It's perfectly okay to use Internet forums and discussion boards. There is a difference from talking knowledge with like-minded folks on a forum and learning new things. We are not like those guys in South Korea who spend entire days and nights in Netcafes hammering away at World Of Warcraft until they are not even aware that they have vacated their bowels and bladders right into their seats. Of course, that is an extreme example, but people who overdo and overindulge are very capable of traveling down that same lane on the mental freeway.
Like TunnelRat mentioned, moderation is key. I have pizza and may even indulge in a bag of Doritos once in a while. I also drink beer and whiskey. I never overdo it though. I love to be on TFL because it is educational. For example in the last couple of days I learned about the Evans Repeating Rifle and the Herrin Massacre for the first time. For someone with such a love of history I was surprised I did not know of these. I always enjoy the discussions here, but at the same time, I am not neglecting my physical health by remaining sedentary for prolonged hours or abandoning my social life and cutting contacts with nearby friends by being glued to a computer. And I am sure none of us here are living that way either
In other words, everyone can benefit from training, regular practice, and a little effort paid towards a healthy lifestyle. If people who aren't totally devoted to all of those things still want to sink a small fortune into a market that produces things I like, or be on board to protect our rights at the election booth, I won't be too harsh on them. At the same time, there really are some situations in which just having the right tool and having a little experience with that tool just might save a life or two.
The reality is that someone who hits the range on a semi-regular basis and has a gun with them could be enough to stop a mass shooter. They may not be able to run a half mile through the woods and take out a gang of ninjas with their eyes closed. They might be fifty or more pounds overweight and have an ongoing love affair with fast food. They might not be the strongest opposition a bad guy ever faced. They're still a heck of a lot better than none.
So if you're one of those guys, consider some lessons, training, or just stepping it up with a few drills. Have a salad once in a while. Take the stairs, if you're able. In the meantime, thanks for having a gun, a knife, a flashlight, and whatever else might come in handy.
Facts. Having access to a gun gives anyone a considerable edge in a violent situation. That is why I feel good and comfortable when I see law abiding folks of all kinds practicing with guns, going to the range and exercising responsible ownership and carrying.
Long time ago very shortly after Deng Xiaoping rolled back the Cultural Revolution and allowed free market enterprise, my Grand Uncle had been bedridden in his ranch house up in Hulunbeier, deathly sick from pneumonia, when a very large and very aggressive lynx prowled into the hamlet and menaced his baby grand-niece and her mother. Heard the yells for help come from the woman and the strained cries of the baby as they were held up in the wellhouse, with only a plank door and flimsy clapboard walls separating them from the snarling beast outside. He had been running a 104 fever, vomiting and near delirium, but still managed to stagger outside with a milsurp Zhongzheng-36 loaded with a full mag of 7.92x57. Racked the bolt, slammed it into battery and sent a single 180-grain FMJ through the skull of the big cat. Flipped it dead right on the spot and it ain't moved one twitch.
This is the same man who had told me once, "Son, you can be anything you want in life. Just don't be a burden on anyone". Since that day he had saved his grandniece and NIL he has had 6 major surgeries, had a tumor removed from his lungs, had parts of his lungs and stomach removed and had a spinal operation done. Much weaker today than he had been before, but he is still one tough son of a gun. I would feel sorry for anyone who would get into a gunfight with him, 'cause he is gonna smoke em' in a split second. Needs canes and crutches to walk but his shooting skills have not diminished one bit. For Christ's sake he actually uses his old Zhongzheng as a crutch when he's out checking the livestock.
