From: schuldy@progress.COM (Mark Schuldenfrei)
Subject: Re: Primitive FireArms
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 16:42:37 GMT

Dan Sorenson (sorry, I've forgotten your SCA Name, and you didn't supply
it this time) wrote:
  	Where do we draw the line?  The SCA does not, I'm told, allow
  firearms in contests, but a period firearm might be allowed on site if
  there are no laws against it and it is in persona.

Well, I'm not aware of any SCA law that specifically disallows firearms.
Did you have one in mind?

  	As a mundane note, I'm an NRA and an SCA member, and I do
  not hope to see this discussion devolve into a "guns are dangerous
  and have no place in society" argument.  For that, please mail me
  directly (viking@iastate.edu).  Since they are period and interest
  has been shown, let's discuss a proper SCA regulation for them.

Fair enough.  But I do think that two background questions are in order,
and I haven't the foggiest idea how to answer them.  I hope my friends
on this Rialto have some opinions to spare...

1. For many folks, especially the gentles who inhabit the crowded cities
of the Northeast US, a gun is a scary object, a bugaboo, a taboo.  For
gentles from other parts of the world, a gun is just a special kind of
tool.  It's hard to make Society wide generalizations about a special
kind of object, which produces a fearful or nervous response.  Many of
my friends would react to a gun the way they'd react to a bag of noxious
waste: disgusted and repelled.

These are decent people, of good will and intent, who don't want guns
around.  How can we address their needs, as well?


2. Similarly, for many gentles, despite the Period evidence, the SCA
creates not any particular Time and Place, but a fantastical Laurel
Kingdoms, closely modelled on the more Romantic notions of the Middle
Ages, plus whatever pieces of authenticity suit their fancy.  To many
of these people, a period firearm is a complete destruction of their
Arthurian notions.  (Heck, I have a friend who feels that way about
Tudor!)

While the shooting and use of period firearms is, well, period, the
noise and commotion of such firearms would disturb their recreations,
even as it improves and enhances the recreations of other gentles.
How do we introduce this recreation into the Society wide current
Middle Ages, without really ruining the fun that already exists for
some?

   -----

My own take on this is much more ambiguous.  I used to be phobic about
guns: once I realized that was the depth of my reaction, I asked a friend
(and his father, a US Army Gun Instructor, retired) to teach me to shoot.
I have no desire to own a gun, neither am I opposed to them, nor afraid
of them.  Target shooting was fun, but not worth the time and money to
me. I'm over that now, but I understand the phobic reaction.

I have a profound respect for how disturbing many gentles would find
period firearm sports, and a belief that most gentles couldn't tell
the difference between points 1 and 2 above in their objections. I
think it's introduction would disturb many of them greatly, but again,
I think it would be fun.

When it comes to the authenticity game, I believe slightly more strongly
in the "I'll do my thing, you'll do yours" rule than I do in being
authentic.  Nevertheless, I thing authenticity is fun most of the time.
I'm as authentic in my food and drink, brewing and heraldry as I can
be, but my garb is not all that authentic as I lack the skill and
inclination.  I applaud authenticity in all it's forms, but find the
fabric of the SCA culture to be occasionally quite fragile when stressed
(especially along the Bias, heh heh).

As such, I find a moral quandry in the introduction of a sport that
would be more period, but also more disturbing to the many folks who
practice the chaos that is the SCA, *as it currently exists*.  

How do we divide the baby?

	Tibor
--
Mark Schuldenfrei (schuldy@progress.com)
[I'm just showin' you my opinions: this ain't a gift]