Friday, December 5, 2014

Little Boys with Their Toys

This morning I once again heard the pop of a gun. This isn’t the first time this has happened. (The latest was this weekend.) I have no idea what sort of gun is being used. I know who (the students across the street) and I know what (they are shooting at squirrels). I just don’t know why. Something tells me that aren’t starving and need to eat the little rodents. From their laughter, I assume they are just getting their jollies.

As I said, I don’t know what kind of firearm they are using. They seem to pump it many times before taking a shot. I assume that it a pellet gun. It’s not a BB gun. The ammunition seems to be loaded differently than BB’s are loaded. I also know the young men are not great shots because it took many tries to bring down their prey this morning. It fell from the tree but hit the ground running—into our yard. The “marksman” then turned the gun and shot toward our yard.

When that happened I went out and said that I would appreciate them not shooting toward our house. I suppose I am now the “nosy, weird old lady across the street” to them. Nonetheless, they did put the gun away after a few more shots.

I just do not understand the pleasure that comes from deliberately causing any living thing pain. I can understand the taking of animals for nourishment. I understand the killing of dangerous animals if human life is on the line. I just don’t get the killing-for-fun  or the causing-of-pain thing.

No comments: