General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What is the function of a gun? [View all]Tommy_Carcetti
(44,497 posts)And I'm saying this objectively and without judgment:
Target shooting, as benign as it seems, is essentially simulated killing. You're replacing human or animal flesh with a paper target, but still, you're seeking the most optimal, precision shot from a far away distance.
Again, I'm not casting asparagus on the act of target shooting in and of itself. People who are armed for a living, such as military and police (and despite the recent rash of unjustified police shootings, I still believe in the need for police to be armed) need target shooting. Hunters wishing to remain proficient are probably going to want to target shoot for practice as well.
But honestly the idea that one wants is willing to buy a gun and go target shooting just for the hell of it, I just don't get. At a certain point there, a gun ceases being viewed as a weapon and instead is considered a cool toy instead. And that's where we begin to have the breakdown with the gun culture.
People who buy guns need to realize that what they are buying is specifically designed to take a life and that what they are buying could in fact do what it was intended to do. It shouldn't be purchased willy-nilly just because they "want" one or they "need it because the Constitution says so."