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Guns
zombiegirl
beating the drum of the lifelessin a dry wasteland Veteran
I had a blast over the 4th of July holiday and a big part of that included the time spent with my uncle and cousins, shooting their guns. I hadn't shot one in probably over 15 years, the last time being with my grandpa. He has since passed away and it seemed rather fitting to be reliving this experience over the holiday, as the 3rd of July was the day he died so he was especially present in our minds.
So, anyways, it turns out I had even more fun than I remembered. My uncle let me shoot a few of his .22 rifles and I am surprisingly quite good (I'm giving credit to all of my first person shooter zombie video games). The second time around, after I figured out the discrepancy in his scope, I was able to hit the bulls-eye and knock all three cans off the top of the bale of hay we were using for target practice.
The experience made me realize why people take such joy in shooting guns. I would go as far as to say that I am even considering taking classes, but this does beg a question. What exactly would be the point of such an endeavor? Holding the weapon in my hand, I gained a great respect for the destructive power of the device. I enjoyed knocking a soup can off, but I, of course, have no desire to go hunting and shoot an animal. Would taking classes, possibly even buying a gun, all just so that I can go to a shooting range, be a pointless endeavor?
Naturally, true to my name, I was reading a novel about a zombie apocalypse last night and I found myself thinking, "If this happened, I would be pissed if I never improved my aim." Sure, it's a ridiculous and unlikely example, but the point remains, perhaps it is a skill worth pursuing?
I find myself curious how many other Buddhists take joy in shooting guns and why. I have thought in the past that it could be smart to get a concealed weapons permit and carry a gun for protection. But even though I live in Detroit, this seems a little paranoid. I think most people seem to say that people with guns are more likely to get shot. Thoughts?
So, anyways, it turns out I had even more fun than I remembered. My uncle let me shoot a few of his .22 rifles and I am surprisingly quite good (I'm giving credit to all of my first person shooter zombie video games). The second time around, after I figured out the discrepancy in his scope, I was able to hit the bulls-eye and knock all three cans off the top of the bale of hay we were using for target practice.
The experience made me realize why people take such joy in shooting guns. I would go as far as to say that I am even considering taking classes, but this does beg a question. What exactly would be the point of such an endeavor? Holding the weapon in my hand, I gained a great respect for the destructive power of the device. I enjoyed knocking a soup can off, but I, of course, have no desire to go hunting and shoot an animal. Would taking classes, possibly even buying a gun, all just so that I can go to a shooting range, be a pointless endeavor?
Naturally, true to my name, I was reading a novel about a zombie apocalypse last night and I found myself thinking, "If this happened, I would be pissed if I never improved my aim." Sure, it's a ridiculous and unlikely example, but the point remains, perhaps it is a skill worth pursuing?
I find myself curious how many other Buddhists take joy in shooting guns and why. I have thought in the past that it could be smart to get a concealed weapons permit and carry a gun for protection. But even though I live in Detroit, this seems a little paranoid. I think most people seem to say that people with guns are more likely to get shot. Thoughts?
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Comments
I see nothing wrong with practicing and becoming skillful with tools. A gun is a tool whose use is up to the operator. It can be fun, it can be serious, it deserves care. Guns carry with them a mythology which I doubt if any serious gun owner subscribes to. The serious gun owner is responsible and attentive, never overstepping the boundaries required by the instrument.
Yes, you could commit murder. Yes, you could commit suicide. Yes, you could make a serious mistake. And also ... yes, you could become proficient at shooting targets or, if necessary, hunting to feed your family.
I don't own any firearms, but when my kids were little, I took them to a firing range to practice shooting ... to get over the mythology of television or mere activists pro or con. I wanted them to feel the weight, hear the sound, smell the smell, realize how hard it might be to hit a target, understand how time consuming it is to load a clip, get reprimanded by a range officer who had more experience than they had. None of them owns any weapons and none has turned into a serial killer ... yet.
i went to school in the D and had no problems, though i had heard many stories about people getting robbed.
at the end of the day a gun is a just a gun. it's all in how you use it. i personally like throwing darts at a wall.
Shooting a gun for sport or entertainment I suppose would be no better or worse than any other hobby. Personally I wouldn't want to carry a gun around or have one in the house. I believe the stats are that its more likely to have an accidental shooting in a house with a gun than it is to have an intruder assualt you in your home.
@taiyaki i've never been robbed either, but i know many people who have been. i think a gun would make me feel more powerful, but in reality, i wouldn't want to shoot anyone and i think that if i was to pull a gun for self defense, it would make it more likely that i would get shot in rebuttal. i'm probably better off with pepper spray for self defense.
@vinlyn that's actually a really good suggestion. that could be quite challenging. haha, this is the reason i don't like games like call of duty or halo. i don't want to kill people or other players...but zombies are just fine. (well, i should mention that the nazi zombie mode in call of duty is sort of like, doubly okay)
i'm aware the zombie apocalypse is ridiculous, but you know, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is prepared, why can't i be? Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse
but it's not like i'm out there building the zombie proof house ...even if it is sweet.
For example, if I lived in Mexico right now I would *definitely take up arms. I would also carry a concealed piece with me in public. It's like the wild west out there, you never know when you would need to take out your gun to defend yourself in Mexico.
Taiyaki beat me to the suggestion about archery as a form of meditation. It's cheaper and has less of a potential for harm.
I admit that looking at a gun, holding it, and shooting it is fascinating, but, in the end, guns are for killing. I don't know what I as a Buddhist would do in an apocalyptic scenario, whether I would kill to defend myself or not- I know I would kill to defend my loved ones- but an apocalyptic scenario still seems a few years off.
you know, i had bad experiences with archery when i was younger... getting whapped with the bow strings and whatnot. i think these memories make it seem somewhat off putting to me, but perhaps i should give it another shot. is it an expensive sport to start? i mean, cost of bows aside, are arrows expensive and do they need to be replaced often?
Oh, and you're supposed to wear a leather wrist guard and finger guards to protect you from the twang of the bowstring.
I was talking to a friend I made on the commuter bus; he's a conservative, likes (but is not a member of) the Tea Party, and he was surprised that I own guns. I think we need more dialogue between people of different views, less yelling. I'm glad we can talk and understand each other, even if we don't agree at the end of the discussion.
As long as we simply cast aspersions at "them" and don't see "them" as exactly like "us", only with different opinions on things (most of which don't really matter much anyway), we'll have division and strife. Once we see that "they" are just "us" with different thought patterns, we'd all get along just fine. But it's easier for a lot of people to just keep demonizing "them" because they're not "us".
If we saw 'they' are just 'us'- some people would appreciate the idea! But it's useless to look at things only systematically. As lawful creatures we can appreciate the divisions of people, but we're also egocentric. As such anything or anybody that does not serve our interests becomes an obstacle.
The gun is the ultimate symbol of power, especially where diplomacy fails. It's not just that we're all different, but different in ways that counts*, and it all adds up or boils down to one common denominator (or sometimes a few different things).
http://www.utne.com/GreatWriting/Monks-with-Guns-Buddhist.aspx
I've always thought it funny that people throw a fit about guns and Buddhism, and even some forms of the precepts say "no dealing in guns", but see no problem with using martial arts, archery or even swordplay as a physical and mental Zen practice. When I took the precepts I stopped hunting, but that doesn't mean I go around telling other people hunting and fishing are evil. It's just not something I enjoy doing now, so why do it?
P.S. A .22, wile fun for target practice makes a terrible terrible self defense weapon. The bullet is so tiny it does minimal damage. Wile nobody likes to be shot, I have seen a friend unload 10+ rounds from a .22 into a possum and the poor creature didn't die until it eventually bled out. Oh, and before anyone feels to bad for the possum, it had to be put out because it was eating the kittens that had just been born on there farm. So yeah, .22 = no stopping power
P.P.S Bow's are great for killing zombies! They are much quieter then a gun, so they draw less agro from the hoard!