> Andy: " I start noticing the
> eagerness among some to be ready to kill people (God forbid), and a
> thousand other neglected pastimes beckon."
>
> [WS:] I suggest you read Jack Katz "Seductions of Crime"
> http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-05/books/bk-86_1_jack-katz
>
>
Certainly a lot of the attraction to shooting is the combination of zen
focus, instant gratification, and destructive power. But I don't think
there's a lot of criminal thrill at work, and the appeal of domination
doesn't bother me per se -- there are plenty of mostly harmless ways to do
that. What spooks me is the combination of habituation to the idea of
killing somebody -- complete with silhouettes for desensitization -- and
the fantasy at work, whether in anticipation of the zombpocalypse or more
sympathetic desires for security. Military and law enforcement combine the
former with professional training and a tight lid of rules and oversight,
at least before fact. We have a hard enough time getting people to drive
safely, and I'm supposed to trust their blithe amateur confidence with guns?
-- Andy