XXX Airgunning

[milegajo 595]

As has become the norm, despite my protests, this morning I shunted a pile of my daughters miscellaneous items out of my way so I could sit with my coffee and flick through my favourite Airgun magazine. But I got distracted. Amongst my eight year olds paraphernalia was a publication entitled 'Outrage'. I was bemused to say the least that not only did this magazine have such a negative and emotive title, but that my eight year old might be reading it. If she were in her teens I doubt I would have batted an eyelid!

My curiosity aroused, I had a flick through. It was published by Animal Aid and I gave the article on dead racehorses a cursory glance. Then my interest was truly piqued and a wry smile spread across my face. The title “Ban gun magazines for children!” had me hook line and sinker. I had no idea that there may be publications about cap guns and water pistols!

Then the photo of a newspaper rack with Air Gunner and Air Gun World displayed dead centre had me convinced this was worth studying...

Allegedly such products are “The most insidious means by which this gun lobby propaganda is communicated through...”

The writer Andrew Tyler, whilst decrying the 'propaganda', proceeds to belch some of his own.

The “...need to curb sales to persons under the age of 18”. Apologies Mr Tyler, but what need?!

 

Being an avid hunter, this piece really rattled my cage. Not the best thing at 06:00!

As I walked to collect a batch of chickens from a local farm, I digested the seemingly ludicrous drivel I'd just read. Having passed the initial offended phase, I entertained the notion that perhaps I'm wrong and the writer is right. That 'am I mad?' moment.

 

What struck me first is how much we share in common;

We both wish to protect and preserve wildlife,

I do not support the raising of game birds to be slaughtered in their thousands. (Though I respect, and will not sabotage the efforts of those that do).

We deplore cruelty and senseless slaughter,

The idea that it goes on and there are those who are perpetrators offends use both.

 

But we are both terrible hypocrites;

I recognise the sanctity of life, yet I kill to feed myself.

I presume the writer is a vegetarian. How does he think the farmer protects his greens!!!!???? I'm the one shooting the species that would deny him of them!

 

What about the sanctity of human life? The vegetarian shoes you wear may not contain leather, but I'll bet they contain the blood and sweat from a youngster in the Far East! Racehorses tripping over fences and being put down is of far less of a concern to me as defenceless humans presently being slaughtered in the name of oil and financial gain.

 

I can think of no better example of how deluded our race and species has become. We no longer need to eat meat thanks to our unsustainable food supply system where fruits and vegetables long out of season are available regardless of the time of year. This entails produce shipped over vast distances in unprecedented record times.

I believe this 'progression' now enables individuals such as this article writer to live in a bubble as he dons his rose tinted specs. He is most welcome to do so too, but I respectfully ask that he keeps his judgement and condemnation of others who may differ from him to himself. Concocted Problem-Reaction-Solution scenarios are of little use to anyone and will not bring about the end you desire. Tell me Mr Tyler, is there a hunting method more to your tastes? A catapult? A bow perhaps? No, that's right, you would have me not hunt at all. I will be 'the enemy' in your eyes for all the days my dietary choice contains protein sourced from meat.

 

As for whether or not children should be educated in how to safely and respectfully procure the 'evil' meat they may choose to subsist on, I will have to disagree with your stance and ask you respect that.

 

Regarding The National Anti-Shooting Week 24-30 September I most certainly will not be contacting Fiona@animalaid.co.uk nor calling 01732 364546 for my free pack. If I did get in touch, it would be to educate you that I am not “pro-violence” (lucky you!) nor do I believe my hunting has a 'corrosive, long lasting effect on young people'. If you wish to speak to experts on violence and how to indoctrinate young people, please contact your local recruitment office. I think you'll find that even the members of the armed forces prefer to use means of peaceful resolution where possible.

 

In summary, whilst I believe the ideology of people such as Mr Andrew Tyler to be flawed, imperfect, perhaps worryingly and dangerously deluded, I accept their view. Variety is reputedly the spice of life. I stand resolute in my own ideology as flawed as that may be, but you will not find me rallying others to join me on National Anti-Vegetarian Shoe Week. Eat your 'Meatless Feast Pizza', that's fine by me. If you ever fancy trying pigeon on it, give me a call and I'll lend you a rifle. I'm kind like that.

 

Oh, and be sure to visit my blog! Only joking.

 

[What rabbit 2]

The inevitable had to happen were the anti lobby turned their attentions once they had won at fox hunting. They have been trying to ban fishing for years because that was supposed to be cruel, it will never stop as these people with nothing better to do in their lives try too ruin the enjoyment of others who take pride in the countryside and try to preserve what is there as best we can. Im afraid as long as the minority keep getting their own way in life nothing will ever change, i think its just a ploy for these people to evict everyone out of the countryside and into towns so they can buy up the cottages and farms to turn into nice weekend retreats for themselves and family. You kinda get fed up with people who dont have a clue how the countryside works, i am one like many others who would not see any animal suffer, no matter what the species but some things have to be controlled if not next thing you know old bunny rabbit or terry nutkins will be sitting in the gardens and front rooms like the good old fox has done over the years in towns.

[walshie 2,804]

Excellent write up mate. I certainly won't be emailng Fiona@animalaid.co.uk or calling 01732 364546 for my free pack either. I don't get the National anti-shooting week bit. If you are a shooter, you will ignore the pasty faced requests not to, and if you are not a shooter, you wouldn't be doing it anyway.

Maybe it's for those of us who want to give up, but just can't do it without support. I personally have tried, but keep on reaching for my gun, especially after dinner, or in moments of stress.

[barrywhite 282]

as usual the anti,s are way of mark .The thing that got me hooked on shooting was shooting .and growing up in a house full of guns .At about ten years old shooting a semi automatic .22 just about sealed my fate .Found an old air gun mag on top of a load of rubbish bags in my late 20s never looked at an air gun mag be for.For titillation I would go to gun shop, maybe gun shops could be like the bookies used to be.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Thank f**k for THL, who needs mags, for £5 you can gain all the info you need

[pianoman 3,587]

Personally I really love animals...

 

Some of them taste absolutely delicious.

 

Seriously, I think if you were to get really into the minds of these antis, you wouldn't have to dig too deep to find a flawed, deeply injured persona who, after being pissed on by life has hooked his/her esteem system on defending animal species they perceive as weaker than themselves thus, propping up their own weak, spineless, gutless arses by having a cause to champion that even they cannot fcuk up.

 

I do not for a minute believe that one of them has a truly genuine sense of care and understanding of animal welfare. Otherwise they'd actually realise and understand why Deer are culled, Rabbits, squirrels and rats, corvids, ferral pidgeon and woodpidgeon are routinely shot.

 

I've seen too many kids and youngsters on the streets of York and Leeds sleeping rough; unwanted and undernourished and no one who loves and cares for them. That's a national disgrace! Yet where are their rights to care, food and a warm bed in a safe family household? Who champions these poor little buggers?

 

f**k off with animal rights! These b@stards make me f-cking puke!

 

Pianoman.

Edited September 14, 2012 by pianoman

[ghillies 209]

i think half of it is the fabled 'put the horse down/dog down because its suffering.. but then your a murdering efin so n so, but if you let it live its last days weeks months in proper degrading agony your an efin crual so and so.. some people just kick you weather your up down or swinging all the round..

 

the point of an early kull is you shoot a few to save a masacre of thousands in an attempt to preserve other species that are already under threat, or to keep things like rabbits numbers low enough as a lepous situasion doesnt arrise but in the mean time you dont 'extinct' yet another species.

 

other things to remember are every time a new housing estate or factry unit takes another wood or even more farm land we're fastly losing the ability to sustain the 'human' species, i.e. without farm lands were left to mercy of those who have some left..ooo does the price go up or what when you have non!

 

next.. it's been proven in multi million doller exsperiments involving two groups, 1 familt has narmal access to media films and the likes and of course 'guns'..

the other has a complete gun ban, the parent 'dont know about' so they can imprint subcontously.

 

heres what happens when a gun apears, those who know nothing suddenly know ecactly how to hold it, and will shoot you remorslesly and 'unkowingly', and they wont stop.

the one who know already, eather call a parent or behave in gun wise manor..

the punch line being sooner or later a gun of some sort will show up, the kids are better being savvy as early as posable so no one gets stupidly accidently killed. the rest is coman sence, well, it is if savvy with it...

 

those who get 'complete controll' over every aspect of a child life actualy inadvertently make pysco serial killers... e.g. the mojority of serial killers had over controlling mothers.

next is, if no body knows about, or the truth of facts, they can be told anything more or less, so aghain it apears one persons hang up is taking over their lives and indeedly slowly getting a grip of any other life they can influence, sort of like a mental illness pased on, closed minded and ermmm 'brainwashed' basicaly.(for want of words).

 

at 4 i got my first pen knife, with it came a whole load of responcability.. but back then at 4 you could go out alone because you knew enough, and could comprehend it, i think these days under the cotton wool act kids are 4 at about 8 years old or more in some cases.(and yesi more than knew which end of a gun would hurt, and not to point at anyone etc, i even knew the difference between a plastic toy gun and what it fired verses a hunk real death....its exactly the same as learning to cross the road, or driving a car, i.e. yu dont run any one over and you dont crash your self, yet cars kill more than enough a day verses airgun being safer than your kitchen? and accidents involving airguns are less a year than a car in a day? oooooo lets put thewillies on it hu? scarey mongering to kids who havent leart psycology doctorates yet lol, or...taking candy from a babey? thats low!! really low!).

[Whizzie 38]

Another excellent article written by milegajo.And sadly, another example of where our society has lost its way. I hold totally to the belief that bigots with pens, are far more dangerous than accompanied, supervised children enjoying the open air, getting exercise, learning about the natural environment & participating in safe responsible shooting, hunting & related field based activities:The thinking of our culture seems to be progressively moving towards calling all thats right & good, wrong & bad. And the speed of this change is accelerating. And however shocking, the simple truth is, we are all guilty of willing participation in it. As a kid, in the late 70's and early 's, the TV based games consoles were basic & a ZX spectrum was state of art! Technological development has advanced so fast, we rarely seem to actually stop & ask is this right? An example: I've often wondered how those colleagues who went before me, who stormed the Normandy beaches on D-Day would have thought of our children, (of whom my own son is one), playing the 'Medal of Honor' games & MW3 etc, as 'pure entertainment'. Particularly when they saw their closest friends & colleagues cut down, blown up & devastated in numbers, that a modern day serving soldier cant even contemplate. But we all except as 'entertainment' now, what would have been thought of as perverse only a few short decades ago. But of course, some critics would argue, "this is an appropriate way of 'remembering their sacrifice....'" And draw your own conclusions about that!

 

For kids, Guns are visible everywhere; by their hero's on TV carry & use them, they use their own, in games on modern consoles, & we know the list goes on. The daily dose of violence & war, willingly digested in the name of 'entertainment', is without doubt, causing far greater damage to children than air gunning (or any country pursuit for that matter), was or ever will be.... As the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so the resultant de-sensitisation of young people to grevious violence is played out every day on the BBC news... FACT: Young people no longer view serious & grevious violence & daily killing as shocking. FACT: Many see it as the 'norm' in progressing their social & economic position.

 

One reason i became involved in air gunning, was specifically because my then, 10 year old son, was so infatuated with the Xbox generation & his participation in it became such a concern, that i wanted him to understand what guns are & what they are capable of in the real world. Air gunning was the cheapest option available to me. Since learning to safely handle & use an air gun, including hunting with it, his respect for guns has completely changed. Of course he still plays his Xbox games. But now, thankfully, he does it from the perspective of true appreciation of guns & their uses. He has a clear understanding that their use as 'weapons' is 'fundamentally wrong'. He is clear that deadly force is only ever applied as an absolute last resort, to protect life & prevent further destruction.

 

Also, because of air gunning, his wider understanding is developing the right way too. We've had numerous conversations over a rabbit he's taken. We've discussed how, left unmanaged, all animals - inclusive of humanity, will create their own chao's. In society he now see's that is managed by the rule of the systems of law & politics, creating a nation where people can co exist without complete harmony, but with an acceptance & tolerance, that there are differing views & differing opinions, but one nation. And in nature he see's that animals left unmanaged will devastate a habitat needed by others, therefore controls need to be introduced. One of which is the gun. I have absolutely no regrets about introducing my son to air gunning. His respect for people & for nature has increased as a result.

 

And very importantly he understands, there are those that disagree with that. And being pretty balanced, he's OK with that too! Perhaps if the person who penned the article, (in this magazine) spent as much time with their children as i do, with my son. Hopefully they'll be fortunate enough, that their most valuable things - their children, will grow up as balanced, positive, healthy individuals, who make a positive contribution to society.

 

(And i now work with young people for a living!)

Edited September 19, 2012 by Whizzie

[milegajo 595]

Agreed, and many thanks Whizzie. Great insight there.

[Bendover 67]

I completely agree with the general consensus here but i think you must also take into consideration that although kids today are doing things previous generations would be no less than appalled at; these kids are born into a world created by the generations before them. They didn't create this mess