2008 Woodie Awards
Recreational gun use is fun for everyone
Issue date: 4/14/05 Section: Letters to the Editor
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I read and enjoyed the article regarding firearms by Lindsey Pilcher. I congratulate Lindsey for her open attitude but take exception to some points. I believe she fails to recognize the difference between the recreational use of firearms and their use for personal protection and violence.
Recreation with firearms encompasses much more than hunting or plinking with so called assault weapons. Your sister in education, Lindenwood College, has a national championship shooting team. Our very own Show-Me State Games offers at least 20 shooting competitions.
This weekend, over 600 Missouri high school students will gather at the Missouri Trap Shooters grounds at Linn Creek to compete for the state high school trapshooting championship. Incidentally, many of the competitors are young women. Are we training these young people to be killers? Not at all. They are enjoying an exciting and challenging sport that is every bit as social as golf or tennis.
Lindsey is correct. Firearms are not going away anytime soon. I would encourage everyone to take a firearms safety course. The Missouri Department of Conservation offers many safety classes at very modest cost. You do not need aspirations to become a hunter or world class skeet shooter to know safe gun handling. At some point in our lives we will all find ourselves in the same room with a firearm. If we know the basic safety rules, number one, point the muzzle in a safe direction, there will be no need for panic or fear.
Len Berron
Union, Missouri
Recreation with firearms encompasses much more than hunting or plinking with so called assault weapons. Your sister in education, Lindenwood College, has a national championship shooting team. Our very own Show-Me State Games offers at least 20 shooting competitions.
This weekend, over 600 Missouri high school students will gather at the Missouri Trap Shooters grounds at Linn Creek to compete for the state high school trapshooting championship. Incidentally, many of the competitors are young women. Are we training these young people to be killers? Not at all. They are enjoying an exciting and challenging sport that is every bit as social as golf or tennis.
Lindsey is correct. Firearms are not going away anytime soon. I would encourage everyone to take a firearms safety course. The Missouri Department of Conservation offers many safety classes at very modest cost. You do not need aspirations to become a hunter or world class skeet shooter to know safe gun handling. At some point in our lives we will all find ourselves in the same room with a firearm. If we know the basic safety rules, number one, point the muzzle in a safe direction, there will be no need for panic or fear.
Len Berron
Union, Missouri