[Tuzo]

Ear and eye protection is related to range safety as much as safe firearm handling. A piece of metal hitting an eyeball while shooting and resultant involuntary reaction can be dangerous to those nearby. What is heard too often is "it's my life," "it's not dangerous," "mind your own business," "never hurt before," "independence," among others. The best is "you have to die sometime" which is undeniably true and a favorite of smokers, but the issue is not when you die but whether you die peacefully or suffer with an injury or lung cancer for a long time prior to death.

A telling example of not wanting to wear eye protection occurred when I taught high school physics. Teenagers, forever concerned with appearance when among peers, were reluctant to wear dorky and clunky safety glasses during lab periods. After a speck of sodium was dropped into a pan of water with a dramatic reaction and spattering of water my students wore safety glasses without complaint.

So, don't wear ear protection and suffer annoying deafness. Don't wear eye protection and risk eye damage or blindness. Be "a man," whatever that may mean to you, and risk your health and the health and safety of those nearby.