Firearm use and sport shooting (1)

Are we living in a dictatorship where one cannot express one's genuine feelings? Mario Spiteri's rudeness does not reflect a civilised society especially if he still holds a high position in the civil service (Target Shooting By Youngsters Is Healthy, July 10).

However, I thank him for putting me in the know. It is pretty obvious from his letter that he has a personal axe to grind. He knows that I am a controversial writer with a touch of social conscience. So he cannot seem to take it any longer when I contribute balanced and logical arguments to which seldom does anyone dare reply. I've been writing letters and articles for over 12 years. So he cunningly tries to turn some people against me.

As an "ex-Director of Health Promotion for more than five years", Dr Spiteri should therefore know what WHO recommends the most. Even the concept of the Physical Activity Pyramid (which one may easily Google-search) shows clearly that there are certain types of physical activities that for health reasons are more highly recommended than others. This does not however mean that firearms shooting is to be condemned, and I never said so.

I leave readers to judge for themselves the genuine contents of my letter, Firearms Shooting Is Not The Sport Our Nation Really Needs (July 7). One should note that I placed emphasis on the word "firearms shooting", instead of "target shooting" (which is what Dr Spiteri prefers to write about), because the latter can simply imply the use of airguns which is no longer the case.

What surprises me is that if he seems to be so fond of shooting, why doesn't he include the name of any local shooting club to back him? On the other hand, although I understand the pleasures involved in firearms shooting, I have no interest (directly or indirectly) in selling any sort of these potentially lethal weapons. Come on, be a cowboy. Spit out the truth and don't use young William Chetcuti (whom I have great admiration for) to your advantage. I have no hidden agendas. Is it "catching them young" to make a name for Malta that Dr Spiteri really has in mind?

The principles of marksmanship (position and hold must be firm; gun should point naturally at the target; aiming must be correct and breath controlled; and shot released gently) also apply to airguns. Hence, I fail to understand why 14-year-olds necessarily have to grab firearms to be caught young. Formula 1 drivers at first drive ordinary cars, sometimes even starting with go-carts. So do jet aircraft pilots who train first on light aircraft.

Dr Spiteri tried to ridicule me by referring to my time in the army. I assure him that during those three unforgettable years I was with them, I always classified within the first round of shooting with the AKM rifle. I also fired the Berette 92FS, threw hand-grenades and had the opportunity to experience the unique MG 42. I guess that with even more members joining the local firearms shooting clubs and with the limitations of the approved ranges available, the chances of a person experiencing a real firearm may actually be lower than the chances I had with the army.

A good shooter does not have to machine-gun everything when it comes to polemics. Why can't Dr Spiteri simply concentrate on his target subject (shooting) rather than aiming his guns at teachers, retirement schemes, climate change and other issues?

I sincerely hope that the next youth to die in Paceville (God forbid) will not be a firearm victim of 14 years of age.