Name : Randy Lee
Age : Legal
Where Are You From? : Cameron Highlands
Currently Residing In… : Petaling Jaya
What Do You Do For A Living? : I could tell you, but then I’d have to shoot you. *Grin*
AEW : I’ve noted that you’re quite obsessed with guns. Why is that so?
RL : “Obsessed” is a rather strong word. There’s a lot of negative connotations attached to it. Society looks at obsession as an illness. I’m not gun-crazy. I just have a deep respect and admiration for them. It’s perfectly normal for a person to look at guns as an accessory. So what if I’d love to have a personal arsenal in my basement? Doesn’t everybody? I dare you to call me “obsessed” when you’re looking down the barrel of my nickel-plated Glock 19 with laser sight!
But seriously, why do I like it so much? The precision and science of it all, I guess – the ability and accuracy of hitting your target from a distance. It’s not much different from other sports like archery or even darts, if you think about it really. Apart from that, it’s also the feeling of security it gives you – knowing you have a better chance of fending off any threat or danger. You may raise an eyebrow or two at my remark but let me ask you this (pause for effect) : Don’t you feel a tad safer holding a can of pepper spray in your hand as you walk to your car in a poorly lit and secluded basement car park? It’s the same thing.
AEW : If you put it that way.... hmmm... yes. Do you think that with all the rage going on around the world from terrorism to teenage shoot-outs – guns are actually a very 'politically incorrect' thing to be obsessed with?
RL : I’ve never been a great subscriber to the whole idea of being politically correct. It’s an oxymoron. To be politically correct means to say/do something that is deemed acceptable by the masses even though you may feel differently about it. Wouldn’t that be lying? But getting back to your question, No, I don’t think so. Why? Because guns are not the cause behind all that’s going wrong in the world today. To say that they do would be buying into the idea that if someone is beaten to death by a broomstick, for example, then the broomstick must be the dangerous culprit.
The real debate that’s been going on, and it’s a never-ending one, between gun advocates and the anti-gun supporters is actually, “do guns kill people?” And in my opinion, the simple truth is guns are not the cause of violence. People are. In fact, people have been waging wars with each other long before guns were even invented.
We’ve got to stop being myopic and stop looking at the issue a**-backwards. The problem is not the gun. It’s the person holding it.
AEW : So you are in actual fact FOR guns, yes? Don’t need to be PC here.
RL : I think it’s pretty clear that I’m all for it. Like any other weapon, when used responsibly, guns are a great tool for self-defence. In fact, I think everyone should familiarize themselves with a gun, really. It’s like learning martial arts or even first aid – it’s a skill that may come in useful one day.
AEW : Ah-ha! So how much do you know about guns?
RL : Not as much as people in the gun-loving states of America, but enough to know how to use one if the need ever arises - god bless Wikipedia and the internet! I’ve been to a gun range a few times so I’m comfortable enough with the handling of one effectively. My marksmanship is pretty good - thanks to Medal of Honour and Call of Duty 4.
AEW : Do you own a gun? *Holds breath*
RL : Of course, I do! I have several at home: two water pistols, a staple gun, a glue gun, a Stormtrooper blaster, a Boba Fett blaster, a Han Solo blaster, and a few others I’d rather not mention.
AEW : *Laughs* You are funny! IF you were given the opportunity to own a gun, how would you react?
RL : Am I being drafted? *Looks skeptically*
AEW : *Laughs*. Ok, that is a funny reaction. You're a funny guy! Getting on with the interview... People who go on a shooting rampage – why do you think that is?
RL : Let’s be clear about one thing: Guns do not make people go on killing sprees. Emotionally disturbed minds do. Repeat after me: Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.
To me, there’s no difference between an unstable person carrying a gun or brandishing a machete. Both are equally dangerous and lethal. Getting back to your question about why…who the heck knows what triggers a person’s mind to snap? The human mind is the most complex machine in the universe. I think it’s got something to do with the pressures of modern life. If you’ve watched enough episodes of Criminal Minds, you’ll see that most people who go on a rampage, be it a dejected lover, a disgruntled worker, or even an ostracized student, they’re out to seek approval. Well, that’s what Dr. Spencer Reid says anyway.
AEW : I know we say a lot of things which we don’t mean – like “I’ll shoot you, you moron!”. Do you think you have it in you to go on a trigger-happy rampage or you’ve got your senses in check all the time?
RL : It’s one thing to be so full of rage that you feel like killing someone, but you’d have to be in a totally different state of mind to actually do it. If you’ve ever watched Jodie Foster in ‘The Brave One’, you’d understand. I can imagine shooting someone if that person was putting my life in danger but going to town on a whole bunch of random innocent people is a different thing altogether. That’s just insane. So, to answer your question, no I don’t think I have it in me to ever go on a trigger-happy rampage but neither am I adverse to the idea of pulling the trigger in a life-threatening situation. Honestly though, I hope I’ll never have to do that!
AEW : I had fun doing this interview. I like guns, but not obsessed and not totally in the know-how to handle one safely without it shooting at my toe or something like that. Anyway - thank you for sharing your views on this. Very interesting indeed and have fun pulling the trigger - ONLY at the firing-range, yes? *winks*
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