A recent posting at Silicon Valley Moms Blog exposes an intense case of hopolophobia. I guess I shouldn't be surprised (this is California after all), but it still amazes me how irrational some people get when exposed to guns, even toy guns. Go read her posting and be amazed... There's some priceless nuggets of irrational fear in the comments section too, don't miss them!Here's my response to her, in case it disappears, as happens most of the time on hopolophobic's websites.
"I own several guns. I practice safe gun handling and have never killed anyone, let alone shot anything living. I have a permit and carry a concealed weapon all the time. I lock up my guns in a safe and teach my children gun safety. My son has a cap gun which he treats as if it were real, i.e. not pointing it at people. He must ask to touch any of my guns and is supervised while doing so.
So, are you going to call me a bad parent too?
I happen to agree that it was irresponsible to allow their child to point a toy gun at people, but I feel you're way overreacting.
Also, calling real cops with real guns in to deal with a child holding a toy is the height of irresponsibility. Are you, nuts?
Just the other day, some hopolophobic idiot on a freeway in Florida called the cops because the car beside her had a child playing with a toy gun. The cops tracked down the license plate number and early the next morning they busted down the door and stormed the house. In the resulting confusion it would have been easy for a cop with an itchy trigger finger to have made a mistake and killed someone. Just because some idiot let their irrational fear get the better of them.
In this world, there are three classes of people, Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs. Which one are you? As for me, I choose to be a sheepdog. Everyone is responsible for their own safety.
Because when seconds count, the cops are minutes away. Remember that."
Thanks to Ride Fast & Shoot Straight for the link and Robb Allen for the icon.
