Recently, I’ve started to see folks refer to themselves and others as “Shooters.”
Although I kept my head down and feet and knees pumping during SHOT Show, every once in awhile I got to hear a few snippets from the herds of 5.11 clad bystanders that seem to gather in certain booths. Every once in awhile I’d hear someone say “shooter” as I looked around in confusion. Apparently, you’ve got to be a shooter to know what a shooter is and I am definitely outside the circle on this one. I understand it’s even been used as an attempt to disparage me personally, as I’m not a “shooter” so therefore I have no idea what I’ve been talking about for the past seven years. Obviously, 21 years of military service and nine years in industry aren’t enough qualification to know right from wrong. Perhaps that’s the issue. It was military service and not shooter time. But I digress.
What exactly is this shooter phenomenon?
When I hear shooter, two things come to mind. First, I see someone on the firing line at a range. Second, it conjures up negative thoughts about active shooters, mercilessly preying on the innocent.
So what exactly does this new terminology mean? Is it the civilian equivalent of Operator? Is it another example of the “everyone gets a trophy and cool title” culture? Or, is it some obscure reference to a character in an Adam Sandler movie?
Discuss.
