I was reading about the controversy in the US about the photo of President Obama shooting skeet with a shotgun at Camp David.  This all started when the Republicans and the NRA were attacking his proposed gun bill by saying he is not a real “man” because he does not shoot and has never killed a living entity with a gun.

Apparently this could possibly apply to me.  I can fix plumbing in the house. I can do basic electrical.  I can do carpentry and fix most things around the house.  I have an engineering degree and have fathered 4 children, but by the American definition I am not a real “Man”  unless I have a gun and shoot people or animals.

Well that may be true in my current situation but I am here to defend myself.  When I was 15 I was given an old an old Savage 22 by my father.  At the time I was with Air Cadets and had taken shooting lessons and furthermore had won a Dominion Marksmanship Medal (which I still have).  Dad must have thought I was ready so gave me this old gun.

I went out to the family farm (Uncle Ken’s) and he let me shoot gophers.  Think of rats that live in the ground.  At the time there was a bounty where you could get, I think, 25 cents for every Gopher tail from the Saskatchewan government.  Now my Uncle Ken had no qualms about cutting the testicles off of young male calves with a knife but he did not own a gun and did not like to shoot.

I spent a couple of days and probably shot off $8 in shells and as I recall retrieved 12 dead gophers.  Uncle cut off the tails and said he would take care of the bounty, but I never saw the money.  I never again killed an animal with a gun (although I would have loved to shoot some Raccoons when we lived in Oakville)

Still by the NRA and American Republican party definition I AM A MAN.  No idea what happened to the 22 rifle which I hope has been destroyed.  To this day I think the only reason I only got 12 gophers is due to the lousy sight.