Referring to people as zombies as a way to sanitize or make it palatable to talk about killing, is in my mind, just as bad as an outright discussion. I mean, say what you have to say. If baby ears over there can't handle the conversation, perhaps he should excuse himself. The idea that in a natural disaster people become "zombies", a mob of disheveled and non-thinking non-humans, and that discussing them as such in order to sanitize the conversation, that to me is disgusting. I can see that leading to more senseless killings because the individuals, instead of viewing their neighbors in distress as such, they view them as mindless mobs hellbent on destroying what you value. Take for instance the people the cops shot on the bridge in NOLA. Had those cops viewed those people as citizens of the US and equals under law, they would not have shot them. They considered themselves above them and had somehow devalued them as humans, as equals. Perhaps zombies didn't come into the conversation, but the idea of it did.
Then you have the others... The newbies and the kids getting into firearms that have no background. Dad didn't take 'em hunting or shooting. They played video games and came from an anti family. Now they are on their own, they want that AK. But what do you use one for? Never been to a range, don't know how to find the woods (the maps just show big green spots?). So discussing shooting with your peers is quite difficult. You can discuss your limited knowledge of junk tactical gear (why these businesses thrive) or you can discuss killing zombies. Really, all firearms discussions are this way: you can discuss gear or what you use the gear for. Or the range/prey the gear is used on. In absence of target shooting, hunting, shooting sports, etc., you get zombies. This is what you get for not taking kids to the range!
You know, I killed zombies last night. In Fallout3, a video game I'm playing. That is about as far as I go with zombies, that and a book (Stephen King's "Cell" is appropriate for the day!) or a movie (Shawn of the Dead is GREAT!). I went to the range the day before. At the range, I didn't even think of zombies, and playing the game, I didn't think of real weapons or people. To me, zombies belong in books, movies, and video games; they don't belong in real discussions about shooting, and particularly as a way to de-humanize real potential human targets. They are make believe and belong that way. Being able to differentiate the two is important, most people can do that, but some folks, and in particular, some kids, cannot, or at least not yet.
I just feel they don't belong in serious discussions about firearms. I also believe that serious manufacturers, such as Hornady, should refrain from playing into this childishness.
