And you can't and you won't and you don't stop...

Today I have decided to bait a little hook I like to call gun lust. I love guns. When I was at school there was an army/airforce cadet unit. I didn't join it because I don't even like people asking me nicely to run around in the mud, let alone scream at me to run around in the mud in rock hard boots carrying my own body weight in equipment, and there are blind tourette's sufferers who would be safer pilots than me. However this meant the school was the proud owner of a covered rifle range and a cupboard full of guns (Bancroft's in Woodford Green, the cabinet's in the chemicals room on the top floor of the science block. Kill them all.), and one of the instructors ran rifle shooting lessons as a games option. Perfect for the not running around. The only even slight bad point was that although the cadets sometimes got to shoot outside, we were only allowed on the range. Seems you have to have demonstrated a willingness to kill people to be allowed to shoot in the direction of the Prep school..... Anyway, I learned to shoot, I wasn't bad at it, and I loved it! Guns are great fun. Shooting one give you a great rush. If they hadn't banned handguns after Dunblane (that was worth it, taking the guns off the people who had registered them and were prepared to just hand them over when asked, and gun crime has gone up since...), I'd have taken up shooting as a hobby years ago. I'm not particularly up for shooting birds, because it's not my bag (sorry), I don't get a kick out of killing things. But if my dad who now lives in the country were to offer to take me clay pigeon shooting, I'd have my headphones on and be knocked on my arse from the kick of the shotgun quick as anything. If I lived in a country where handguns were legal, (and once you have laws like they do in America there's really no sensible way back) I'd be down at the range a good few times a week, because it's just so much fun! Once you've shot a gun once you just want to do it again and again. I'd be looking for any opportunity to do some shooting. Of course, a big part of why it's so satisfying as an activity is the feeling you get of hitting the target as near to bang in the centre as possible.The feeling of godlike power you get is just a bonus. And shooting targets is just not even comparable to wanting to shoot other things for other reasons. It's just a sport. Not even a cruel one. Of course if I had one in my house and the law didn't insist it be locked away the whole time, anyone breaking into my house better be wearing a steel cricket box, cos I would not let the bastard off by aiming to kill. So why shouldn't have gun laws more like Americas? See Above.