昨天下午我把汽車送去一家維修店作例行檢查，修理員估計需要一個小時後才可做妥。我想與其在那裡乾等不如到附近轉個圈，把多餘的時間消磨掉，於是漫無目的地在那條不很十分繁忙的街道上左右踱步。走不了百步，我的視線便被一塊十分搶眼射擊場的廣告牌吸引住。它圖文並茂地介紹擁槍人士可進場一試身手，一比高下。無論帶來的是來福搶、長槍、短槍……都一律歡迎。場內還有名師指導，分門別類，由淺入深，逐步遞進。初學者只須達到擁槍玩槍之合法資格，便來者不拒。美國人的嗜好多樣，其中玩槍算是最矚目的一項。
離開射擊場後再往前走，不到百步又看見一彩色艷麗的廣告牌，明確地指示另一真槍實彈的射擊場就在咫尺之內，不但規模宏大，設備完善，在那裡還可購買、交換和維修槍械。美國做槍枝生意的商人眼光十分銳利，對顧客之要求都能盡量滿足。
半里之內便有兩座槍械射擊練習場，還不包括隨處可見的大大小小槍店，和每年在各地舉行之槍械展銷會，由此看來美國人真的愛槍如命。他們擁槍之權利受到法律之保障，縱使校園槍擊慘劇不時發生，禁止擁槍之立法仍不受到支持。所以在可見的未來，留落民間之槍械將會愈來愈多，而喜歡射擊的人也將愈來愈眾。是福是禍，人言人殊。
美國的擁槍文化，歷史悠久，可追溯到新大陸之拓荒年代，人人擁槍自重。時移世易，今天還有這個需要嗎？現在，人身安全靠的是法律保障；執法人員對我們的保護還不足够嗎？只要理性地分析一下，利弊自明。
黃啓樟 2012/2/9於Fort Myers
www.davidkcwong.blogspot.com
離開射擊場後再往前走，不到百步又看見一彩色艷麗的廣告牌，明確地指示另一真槍實彈的射擊場就在咫尺之內，不但規模宏大，設備完善，在那裡還可購買、交換和維修槍械。美國做槍枝生意的商人眼光十分銳利，對顧客之要求都能盡量滿足。
半里之內便有兩座槍械射擊練習場，還不包括隨處可見的大大小小槍店，和每年在各地舉行之槍械展銷會，由此看來美國人真的愛槍如命。他們擁槍之權利受到法律之保障，縱使校園槍擊慘劇不時發生，禁止擁槍之立法仍不受到支持。所以在可見的未來，留落民間之槍械將會愈來愈多，而喜歡射擊的人也將愈來愈眾。是福是禍，人言人殊。
美國的擁槍文化，歷史悠久，可追溯到新大陸之拓荒年代，人人擁槍自重。時移世易，今天還有這個需要嗎？現在，人身安全靠的是法律保障；執法人員對我們的保護還不足够嗎？只要理性地分析一下，利弊自明。
黃啓樟 2012/2/9於Fort Myers
www.davidkcwong.blogspot.com
2012/3/1 加拿大商報
policemen don't carry guns here in england!
ReplyDeleteDear Uncle David,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I suppose this is quite rampant in the US.
Vincie
My personal points of view are as follow:
ReplyDelete1. Guns do not kill people, people kill people.
2. One of the fundamental human right of our Constitution is people have the right to
protect them.
3. Our countrymen have the right to use force to overthrow the Government (revolution) if
they consider the Government violate the Constitution. Gun is the solution.
4. Your last sentences. is the law enforcement good enough to protect all people? the
answer is "NOT" because in some rural area in our country if you do not have guns, you
would not survive.
5. Shooting is a kind of very exiting sport.
Mao Chet Dong said: Guns created a new democracy regime.
After 40 years living here I am totally melted into this culture. good or bad?
George
David:
ReplyDeleteThe tradition of owning guns dates back to the Wild West days in America. Even now, a family living in an isolated area feels safer having guns at home.
Depending on police protection without owning guns? Yes, but.... When they arrive the family would have been robbed or raped.
Joe
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteAs you said that the US has a long history in allow its citizens to bear arms which is a written right in its constitution. The American Arifle Assoc is one of the strongest lobbying force in DC and propably one of the associations has the most membership too. I personally agree to let people continue to own rifles for hunting and shooting activities and other guns should be banned from personal ownership. Some said that one can easily get an automatic weapon in these gun shows, not to mention that there are underground avenues for the fugitives to buy more powerful weapon too. As you may read on paper periodically that the police were out-gunned by the fugitives.
Oh well, this is America and freedom has a price too. Strong lobbying voice in DC continue to work well and money certainly can buy power in this country or anywhere for that matter.
Take care.
Norman
David,
ReplyDeletePeople are not only killed by guns. They can get killed from collisions from cars, and they can also get killed by knives or other weapons such as baseball bats. What about those? Should they be banned too? Hunting and the shooting sports are completely unrelated to the type of weapons the criminals use. It's usually a handgun when people kill someone. What about the Olympics? If guns are banned, the athletes can't compete. Biathlon is a cross-country skiing and rifle shooting sport. I'm sure it would make a lot of people unhappy if guns are banned. I'm sure rifles are not used when a murder occurs. Banning guns does not make anything better.
Tony