"Practice for what?" - .....hitting targets. And I don't call it "practice," but you seem to like the term.
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"The purpose of a gun is not to be a long-distance hole punch for a paper target." -- it is if I want it to be. Olympic shooters do it every day-- you would sure hurt their feelings with such talk. LOL
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"A gun is a tool." -- bingo! Now you're getting it!
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"and that's nothing to be irrationally afraid of," -- NOW you're on fire!
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"the purpose of this particular tool is to kill living things." -- uh oh-- you're cooling off....
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"Don't try to sugarcoat it or pretend it isn't," -- oh no: colder.....
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" it weakens any pro-gun argument you might have." dang-- back to ice cold. Shame....