[meteorite-list] Matters Arising. When in Rome!

From: STARSANDSCOPES at aol.com <STARSANDSCOPES_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 22:15:00 EST
Message-ID: <1f15b.2ca09715.389b95b4_at_aol.com>

Hi List, This is the first time I have chimed in on one of these rants
but here goes:

The biggest mistake was not the photo! Heck, tourists love fake stage
coach hold ups staged all over Arizona. They even have one in Knot's Berry
Farm in California. The photo was just for fun.

The mistake that flipped switches was the stereo type insult to gun
owners/users. That was a "Bad Post" and should be apologized for! Martin
joined in, prior to the slam, in a light hearted observation of the photo
situation and I felt the post that started all this was a slam to him as well.

I have cut and polished meteorites with Martin. During those visits we
have occasionally practiced with guns. I must say that as meticulous as he
is with meteorite matters he is with guns.

With his Glock he is an amazing shot! ( I even suspected professional
competition!) Once again, every thing is meticulous with him. Absolute
safety!!!

I am not typical in any way either. I like assault rifles but then again,
I have hundreds and hundreds of acres to shoot them on. I do not hunt.
This winter I spent more on 55 gal drums of wheat than on meteorites. We
are reestablishing wild turkey in the area and for a time they need a little
help.

Last week hunters had a cougar up a tree with hounds on my land. I took
pictures and made them let it go. (Email me for photos, I'm there with
Daisy the "old girl" hound.)

My point is some what an agreement with every one. We have cultural
differences so don't condemn and stereo type a culture you are a visitor in!!!

I like Kentucky Bourbon, but I don't slam German Octoberfest participants
for drinking too much beer!

The photo was just giving the many tourists what they want. The
condescending, superior sounding email post was poison, and worse, was designed to
be!

Tom

In a message dated 2/3/2010 7:40:18 P.M. Mountain Standard Time,
geeg48 at msn.com writes:


I'm sorry folks, but some of you need to get a life. That photo was just
plain fun. The last thing any of those folks in the photo (I only
recognized Geoff Notkin) had in mind was to start this. Really....what a pantload!
   

Yes, I live in Arizona...yes, you're allowed to carry a weapon in
Arizona...yes, I've lived around guns my whole life...yes I own several of
them....yes, I enjoy shooting them...yes, I understand gun safety rules and I
wouldn't point a weapon at anything I didn't intend to shoot, but PLEASE!

I don't think the objections to the photo had anything to do with "gun
safety". I think it had more to do with a mindset that is basically anti-gun.
 It's as if having a gun in the same photo that has a meteorite in it
somehow taints the meteorite and the people in it. PLEASE! It's hard to tell
from the photo whether it's a real weapon or not. I wish that it had been
a bright "day glow" green, plastic squirt gun, but you know what, I still
think that objections would still have been be raised. Like I said, this
all has to do with a certain mindset. Period.
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Received on Wed 03 Feb 2010 10:15:00 PM PST