Funny that this was coined Jeff Cooper to describe a "mental disturbance characterized by irrational aversion to weapons". This is a man whom I quote for his 4 rules of gun safety:
1. All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
3. Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
4. Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Now, Jeff, are you saying that I shouldn't respect a firearm for its destructive ability? Are you saying that trying to prevent firearms from falling into the hands of criminals, terrorists, the insane, and other legally disqualified persons is "an irrational fear of weapons"?
Jeff, you are best known for your revolutionary work in pistol training, yet you favour the rifle for tactical shooting: often describing the handgun as a convenient-to-carry stopgap weapon, allowing someone the opportunity to get to a rifle.
So, would we be in agreement that a shotgun, in particular a riot shotgun, would be a far better home defense weapon than a pistol?
Actually, reading your stuff, Cooper, it's pretty obvious that it isn't very well thought out. Especially if you are going to call people "hoplophobes" for advocating gun safety and preventing disqualified persons from owning firearms.
Unless of course, you believe that communists have a right to fight the government and criminals have a right to own guns.
Perhaps I should add hoplophilia to the lexicon: this is an irrational love of firearms. It's a mental illness that separates one from reality when it comes to addressing anything relating to firearms. Any act which is seen as an "infringement" upon gun ownership is "anti-gun" by those suffering from this mental illness.
