The Mad Bull's Blog

June 12, 2003

Guns

I'm just back from Allison's. She was telling us how she went shooting over the weekend, which got me thinking about guns. Jamaicans really seem to love guns... So many of us own them, whether they are legal or not.

I don't have a gun myself, for a couple of reasons, I guess. I think that I have enough of a "gun" naturally, and so don't have to buy one to increase my feelings of manhood. Another reason I have not tried to get a gun is that I have a quick temper, and might off a few people in high stress situations, like while I'm in traffic. Trust me, NUFF Jamaican drivers deserve to die! Shit, I could become a serial killer if I had a gun on me everytime I drove! Another high stress situation where I'd probably lose it would be at football or cricket matches, when the home side was losing. Rass, bwoy, referees would have to fear this Bull, you better believe that!

No, I'm just kidding, I wouldn't hurt any of my fellow drivers (except the bus and taxi drivers, and that hardly counts, don't you agree?), and I wouldn't be allowed to carry the gun to major sporting events, so referees need not fret when they see me.

The main reason I haven't applied for a gun license is that I think that they make you into a target. Maybe that isn't a major issue in countries like the U.S., where any Tom, Dick or Harry can waltz into the corner store and leave with the gun of their choice, but here, where so many ill-intentioned people want a gun, but don't have ready access to them, its pretty dangerous to be walking around strapped all the time. The carrier of a gun has to modify his whole way of thinking. He has to be alert at all times, as he never knows when he'll be targetted to be robbed of his gun and killed!

But my aversion to owning a gun doesn't mean I've never fired one. I went to a police force firing range with a friend of mine once, and I did a lot of shooting at various targets that day. I didn't do too badly with the pistol either. The shooting I'm most proud of involved running around a small course, diving, rolling, then shooting at a target. The policeman who was instructing us said that standing and shooting at targets was easy, but that in the real world, that wasn't always how it happened. Sometimes you had to chase your target, or run and hide to avoid becoming a target yourself. He said that after engaging in strenuous activity, one's aim tends to suffer, especially if one was unfit!

He then made us run around a circular course, jinking this way, then that, to avoid imaginary people shooting at us. When we reached the end of the course, we were to dive to the ground and roll to the right or the left, again to avoid enemy fire. After rolling we were to fire five shots at our target, a drum about the size of a man, which was placed about 30 - 35 feet away. Of the four people who were at the firing range with me, I was the only one to hit the target after doing that run. I shot it twice in the neck region.

I have used a shotgun too, although I did a rather poor job with that. I went with a friend into the hills of St. Ann, to a farm owned by a skeet shooting enthusiast. My friend did some skeet shooting from various stands, I guess you call them. He is pretty good at it, some people say that he is a naturally good shot with a shotgun, but not so for me. I only fired it about five times, and I didn't hit a single clay bird.

I would try it again, but skeet shooting is pretty damned expensive here. I guess I'm too poor to become any good at skeet shooting... but I'll live. Its not all that big a deal to me. Anyway, I'm going to get ready for work now! TTYL!

Posted by Mad Bull at June 12, 2003 07:40 AM

Comments

BOW BOW Wah a gwaan shotta?

Posted by: Dr. D. on June 12, 2003 08:17 AM

I have to agree that owning a gun wouldn't bring me peace of mind, either. I don't want that responsibility. Even with safeguards such as trigger locks and gunsafes, having a little one in the house makes me want to get rid of as many dangerous things as possible.

Making them all illegal would only give criminals an edge. Guns have their place, just not in my home or possession.

And as for skeet, why not empty a few Red Stripes and use the bottles for targets?

Posted by: Texas T-Bone on June 12, 2003 12:35 PM

LOL... interesting idea Texas T-Bone adds! I have never owned a gun, nor has hubby. Never shot one either, and the desire is not there. I think that raising children it would be dangerous to have them around, and I am very much for registration of all guns.

We don't seem to have much of a gun problem in Canada... is it our gun legislation, morals? What makes us different than our US neighbors in that respect I fully do not know.

Posted by: Desiree on June 12, 2003 06:57 PM

well pardner, it's been a long time since i moseyed over ta this here blog an i see yer fixin fer a showdown, that's mighty brave of ya. I always thought you were yeller muh self but ya done proved me wrong. I'll see ya down the pass, Ellie mae is fixin some supper an i'm hungrier than a grizzly..yeeehawww!!

Posted by: Duppy on June 12, 2003 11:09 PM