The difference between responsible gun ownership and a "gun nut" is VAST:
By Karen B.
"The ex-N (ex partner) was a person who was a very "passionate" hunter and also a rabid gun enthusiast. Over time, I found both of his "hobbies" very disturbing. He loved to kill ("hunt") animals/birds and he loved his guns. He was obsessed. He spent practically all of his spare time on these two "hobbies," and when I expressed concern about this, he told me that guns and "gun culture" was his passion in life. To which I responded that people/human beings (uh, like me) have feelings and guns don't have feelings. To which he responded that his guns have feelings. I was appalled. He was serious, although later, he said he was just joking, of course. He looked down on me because I refused to have anything to do with guns or hunting, and I told him once that I could/would never shoot a deer unless it was for my survival. He actually looked down on me for this! I think that his guns, and shooting and killing (uh, excuse me, he would remind me that it is "hunting," a sport, a time-honored pastime, a culture) animals made him feel very powerful and manly, and he derived a sick pleasure -- I mean, real pleasure -- from shooting and killing animals, just as he derived pleasure from hurting (in a non-physical way), deceiving, dominating, manipulating, controlling, frightening, lying to and "getting one over on" people he used and abused. And I think that he would have derived the same sort of pleasure from physically harming the people he hated, had he been able to get away with this. I think in his mind, animals and people had no feelings, and they were there for his pleasure, and he felt entitled to do to them whatever gave him pleasure or amusement. Side note: As you wrote above, he hated cats...loved dogs. And said that men shouldn't like cats because cats were feminine and not manly pets to have. Yet, I also saw the way he treated dogs, which was not gentle "discipline," but rather rough domination and intimidation when one did something he didn't think they should do.
By Karen B.
"The ex-N (ex partner) was a person who was a very "passionate" hunter and also a rabid gun enthusiast. Over time, I found both of his "hobbies" very disturbing. He loved to kill ("hunt") animals/birds and he loved his guns. He was obsessed. He spent practically all of his spare time on these two "hobbies," and when I expressed concern about this, he told me that guns and "gun culture" was his passion in life. To which I responded that people/human beings (uh, like me) have feelings and guns don't have feelings. To which he responded that his guns have feelings. I was appalled. He was serious, although later, he said he was just joking, of course. He looked down on me because I refused to have anything to do with guns or hunting, and I told him once that I could/would never shoot a deer unless it was for my survival. He actually looked down on me for this! I think that his guns, and shooting and killing (uh, excuse me, he would remind me that it is "hunting," a sport, a time-honored pastime, a culture) animals made him feel very powerful and manly, and he derived a sick pleasure -- I mean, real pleasure -- from shooting and killing animals, just as he derived pleasure from hurting (in a non-physical way), deceiving, dominating, manipulating, controlling, frightening, lying to and "getting one over on" people he used and abused. And I think that he would have derived the same sort of pleasure from physically harming the people he hated, had he been able to get away with this. I think in his mind, animals and people had no feelings, and they were there for his pleasure, and he felt entitled to do to them whatever gave him pleasure or amusement. Side note: As you wrote above, he hated cats...loved dogs. And said that men shouldn't like cats because cats were feminine and not manly pets to have. Yet, I also saw the way he treated dogs, which was not gentle "discipline," but rather rough domination and intimidation when one did something he didn't think they should do.
