From: "Earl Williamson", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello all, I have been following the threads at Cybershooters, SAGBNI Bulletin Board, the newsgroups - uk.politics.guns, rec.guns etc. After all having been involved in the shooting sports now for approx. 21 years(ish) it's always good to hear what other people think. Shooting has always been a sport where all, no matter what background, creed, "disability" etc can compete, and obviously people of all ages. As I was taught by my father, that a Firearm is just another Tool, nothing more, nothing less that is how I have always viewed these items & that IMHO that is how they should be viewed. After all if Hollywood used water balloons, 9 volt batteries, or spirit levels to kill people with would we not have anti water balloon activists? How many Magicians "Juggle Chainsaws", redo the Harry Houdini underwater escapology while strait-jacketed, chained & locked in a container of somekind, yet there are no bans on these activities, except for the "don't try this at home" pseudo warning (as people do copy it & do get hurt or die). As a child I was interested in model making & helping my father to fix things & build other things, therefore it was an ideal time for him to teach me as a child about the safety considerations & RULES to be adhered to & to be aware of when using tools or partaking in events (cutting the grass using a lawnmower). As a result I automatically notice dangerous practices - Childhood rules & teaching. As a child I had a Stigmatism - lazy eye, I attended the eye specialist clinics frequently, years of wearing a white patch over the lens of my glasses in front of the lazy eye, the cure....none of the medical treatments worked, then what did? Exercise of the eye! How did you exercise the eye??? Coincidentally, My father had bought me an air rifle on which he then modified the stock so that it would fit me. He then taught me Target shooting from the prone position. My concentrating on the sights over a period of months at regular times brought the eye back into line. Magic? no, application & exercise of those muscles made those muscles work as they should. The disciplines learned through shooting & through the rules we learn as children stay with us for the whole of our lives At my local club, there regular shooters who are in their mid 80's who can compete & beat the 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 year olds - How many other sports can all those age groups compete in on a level basis. Would it surprise anyone if I mentioned that the 82 & 84y/o gentlemen who shoot there have exceptional eyesight & dexterity if they were to be compared to a non shooter of the same ages (these guys were both complaining that they were beaten in a recent target competition by......two 88 year olds!!! Anyway thank you to all who post, so that I may learn about other people's views & experiences and thank you to all who read these posts (like me - "lurkers") Here are some interesting links on the subject of firearms control & should make some interesting replies. yes I was looking at what the antis were up to! EW SAGBNI bbs http://venus.beseen.com/boardroom/d/26347/Date Did anyone want this info? http://www.hodgdon.com/liberty/gcn.htm GCN, P.O. Box 11495, London N3 2FE - phone 0181 343 4246 - fax 0181 343 4048 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web-site: http://www.gun-control-network.org In a different satirical vein.... M.I.L.T. - Mothers Insisting on Licensed Tools! http://www.frenchu.com/tpg/drill.html Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
