Beware of a Gun Toting Liberal Columnist
A local newspaper columnist Ruth Sheehan put down her pen and picked up a gun this week to see what it’s all about. Anyone familiar with Ms Sheehan’s column will note that she is often looking to take guns out of individuals’ hands. I’ve never met Ruth Sheehan but I’m very familiar with her work and our paths have come close to crossing a few times because of my full time job in the Mental Health arena. Although I don’t agree with her on many things I got to admit I read her stuff.
To be honest with you I support those ideas when it comes to criminals and those who have been deemed mentally ill but of course I don’t support the levels she wants to go to that will also prevent or restrict law abiding people from having access to guns. Her support for allowing anti gun groups into our public schools to pass out their propaganda is certainly something I wouldn’t support. I do agree that people need to keep guns out of young unsupervised hands.
I must admit I was a bit surprised when I opened Thursday’s paper and saw a photo of her with a gun in hand. My hats off to Mike Zlotnicki the outdoor editor for the N&O for getting Ms. Sheehan on the firing line at the Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center. I had to scan the photograph out of the paper where her eyes are firmly closed as she is discharging the weapon. How safe is that? (LOL) I know a few shooters that do that as well but I won’t name names. So what were some of her thoughts about the experience?
And though the firing underscored my fear of firearms, I also found it empowering.
The target was only five yards away, but it was thrilling to see the clusters of bullet holes appear on paper plates stapled to the cardboard.
At the end of the session her NRA Instructor Eric Shuford invited her to return to the range and to bring her sons along.
Still, I fear fueling a fascination with firearms in the boys.
I can’t shake the image of one of them at a friend’s house, finding a gun and “showing” his friends how to use it.
More the reason to teach them what to do when they find a gun or when one of their friends has a gun. But less we think that she didn’t get much out of her session at the range;
Still, I might be persuaded to go back out to the range myself. Who knows? I may end up with a concealed-carry permit.
Whatever happens, one thing is sure: I’ll be hanging my 9mm paper plate here at my desk.
I’m sure her friends at North Carolinians Against Gun Violence loved that line. I guess if our paths ever do cross will have more to talk about then her work on behalf of those with mental illness but maybe I won’t tell her I’m a blogger given her parting shot
I like the idea that bloggers — and editors — don’t know for sure whether I might be packing heat.
I think I’ll keep it that way.
You’ve got to give this lady credit, at least she went out and tried shooting. Though I’m not sure I’d want to shoot next to her if she’s going to shoot with her eyes shut.
Comment by Kristine Shreve — July 17, 2007 @ 12:55 pm
I agree it is good to see her go out and try shooting a gun and it seems from the story she got some pleasure out of it which is good as well. The eyes closed photo was a bit surprising to me and why they chose that one I’m not sure. The small photo on the N&O’s website was so small that you couldn’t tell that’s why I scanned it in from the paper. Now I do want to clarify one other point that a regular reader contacted me about. My suggestion that with my full time job in Mental Health that our paths have come close to crossing a time or two was in no way to suggest that Ms. Sheehan has any type of mental illness. My reference was to the fact that she has been a strong supporter of Mental Health Services and throwing a light on the State’s ineptness and the dismantling of services in the so call name of reform. That’s a huge soapbox that I could get up on but that’s really outside the scope of my blog. Bottom Line Yup got to have respect for the lady even if I don’t agree with her on a lot of issues.
Comment by Moose — July 17, 2007 @ 10:49 pm