Locked and Loaded

the burden of an armed citizenry

I wrote a few days ago about the travails of young Master Kyle Rittenhouse. At the time I published his fate was still in the hands of the jury, but now it’s a matter of public record, and the public is howling. There wasn’t time in my article ( Kyle Rittenhouse is the Killer in Us All | by Scrotus the Wise | Nov, 2021 | Medium) to get into the second amendment issue, so I promised to get to it later.

What I won’t do is try to parse Rittenhouse’s guilt or innocence. The jury has spoken, for good or ill, and I wasn’t there. The folly of trying to Monday morning quarterback the result can be seen all over social media, with partisans on both sides spewing rhetoric that contributes nothing to the conversation. I don’t fool myself that I could do any better. What I can do is tell you a little story, so here goes:

Mrs. Scrotus and I were enjoying our complimentary pizza one fine summer day after another successful Range Cleanup, when this fragment of conversation rang through the picnic area:

“That woman tried to tell me I couldn’t git into Walmart without a mask and I told her just what she could do with her goddamn mask and then I walked right past her! I told her she can goddamn well try to stop me if she thinks she can!”

The mouthy ones, often as not, are women. At the shooting range, here in the New Old South, we get all kinds, of both genders. A non-exhaustive list would include:

The Quiet Professionals. Preferring a modest demeanor, they let their actions and experience speak for them. Often veterans, their certainty is enough. You’ll never hear an idle, glib, boastful or angry remark. Guns are tools, period. Respect them and they won’t hurt you. Play the fool and suffer the consequences.

The Gravy SEALs. All gear and no go. Would love it if the revolution could be fought from the amply padded seats of their Rascal scooters. Lots of “Trump 2024” bumper stickers in this crowd.

The Gunslingers. Hotshot competitive shooters. You can catch them practicing their three-gun technique, setting up metal targets that ring like a bell when you score a hit.

The Concealed Carriers. They might be first timers or veterans. Their emphasis is on drawing efficiently from…

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