Social Media: A Blessing and a Curse
I’m active on Face Book and in several different groups,
many of which are shooting oriented. Occasionally
I get so overwhelmed with the SJWs and the political nonsense and the fake
news, I post #cutenessoverload and put up photos of my fur babies. Yes, I’m an obsessive Cat Mom. But I also love others pet photos. It can soothe the nerves when I need it most.
I recently left a group for Women Shooters, most of whom
were new to shooting and just getting their permits. There were some good questions posted, but
there was so much bad advice, and I finally posted a gently worded good-by and
warning about taking advice on line. I
found myself commenting on nearly every post and I don’t have the time or
patience. Bottom line, be careful what
you listen to. If is it someone at a low
skill level, probably best not to take their advice. How you can tell? You know who the top instructors and pros
are. Listen to them. Ignore your FB Buddies 3rd cousin
who gets their info from watching SWAT reruns.
The most common advice I kept seeing was shoot into the
air. NO!
This is incredibly dangerous.
Remember Newton and the apple?
Gravity? Bullets don’t go up and
get caught in a cloud, they fall, at a minimum at terminal velocity which is
approximately 300 feet per second (yes, there are lots of factors and
computations, but that is an estimate).
For the true math geek, look at Bullets
in the Sky. You can kill someone and
not know it until the police come to your door to arrest you, and it is
unlikely you will have a defense for reckless acts. NEVER point your firearm in the direction of
anything you do not intend to kill.
ALWAYS know your target and what is beyond it. Plus, a true bad guy will not be frightened
off by you shooting into the air as that shows a lack of willingness to shoot
him or her, and may in fact be emboldened by with the prize being a free gun,
yours!
The other most scary thing I was reading was essentially I
have my shiny new permit, I’m going to start carrying my gun. This is not like having a new lipstick! There are a lot of things to consider. Holster, practice, knowledge of laws,
additional training, and…can I pull the trigger? I’ve written before, a gun in NOT a
panacea. If you are not mentally
prepared to pull the trigger on a human being who is threatening you, and deal
with the consequences, DO NOT CARRY!
Be wise, be careful and as always, Safe Shooting!
