[BITList] GUNS

[HUGH]

The debate still rolls on about guns, fuelled by the recent mass shootings carried out by a German youth.  A lady writing in the Sunday Herald says most of the excuses trotted out for why people "love" guns are 100% mince.  She says she went to Israel a few years back and got a couple of lessons in firing a rifle at a tin can. According to her the experience was fabulous, though she has never fired a gun since.  She remembers the sense of power she got.

I fired a gun 5 times in my life,  a point 303 rifle, but I don't recall having the feelings the lady had.  Inspired by Harry James and Louis Armstrong (not in that order) I had become obsessed by a desire to play the trumpet. I lacked an instrument, and on an apprentices's wage I had no chance of getting one.  My pal Joe played in a BB band, so he showed me the fingering and I used to practice it on an imaginary trumpet or the wall of the toilet at every opportunity.  Then I heard the man next door played cornet in the local Territorial Army band.  He wangled that I could go down and listen to them, and somehow I got the loan of a cornet from them. This was OK for a few months, till the bandmaster announced I could only retain the instrument if I joined the TA.  During the haitus between intending to joining and actually joining I went on one of the shooting drills they did periodically. When it came my turn, I was handed a 303 and a clip of bullets, shown how to load, what not to do, then I lay down and took aim.  My ears sang for days afterwards.  My first 3 shots were bulls, which caused a lot of fluttering from the bystanders, and the other two were inners.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, as the case may be, my association with the TA ended shortly afterwards.  The annual camp at Ventor, Isle of Wight, was coming up, and I was obliged to attend for a medical at the surgery of Dr Shields, the MO of the local TA. He detected something in my urine, and I failed the medical.  Shields liked a good drink, and anyone who threatened to spoil his 2 weeks holiday in Ventnor was signed off. I spent 3 days and 2 nights in hospital and came home with the flu. They found nothing in my urine.  I got a trumpet later.

Hugh.
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