Time Magazine ran a photo essay called "Gun Culture U.S.A."

[spin]

Located at:
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1886076,00.html

Do you feel this is a fair representation of our gun culture or not?

[tularetom]

1. It's bullshit

Looks like the photographer tried to find the most outlandish examples of firearms owners/users.

Other than the hunters and one or two others I don't feel most of the photos represented the majority of US gun owners. Why don't they show somebody like me sitting in my basement reloading cartridges or cleaning a rifle? Most gun owners are people like anybody else and not the freaks portrayed in this essay.

[socialindependocrat]

2. Absolutely not...

They focused on the military, automatic rifles and outdoor shooting.

They touched on paint ball but framed it in the light of a military exercise.

There is so much more that is fun and recreational: safety training classes, silouette shooting (indoor and outdoor) and the things they have to do to accurize their rifles and cartridges, bowling pins, steel matches, IPSC, Cowboy matches and Sporting Clays.

I belonged to a pistol club and I can say that I have never been with a more supportive group of gentlemen in my life. thier focus was on accuracy and sportsmanship and they would nelp any serious fan of the sport by giving assistance thru either information or loaning their personal equipment in order to help someone advance their abilities.

I know people who are not familiar with guns have a knee jerk reaction to the sport and that's unfortunate. Hopefully there are people who wil take a look and say, "That's not for me but now I can see why some people may like it."

[Logical]

3. I own 3 handguns and shotguns. But some gun shows are scary to me. Some crazy people there.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. photographers going for dramatic effect . . .

well, at least they finally showed some females...meh. and a "pink" gun. cute

[Fortran]

5. It's exactly the same sort of yellow 'journalism' as the tripe showing the most salacious pictures o

a gay pride parade to "show" everyone how horrible "those people" are. Like all propaganda, though, it will suck in the sort of people who let others tell them what and how to think.

[ileus]

6. paint ballers, toy guns, reenactment, hunters...not gun culture.

Some of the other pics were pretty cool.

Machine gun shoot = fair
sniper competition = fair
pink gun = fair
model = fair

Most all of the pics are obviously trying to get the banners stirred up emotionally.

[Atypical Liberal]

7. I didn't see anything terrible about the pictures at all.

Looked pretty normal to me.

I guess maybe showing historical reenactors and pink guns and (gasp) toy guns is supposed to pass for shocking, but I didn't think there was anything shocking about the photos at all.

[Callisto32]

40. Agreed.

Maybe we are just immune to "their" small-minded bullshit.

[PavePusher]

8. Very incomplete, as it almost completely ignored the vast middle ground. n/t

[spin]

9. In my opinion, a few more pictures such as these...

might have made a better and more balanced presentation of the gun culture.

[socialindependocrat]

10. See the difference in feeling with these shots?

Great shots here! These shots still give a feeling of
serious competition, technical equipment and
Cowboy shoot fun! These would have balanced off
the essay. Nice pictures spin!!

[spin]

13. Thanks for your support. (n/t)

[Hoyt]

17. I think they should have displayed more of this type stuff.

&feature=related

[Fortran]

28. I agree, that presentation is very informative and well done.

It reminds me of some elements of the instruction we received 35 years ago at my high school rifle team practices.

[ellisonz]

11. I agree it needs more diversity. n/t

[era veteran]

12. No

[Remmah2]

14. Pathetic misrepresentation.

[MicaelS]

15. No, 16 pictures about "gun culture",

And two are about paintball?? I don't consider paintball having anything to do with gun culture.

No pictures of a bunch of shooters on the firing line doing target shooting?

This photographer needs an education.

[Hoyt]

16. Really didn't get to crux of issue. And really needs more photos of yahoos packing in public.

Photos really aren't reflective of "gun culture" or ethnic diversity of US population.

Old guys playing war -- waste of time in my opinion, but I guess if you have nothing better to do it's better than watching PBS or talking to a friend. Or is it?

I would have liked to see some photos of folks drooling over "assualt" weapons in a gun store -- or "training" to save the world.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

19. Hey Hoyt... inre: yahoos packing in public. why don't you take your pictures of these people

and post 'em on here....

[Hoyt]

20. I did, see post #17. There are plenty more just like that.

Heck, read up on yahoos who shot up likeness of President Obama in Arizona for fun -- that was posted right here in the gun group. You might thing fools like that walking around in public are OK, I don't.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

21. I never said such a thing as that. responsible gun owners are not fools and don't you think

Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2012, 12:16 AM - Edit history (1)

people shoot at all kinds of targets liknesses?

I have read on DU the hatred people have for Rush, Beck, Coulter etc....
not much difference if you ask me. and. oh by the way did YOU make that video?

I want you to take your own pictures of all these yahoos you seem to think are so prevalent

...should be an easy assignment for you.

[Hoyt]

25. Mom and dad both passed on long ago. I manage to walk down the streets without a gun.

I'd suggest you try it, but wouldn't want you to go into shock.

[oneshooter]

26. I do quite often. However my work takes me into some of the less savory parts of Houston.

Where police responce is less than swift.
I apparently, despite my Marine Corp. and civilian training, do not have your lightning fast reflexes, steely nerve and natural fighting ability.

[spin]

34. The fact that you have never felt any need to carry a firearm...

is not unusual. Most people feel the same as you.

I choose to carry a firearm because I prefer to be prepared. That in no way means that I fear that I will be attacked or suffer from paranoia. In fact, I doubt that I will ever have a legitimate reason to use my carry weapon.

However I did invest the time and expense to get a concealed carry license and that effort would be wasted if I decided to leave my carry revolver home in the safe and found myself facing an attacker who I believed had every intention of seriously injuring or killing me. I would also feel like a total fool.

edited to insert "never" into the title.

[Hoyt]

24. Oh lord, now you are defending Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter. What's next?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

29. oh. bullshit and you know it ...sheesh

Last edited Fri Feb 24, 2012, 12:15 AM - Edit history (1)

you really can twist some words around...like a pretzel.

I am one of those weird people that separate the message from the messenger.

Kind of like how the admin want DU3 to run...you understand that part, right?

[ManiacJoe]

18. "Time" should be embarassed for publishing that.

Spin's post #9 does a much better job.

[Hoyt]

23. Yes they should. They need to show people carrying in public who have no business owning a gun.

Much less carrying in parks, family restaurants, churches, bars, nursery schools, etc.

They need to show people buying guns at gun shows with no background checks, people blasting away at silhouette targets, TBagger rallies, people sitting in Starbucks with a gun on their hip, and worse.

[Johnny Rico]

27. Which people have no business owning a gun? I'm curious.

Right now in most of the US, one can purchase a firearm with a minimum of paperwork and a quick Brady check. Even in the areas with stricter gun control, any adult of at least 21 years can own a modern firearm after at most a few weeks (with the exception of Washington DC IIRC), unless they're a convicted felon or have a record of domestic abuse.

This means that at least 95% (or so) of adults in the US can own a gun. What percentage do you this should be, and what would one have to do to qualify for firearms ownership...if you had your way?

[Hoyt]

30. Loughner's a good example, as are those who are carry because they fear the poor.

[Johnny Rico]

31. How do you propose to keep people who carry because they fear the poor from owning guns?

As for Loughner, please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe his Glock was legally purchased. Again, what laws do you propose will keep people such as him from purchasing any firearms?

[spin]

33. I have never met a person who had a concealed carry permit...

who said that he obtained it because he was afraid of being attacked by the poor. Of course, I don't know many members of the 1%.

[spin]

32. If you have a concealed carry permit...

and the laws in your state permit it, why is it wrong to carry in parks, family restaurants, churches, bars, nursery schools, etc?

If you own a firearm for self defense, why is it wrong to shoot at a silhouette target?

If the laws in your state allow open carry, why is it wrong to sit in a Starbucks or any restaurant that has no rules against firearms in their establishment?

[ManiacJoe]

35. Hoyt, those boring pictures do not sell advertising space in magazines.

You must have missed that day in marketing class.

[Hoyt]

36. True. Those who covet guns like assault, tactical, etc., in magazines.

If it won't kill a bunch, most of gun culture ain't interested.

[Johnny Rico]

37. I rather covet this magazine...

Surefire Mag5-60, only a bit bigger than a standard 30 round magazine with twice the capacity!

If only they weren't so durned expensive...$129(!) each.

[Hoyt]

38. I bet you do.

[Johnny Rico]

39. You'd win that bet....good for you!

Well, all it takes is money (sigh). At least it's a good investment.

(that's a great rationalization for buying more firearms & accessories...!)

[Callisto32]

41. Your bigotry knows no bounds.