Return of the Booth Babes: The 2007 SHOT Show
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Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in their Homes,
It’s doubtful that any special-interest group in the United States of America has been portrayed more unfairly than hunters and gun owners. The reasons are too numerous and sordid to go into in this limited space, but suffice it to say, when I opened a package the other day and saw a book inside called America Armed: Portraits of Gun Owners in their Homes, what came to mind was the acronym BOHICA—Bend over; here it comes again.
But I was wrong. This coffee-table book is the child of Krause Publications, which puts out (via its imprint F+W Publications) the Gun Digest. So it seemed highly unlikely that they would be doing a hatchet job on us. And they didn’t. What we have here folks, between two covers, is that greatest of rarities, a fair picture of who owns guns.
The author is photojournalist Kyle Cassidy, and he spent two years, traveled 15,000 miles, and visited the homes of over 100 people who own firearms. He took their pictures, with their guns, and asked one question: “Why do you own them?”
The answers are very brief, and include about every reason imaginable, but high on the frequency list are: “Because I can” and “Because I choose not to be a victim.” And a lot of these are very serious guns. There are black rifles, and suppressed guns, and full-auto guns, and sporting rifles, and antiques. They are owned by rich people and poor people, creepazoids and all-Americans, the normal (whatever the hell that is) and the somewhat out of kilter. In short, everyfreakinbody.
And a startlingly high percentage of these people have cats living with them.
Armed America is $30, and will be available on August 1. www.armedamerica.org
Cats are self reliant, so are gun owners.
Posted by: Dave in St Pete | July 17, 2007 at 09:45 AM
My Golden Retriever thinks my guns are pretty cool, however, my Himalayan sits patiently on the edge of my cleaning bench offering advice to ensure proper cleaning. Oddly, neither of these guys are the least bit up in arms about gun ownership. They're asking for the book already.
Posted by: Archerwvu | July 17, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Thanks for the heads up. The book sounds like it would be a great Christmas gift. Maybe one could be sent to the Hillary campaign for their education.
Posted by: PbHead | July 17, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Its about time. Thanks for the post . I will be buying the book!!! And it will be proudly dispalyed on my coffee-table .
Posted by: Gene Smith | July 17, 2007 at 10:19 AM
I have this book and it is outstanding! Every page is absorbing...from seeing a man sitting of the floor surrounded by all kinds of guns, to seeing a family with their pets holding something that to them help keep them safe. It teaches that everyday people may have something that not all people agree with, but it their choice and their responsibility.
Posted by: B | July 17, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Great post Dave,
Sounds like a great book.
V/R
C_S
Posted by: Concerned_Soldier | July 17, 2007 at 01:30 PM
I would also say conservative Christians are vilified by the media along with gun-owners. I would bet a high percentage of gun owners are Christian, going back to the pilgrims and pioneers who made this country! Trust in God and Col. Colt!
Posted by: buckstopper | July 17, 2007 at 01:58 PM
Hey buckstopper!
Don't forget that those that went to Church, the Men had their rifles with them!
Posted by: Clay Cooper | July 17, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Kyle is a big cat fan (he does work with a cat rescue group in Philly), so he probably attracted the cat owners in his search for gun owners :-)
That said, I really liked the book. The fact that 2 people I know are in it may make me biased, but I think he has a very fair and unbiased portrayal of gun owners in the book.
There is also a making of documentary on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOAJgtHSo8E
Posted by: Derek | July 17, 2007 at 02:42 PM
Hillary has incredible support from registered Democrats, an astounding 95% favorable rating among them.+++++ Hillary Rodham Clinton, standing on her own as a senator, is not a crazy, left-wing, self-righteous ideologue. She is a practical centrist and a great colleague. She has a sense of humor and works across party lines, is widely respected in the Senate and strong on defense, supports the troops, has strong Midwestern values, and is deeply religious and devoted to her family.
She is not the caricature drawn by the right. She wears well. The more you see her, the more convinced you become that she could be president.
Posted by: Buddy Hinton | July 17, 2007 at 04:58 PM
They are not heavy like jeans but the cotton fabric lets you breathe. .... Old Navy makes them in cargo pants too.Have you travelled in summer in jeans ?Well I do and often!!! And it feels like my leg is burning or going to catch on fire or just melt !!Actually i do a lot of road trips in summer and cargo pants are the solution.They are not heavy like jeans but the cotton fabric lets you breathe.I dont fit the typical stereotype Harley riding tuff.I dont wear boots and chaps and all that jazz.I' d rather be comfy than look like the ss leather patrol !
Anyway I invested in a few cargo pants and Walmart made a few cute ones,they came out in January and I never saw them again.I bought green and brown cotton.The only problem is that they are extremely low rise so they dip when you sit down. Now if someone comes up with a better alternative to sneakers,I' d be happy.I may need to ride with Keds !Have you a favorite t-shirt that is so worn out and faded but is the softest on in the world ?Well,my favourite is the Army t-shirt.You know.... the grey ones with ARMY on it in black.They get better with age and get so soft ! It is also really aptriotic to wear them.It is my absolute fav !
All stores have a version of the soft tees.American Eagle has a whole bunch and Walmart has a whole range called Organic tees. There is also a brand called Trunk shirts but they are about $80.00(I think)
Posted by: TiTo | July 17, 2007 at 05:05 PM
Derek nice link. Buddy Hinton the best thing for you to do would be go to your closet and pray... "And a startlingly high percentage of these people have cats living with them." I'm trying to solve this riddle and at the same time wondering why Dave cares. Thinking about a How To Blast A Cat quiz? Morris' 9 Lives are used up but maybe Garfield is available.
The most interesting thing to me about the whole deal is author/photographer Kyle Cassidy on You Tube saying he showed the book to antis and they said "Wow, these people look like idiots. How are you convincing them to do that?"... Typical of the land of the free. Everyone looks at the same picture and sees something different.
Posted by: Dr. Ralph | July 17, 2007 at 06:48 PM
the kaffers are evil, yes very evil and the scum of humanity. The kaffers have us outnumbered. If the majority says it is a racial issue then it is. So... accept the fact.Same thing in zimbabwe, area after area, they just want you to get out. and they use any means possible, the goverment is on there side, and nobody is on our side.
Posted by: Fubar | July 17, 2007 at 09:05 PM
steve, you're nuts
Posted by: Barry G | July 17, 2007 at 09:09 PM
It gets worse. Much of that time was also spent
In Response To: Damn Archy - mulit-service - we may have to (give you a battlefield promotion - mwilson)
as a newspaper writer covering military affairs. I thought that meant I was supposed to find out who the Colonels' wives were playing footsie with while hubby was in the field, but that turned out to not be the sort of news my editor cared to publish. He got real surprised when in the early days of Desert Shield, I tracked down a local guy who had served under Captain Norm Schwartzkopf in Vietnam when his outfit from the Americal Division wandered into a minefield.
If the commander was as lucky, and skillful, and heroic as he was in that earlier conflict, I wrote, he'll only lose about 10% of his men, as he did with his company in Vietnam. That would have been about 35,000 bodybags, just about the number of casualties expected for Operation Desert Sabre, the planned cleanout of Baghdad.
I think I'm real glad I missed out on that one.
Posted by: archy | July 17, 2007 at 09:16 PM
I think I can speak for every member of our website, WWW.HUNTERSONLY.COm, when I say we own guns because we have " THE RIGHT TO DO SO " , first and foremost. SP10GAUGE
Posted by: Olen Grimes | July 17, 2007 at 10:02 PM
I think I can speak for every member of our website, WWW.HUNTERSONLY.COM, when I say we own guns because we have " THE RIGHT TO DO SO " , first and foremost. SP10GAUGE
Posted by: Olen Grimes | July 17, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Dear Mr. Bardwell:
This is in response to your letter of June 28, 1999, regarding the
repair of a silencer by an individual owner. You ask "whether it
is lawful for the owner of a lawfully possessed silencer ... to
repair that silencer himself, by replacing unserialized internal
components with new components of his own making." You cited the
replacement of a worn out plastic "wipe" or damaged baffle as an
example.
As you are aware, the terms "firearm silencer" and "firearm
muffler" mean any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing
the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of
parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling
or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part
intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication. Thus,
certain internal components, intended only for use in a silencer,
are silencers as defined.
If an individual made one of these parts, even for use as a
replacement part, the individual would be making a silencer. Under
the provisions of the National Firearms Act, any person must apply
for and receive permission to make a silencer and pay the making
tax for each silencer made. This would require the individual
owner to file an ATF Form 1 application for each silencer part to
be made with the payment of $200.00 for each application prior to
making any replacement part.
In regard to the two parts in your cited example, we consider a
baffle to be a silencer, but a wipe, which is usually nothing more
than a rubber or plastic disc with a hole in it, is generally not
considered to be a silencer. Thus an individual owner could
replace a wipe.
- 2 -
Mr. Bardwell
For the replacement of a part or parts that meet the definition of
a silencer, the individual owner would need to arrange for the
transfer of the silencer to a Federal firearms licensee who is
qualified to manufacture silencers.
If you have questions about the classification of other silencer
components, please provide us with a description of them or should
any additional information be needed, please contact Gary Schiable
at (202) 927-8330.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Kent M. Cousins
Chief, National Firearms Act Branch
Posted by: M. Cousins | July 18, 2007 at 03:00 AM
you are correct, i own guns of various callibers because i damn well please.the upstanding citizens of my neighborhood are becoming scarce.i do not hide the fact that i own many guns, the word got around.the low lives have broken in to the neighbors on either side of me, i believe they fear for their lives if they take a stab at my home...very very good thinking on their part!!!i will also purchase the book, and set it next to the bible.well have to get ready for deer hunting...bye all, great sight
Posted by: dave s | July 18, 2007 at 05:12 AM
Mr. Petzal although I understand the intent of your words, gun owners are not a "special interest group". The Second Amendment of the Constitution is not a special interest. It is in the universal interest of all Americans regardless of race, color, creed, or breed of cat owned.
Posted by: Galen Burgett | July 18, 2007 at 05:44 AM
GOOGLE: Buddy Hinton Of sturmgewehr.com
Posted by: Judah | July 18, 2007 at 05:48 AM
Buddy Hinton's assessment of Hillary Clinton (above) is Orwellian.
He is either too young to accurately recall the Clinton years, or else he suffers from a VERY selective memory.
Alternatively, he could just be a gun-banning commie engaged in propaganda on her behalf...
Posted by: Earl Holt III | July 18, 2007 at 08:12 AM
Guys, ever wander why political people are against guns, gun ownership? It's because they are the reason the second admendment was put there, to protect you from the Government ,or the political arena. that naturaly puts them one the other side...Think about it. Look where our Founding Fathers had just come from. They didn't want to go there again.
Posted by: Gary Smith | July 18, 2007 at 08:30 AM
Great posting Dave, I heard about the book a couple of weeks ago and went to the site. I will purchase the book and add it to my library. One thing that struck me in the YouTube video was the guy that said that most gun owners are portrayed as violent; I believe that this is a misinformed accusation by the anti-gunners as well. I have owned firearms for many years, I prefer peace over anything, I will however defend my peace and peace of mind with the most extreme violence if provoked to do so.
Oh and Buddy, you are lost or asleep, I know that the evil bitch is just that evil, and will stop at nothing to rule, not preside, RULE over America, and so does everyone else with their eyes open.
Posted by: HGHunter | July 18, 2007 at 08:45 AM
The thing you have to remember about Hillary Clinton is that she is an elitist: she believes in making rules for others, but in breaking rules for herself. She's always been like that. But she'll probably be elected President, because the Republicans haven't figured out that they haven't done anything for the "little person" in the last eight years. I lived in Europe for 10 years, and have traveled extensively through Canada, and I know that universal health care plans DO work, and I also know that people here are sick and tired of having questions of life or death decided by their health insurance company. People are also sick and tired of the way the credit and oil industries are dragging down the ordinary citizen. No, I have little use for Hillary or other Democrats, but the Republicans are going to lose the White House and even more Congressional seats because they cannot climb out of the pockets of Big Business.
Posted by: ChevJim | July 18, 2007 at 04:11 PM