Monday, 7th July 2008
Firearms shooting is not the sport our nation really needs
I was upset to read recently that the minimum age to be licensed for firearms shooting as a sport is going down from 16 to 14 years. The Times reported that the new rules are in line with the government's policy to promote sporting activities in Malta.
It is true that the definition of "sport" is "any form of physical activity (PA) that involves an element of competition". I personally prefer to speak about PA rather than sport because I believe that one should do daily PA for personal health first and foremost and not necessarily to win.
This does not of course imply that I am against sports.
However, the point that really needs to be stressed is that the sports that our nation really needs in order to address the serious problems of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory health and other conditions is mainly the aerobic type of activities such as running, swimming, cycling and so on. These are often termed cardio-activities because they are of extreme benefit to the heart.
It is a pity to note that the benefits gained from participating in sports are being narrowed down to simply aiming the weapon at a target and pulling the trigger! I will not go into what perils this amendment may bring on society especially with regard to young people who may still be at school.
One highly beneficial way of taking part in sport is to train and compete for a certain achievement, such as when our youths represent Malta in games abroad.
Having said this, I do understand the pleasures of firearms shooting: the possession of the weapon, the recoil pressure, the smell of the gases liberated from the barrel, and obviously the satisfaction of hitting the target.
As a matter of fact, I spent three years with the army and I also possess a firearms shooting licence. However, I do not let passion dictate the way I speak.
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Comments
How naive can he be! Dream on if he so wishes and like Don Quixote he targets his next formidable.... windmill. We can't disappoint our readers now can we?!
I understood Mr Micallef's letter to mean that youths need physical sports rather than shooting sport to fight obesity and heart disease. So horse races for example would end and instead the jockeys themselves are asked to run for the trophy? Any real sport needs an underlying good physical and mental preparation and the fittest can have the edge in any sport.
Mr Franco Farrugia jumped on the argument but went anti-gun, showing a clear ignorance of shooting sports. Shooting as a sport has nothing to do with violence and instils responsibility, skills, and self control. Minors can only practice under constant supervision but not own a firearm.
Oh, and by the way - I don't sell guns for a living.
I think that if we really want to encourage children to participate into good & healthy sports, they should not miss their exams because they went abroad to represent Malta in competitive games. It was not their fault after all...
Otherwise, I believe in honesty & I suggest that the people who are pro-shooting should admit the plain truth by saying "we want more people to get this hobby at a younger age because we want to sell more arms, and have more promising competitors which have to be catched at a younger age (which I agree). "
But for God's sake, don't use the excuse of sports. I know that Shooting is also an Olympic sports...so is Chess. Therefore, the Commissioner for Children need not worry about children not doing enough exercise as when they are sitting in their desks they still move their hands to write, etc.
I also cannot approve the tone of certain 'contributors' such as Mr Camilleri. They certainly do justice to what they have to say.
But honestly, I have no interests in selling firearms...hope you understood me.