helps correct that deficit. There is still a long way to go, naturally. A thousand rounds of .308 and a thousand rounds of .357 down range, constantly trying to do better, and then I’ll be getting closer to readiness. At least they complement each other. And improvement on trigger squeeze on one side will translate to improvements on the other. One is not a replacement for the other, sure.

All this goes toward my first goal of the Jovian Thunderbolt, but it still doesn’t speak to the timing.

Victories in the Second Amendment front in State Houses across America have been inspirational. Even in my home state where a so-called Assault Weapon Ban was defeated, And the Parker decision turned Washington DC’s gun ban on its head. I doubt Maryland will adopt Castle Doctrine laws or Shall-Issue CCW anytime in the near future, but you never know. A little sanity, even if it is forced on the gun-grabby types, is always refreshing.
It might be serendipity, this timing. The final alignment of all the stars necessary to get started down this road just happened to happen this year. I hope I can maintain the level of enthusiasm. I’m having fun.

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