> Like all good Americans I, too, am armed to the teeth, but in a
> strange bit of irony  I just picked up a tiny Henry lever action .22 with
> an enormous Bushnell scope this very day.

I come from Europe, I was born in Vienna in the middle of WWII. My
parents were both Doctors, indeed my father was one of the highest
ranked Austrian officers in the German army of that day - as an
(Austrian) surgeon.

As an officer he was obliged to wear a sidearm but his holster was
always empty. Fortunately it was fully enclosed so people couldn't
tell. He never touched a gun, never made a fuss about it (unusual for
that person), strolled around hands in pockets when, in Ceylon/Sri
Lanka (1949-60), we went hunting with his best (Sinhala - you can, not
quite correctly, read Ceylonese here) friend who happened to be Chief
Game Warden.

Actually we never did the hunting bit again after they sent me to
England to school in'54.

I find it sad that I happened, all those years ago, to use a gun. More
importantly, that I got excited about KILLING something. That last is
eternally shameful, even if (and I didn't) ever killed something other
than edible.

Well, except once, when she was considered a rogue leopard. Then,
also, I remember considering that it was "exciting". Sadly, by today's standards.

Yes, I eat and enjoy meat etc so I'm being hypocritical at least to
that extent. Does vegetation hurt when it is killed or dissected?

I find it much sadder that today there are people out there who
seemingly rejoice in their collection of death dealing devices
"because it is their right" to own these.

It is not. It is their right to defend themselves as best they may, if
they are attacked. That they collect armament to do so is suspect,
does it imply guilt even? Certainly it implies a sad society which
requires this type of defense.

If the weapons are not there, their requirement is not necessary.

Trite, I know. Too late, I know. Yet shouldn't we at least try to
fight the whole sorry concept rather than glorify death dealing devices?

Apologies, and I have a great deal of respect for the people who have
engendered this "froth at the mouth".

I obviously feel strongly about it but I will make no further
statement on this subject.

Cheers,

Christian