On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:49:19 GMT, Gunner
wrote:

On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 13:39:10 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:


Knowledge of fire fighting techniques are wasted on civilians as they
should never need them. Best they should have..is the knowlege to
safely operate a garden hose.

Gunnr

Cute, Gunner.

I did not say or imply that civilians should not be knowledgable or
proficient. Quite the contrary. Look above to the paragraph that
starts with "I support....."

A respected person very well-versed in the matter of armed defense
once told me he spent 3 days training his parents from ground zero
with firearms. That's 3 days per parent, this after their jewelry
store was robbed at gunpoint. Not 6 hours, 3 days. Each. That
respected person must have seen some value in training.

If I recall the story correctly, these parents became proficient and
frequent shooters, and later stopped another robbery attempt -- with
no shots fired.

Most folks don't have access to anything like that kind of excellent
free coaching -- but training is available and, while not legally
mandated for ownership I assert that it is irresponsible to own a
firearm (or an automobile) without enough training to become safely
proficient in its use.

In some states..safety training and range proficiency is mandated for
CCW applicants.

I dont believe in owning a hammer, keeping it in a drawer until the
one day you need to put in a picture hanger. But its better to have
that hammer than try to pound in the nail with the ass end of a heavy
butter knife.

OK with hammers, but he or she who might drive the nail with the
butt of a handgun (while S.O. is stirring paint with the
butterknife) would probably be better off without one.