Rikkitic:

MikeAqua:

If you limit possessions to what people need it wouldn't be much. There are many things people don't need that cause harm (social media and bicycles for example).  However, I suspect this statement is more about a personal view than any genuine usage of the word need. 

Of course it is a personal view. I just don’t think guns should rate so high on some people’s nice to have list. It isn’t about bad intentions, irresponsible use, criminal activity, or any of the other clichés that keep getting thrown up. It is about those who seem to think that happiness is a warm gun. Can you really not find the same satisfaction somewhere else? What is it that makes a deadly weapon so important to possess? 

Want to hunt deer or other game animals? Try doing it with a knife. At least that’s a more equal match. Shooting something from so far away that you can’t even see it without a telescopic sight doesn’t strike me as particularly manly or Palaeolithic, if that is the effect being aimed for. Try shooting with a camera instead. Same stalking skills required, same proof that you made the kill, just no dead animal at the end. Win win.

Who needs a gun? There are excellent non-lethal simulations for every form of recreational activity anyone can dream up. Go to war in a Laser tag room. Demolish clay targets with an air rifle. Have a water gun fight with your children. All good clean healthy fun.

Is flying your thing but an inability to tell up from down keeps you grounded? Try a flight simulator. You can crash as often as you like.
 
I understand that many people enjoy recreational shooting and do it responsibly. I just don’t get that they have to do it with guns when there are so many good alternatives available.