Tactical grimness



Google credits me with the first use, on the Internet, of the term "tactical grimness." That is what I call the overserious attitude and dire words of many people when they talk about guns and shooting. I think it is an emotional response to their inner discomfort with the idea of shooting people or animals. If you are not comfortable shooting living targets, don't do it. Problem solved! The cop who has never fully come to terms with the thought that he might one day need to drop a felon, DRT, should change his line of work. The hunter who has issues over what he did to the animal should probably get his meat from the grocer.

On the other hand some of the tactically grim people you meet just talk that way because they think it is expected. Some people behind the counters of some lesser gun shops talk that way, but it is just part of their sales patter. I'm so impressed I shop elsewhere.

It's not that shooting is not a serious matter. But it is serious in a different way. Safe gun handling calls for a meticulous approach and unflagging self discipline. Accurate shooting calls for self discipline and close attention to technique. The moral responsibility of being armed is a matter for deep reflection. Seriousness of this kind comes through in a different way. It's recognizable and recognizably different when you encounter someone who has fully come to terms with the danger of guns and the moral implications of owning something deadly.

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