Originally Posted by Rochard

I had a similar upbringing as well. I remember one time we were driving around in my uncle's Toyota Land Cruiser (one of the old school ones), he saw a peasant on the side of the road, stopped, pulled out a rifle, and shot it dead. Get caught doing that now and you will most likely get more than a fine.

Society has changed, and you said it yourself - When we grew up firearms were were tools. Today firearms are no longer tools, but instead toys. We hunted but the rule was you ate what you killed; Today most gun enthusiasts don't hunt, but claim the need for self protection and then go to the range because "it's fun".

My friend Tony who lives in town here is a perfect example. We live in a town with a low crime rate, yet he fears for his life and has loaded firearms stashed in every room. He's never hunted a day in his life because "sitting around doing nothing waiting for the chance to shoot something that isn't able to shoot back" isn't fun for him. But going to the range is fun. Firearms isn't a tool for him - it's a toy.