You Know What Else You Can See From Outer Space?

     On the ISS, they don't need optics to see the sound of rears being covered at Guns & Ammo, where Dick "maybe a little more regulation?" Metcalfe has -- ahem -- moved on from the editorship and is presumably pursuing his inner Zumbo. (Some excepts from the original editorial, here.)

     Y'know, every time I go to the range, I see people who ought to shoot better -- and would, if they'd slow down and take some advice from the range officers.  In the event of emergency, I'm not sure how they'd do, though around 98 percent of them know to keep their fool finger off the go-bang hook until they're ready to make that happen.  99 percent of them know to keep the firearm pointed down range and the other one percent just got yelled at and know it now.  It'd be pretty kewl if I could wave a magic wand -- or a magic law -- and make them learn better, safer gun-handling and acquire good aim.

     But it doesn't work that way.  You can stick 'em in a class, and many will glumly tough it out; you can herd them out onto the firing line at the range and drill them sufficiently to drill a large target at Tueller-drill distances -- that day.  But you can't make 'em drill enough to inculcate habitual safe, accurate behavior; they'll either seek out more instruction and strive to practice good habits, or they won't.  They're free citizens and the safety record of shooting ranges in this country speaks to an adequate level of training -- but no more than that.  That's as good as it's going to get.

     Dick Metcalfe indulged in a little wishful thinking.  It backfired.  Badly.  "Be certain of your target and what's behind it," it says right here -- and he wasn't.