>Q. What did it make me realize
>
>A. That when you carry a gun, you have to be ready to kill someone.
>There's no such thing as waving the gun
>around to scare people and make them do what you want them to do,
>like in detective novels. It might
>work; but if it doesn't, you have to shoot.
That's the problem of course. Theoretically a firearm offers protection, but only if you can be sure of your capacity to kill someone with it in an emergency. Otherwise, it only exacerbates any threat you face, because it can just as easily be used against you. Even if you are prepared to use it against another person, it isn't impossible to imagine situations where this very threat might cause your attacker to preemptively do you even more violence. Or that the firearm won't be prepared and available when you actually need it.
Firearms are a very risky personal defense strategy, in other words. I think I'll stick to using them against creatures that don't shoot back. ;-)
>Q. What else?
>
>A. That we devolving socially/politically. There's no reason for a
>state park ranger to carry a gun, mace, and handcuffs.
I agree. Reminds me of last time I was stopped by the cops on a routine traffic check, these young cops with enormous Glock pistols on their hips, all wandering around checking tyres and brakes etc. I wondered what use their guns could ever be in that particular duty, it seemed quite ridiculous. No conceivable use at all.
Likewise, there would be times when a national park ranger might need to use a firearm, so it is wise to ensure they are trained to use them. But the sensible thing would be to leave the firearm in the office the rest of the time, rather than carry them around. Its asking for trouble.
I own a couple of firearms, I don't take them shopping with me of course, just as I don't take my chainsaw shopping. I get these tools out when I need them.
BTW, I know what you mean about it being a good feeling to be able to use a firearm accurately. I used to be deadly back in my 20's. In those days I went out shooting at least once a week and often every day to hunt rabbits.
One night I was spotlighting wallabies on this dead end track called Turkey Farm Road. The wallabies were as thick as flies, but the owner of the property was a miserable bastard, so very few of us poachers ever went up there, because you had to go past his house to where the game was and then come back the same way. I guess people were a bit worried he might cut them off and trap them.
We were taking it in turns, one holding the spotlight and finding the game, the other shooting. Then swapping over every time someone bagged a wallaby. At one stop my mate flicked the light to one wallaby, bang, I dropped it, then (as usual) he quickly flicked the light around to see if there were any others. Another set of eyes shone back, I dropped that one too. Then another, and another, and so on.
Eventually, I bagged nine wallabies in the one stop. One after the other. It was great shooting, if I do say so myself. A lot of luck involved in getting the chance to bag that many in one stop of course, but it takes a bit of skill to drop nine wallabies in quick succession with a single shot each, with a little .22 rifle. If I recall correctly, we were using a silenced .22 at the time as well, meaning low powered (subsonic) bullets, so accuracy is essential for a kill.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas