Exactly a month ago my friend and I both invested in an AR-15 rifle as we got a great deal for them from Moriarti Arms. So today when I heard there was a gun show in Alabama, I just had to visit it. And as it was just a few blocks from the church, and I thought it would be interesting to go there.People watching can be a most interesting hobby and it most certainly was today.
On the way in, I met a man with a gun strapped on. Before you become concerned, it was legal for him to have one as Alabama permits open-carry within certain bounds. But as we were talking, I realized that his gun was loaded. Since the gun show has a big sign saying that loaded guns are not permitted on the premises, I mention that to him. He appears befuddled and says that he will just have to unload it when he gets there. Sure enough, when he gets there, he pulls out his revolver and begins to unload it. Both the entrance person and a sheriff’s deputy yell at him to go outside to unload it. Meanwhile, he is vaguely moving the revolver around continuing to try to unload it. As he went out the door there were some uncomplimentary things said about him.
I had not realized that gun shows also seem to be partially flea markets. There were booths of people selling purses, leather journals, food, jewelry, etc. There were even booths that sold children’s toys. Of course there were the mandatory over-priced veteran gear from Viet Nam, Korea, and World War II. Being a veteran, I can never quite figure out why veteran’s gear tends to be so highly priced. I can remember looking forward to taking my boots off. I can remember how heavy a loaded backpack could be. Oh, there are a couple of bits of veteran gear that I would not mind having. Some of the jackets were nicely warm and so on. But, by and large I wonder whether the gear is really bought by non-veterans.
I see a young man who is over six feet talk and looks quite capable. And, he is wearing a kilt! But, not the normal kilt you see when someone is dressing up. This appears to be a “working” kilt. It is not in “clan” colors, but rather is a plain kilt, complete with what appear to be normal modern style desert-style camo pockets. I do notice that no one at the gun show even tries to make fun of that young man. But, it is something quite unusual to see here in the South.
In the back I can hear a high buzzing sound. As I wonder back that way, I see that it is a man demonstrating a tazer so strong that it visibly sparks. There is a sign saying that it is capable of putting out 2.5 million volts. That not only seems excessively high, but also seems to defeat the idea that a tazer is meant to be a purely defensive non-lethal weapon. Yes, I know that there is a difference between voltage and amperage and lethality, nevertheless . . . .
Most of the guns that are there are guns that, by and large, you have seen on television, either on hunting shows or police shows. But, there are also some guns that you could only see on specialty shows and some that I am surprised are legal to sell. For instance, who really needs a .50 caliber long-distance sniper rifle? Yes, I have seen those videos on YouTube that show someone hunting a mountain goat in the Rockies and killing it at a distance of a mile. But, really!!! If you are not aware, a rifle of that caliber is not simply meant to fire at a distance, it is meant to cause massive damage when it arrives. It is a war gun. Using it for hunting only guarantees that you might be able to save the head for stuffing, but, uhm, you had better not plan on doing much with the pelt or body. And, it is totally useless for self-defense, unless your definition of self-defense is not only killing the person but also endangering anyone behind the intruder for the next 1/4 mile or so. That gun has one, and only one, purpose. It is a war gun.
For the rest of it, a gun show simply reminded me of a flea market, but with armaments rather than with knick knacks. Just like a flea market, it is a mix of commercial sellers and mom & pop sellers. It has a bit of this and that. It has your regular everyday next door neighbor and some rather odd and interesting folk. People were haggling, trading, buying, and selling. It was a most interesting place to people watch. I think I will have to go to another one in the future.
Fr. Ernesto,
I absolutely love people watching. I can do it almost anywhere. Thank you for this observation of yours. It has been my long held belief that Solomon was a people watcher. And that’s why the “wisdom” books in the bible are so rich. He watched people and wrote about them.