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Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 10:38 am
by HALODIN
I stumbled across this word for the first time yesterday, it's nice to finally put a name to it.
Hoplophobia -
Firearms authority and writer Jeff Cooper claims to have coined the word in 1962 to describe what he called a "mental aberration consisting of an unreasoning terror of gadgetry, specifically, weapons."[5] The term was constructed from the Greek - hoplon, meaning, amongst other things, "arms,"[6] and phobos, meaning "fear."[7] Although not a mental health professional, Cooper employed the term as an alternative to other slang terms, stating: "We read of 'gun grabbers' and 'anti-gun nuts' but these slang terms do not [explain this behavior]." Cooper attributed this behavior to an irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry. Cooper's opinion was that "the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user."[5] Writing in an opinion piece, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist Dimitri Vassilaros asserted that the term was intended by Cooper as tongue-in-cheek to mock those who think guns have free will.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoplophobia
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:05 am
by dromia
Yep been around for a few decades.
Mr Cooper (former marine veteran, father of practical shooting, the Scout Rifle concept and the original Gunsite, advocate of big bullets and the supremacy of the 45 calibre pistol, he advocated people should learn to shoot rather than dumb down guns and calibres) had a regular column in an American shooting comic, think it was Guns and Ammo but stand to be corrected, in which he expounded his views.
Fine writing which is alas lacking today.
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:48 am
by HALODIN
It's good someone's trying to deconstruct the public's fear of firearms, but I think the wiki article's right, it's not a phobia by definition.
one diagnostic criterion of phobias is that the person be aware and acknowledge that their fear is irrational and usually causes some kind of functional impairment.
I wouldn't say their fear is irrational, after all if guns didn't exist people wouldn't be shot by them. Ipso facto... However, that isn't to say these people wouldn't have killed people by other means. In fact there's sufficient evidence to suggest these people are so unhinged, disenfranchised and vengeful they would stop at nothing to avenge "their injustice..."
It's a difficult argument to outweigh a single life against the sport of hundreds of thousands of people. We could do with more Aristotles, Socrates and Platos amongst our ranks!
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 1:28 pm
by johngarnett
Dromia, yes Col Cooper wrote in G & A, just inside back cover page each month. Very good read!
I had always planned a visit to his place, Gunsite. But when I had the time and money some b******ds took my handguns!!
JohnG
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 4:26 pm
by Les
It's something that the British press and most of the population seem to suffer from, too.
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:29 pm
by bradaz11
most of my 'word of the day'-s come from Dromia. there has been a few of his posts where i have to google a word
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 9:59 am
by Quarters
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 10:05 am
by Quarters
I love the definition at 3:35
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:15 pm
by HALODIN
"Don't be a sissy..."
Re: Word of the day
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 1:38 pm
by Les
Good find.
