But he assures us that turkey-shaped ones will still be allowed.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is seeking to ban human-shaped silhouette targets from all civilian shooting ranges in the state because he thinks they encourage violence against actual humans.

Democratic state representative Thaddeus Kirkland issued a memorandum last week announcing that he would introduce the legislation, according to local news source LancasterOnline.


Kirkland said that this kind of target makes people want to be violent against others.

“Rather than perpetuate violence by continuing to allow individuals to practice their target shooting by shooting at human silhouette targets at shooting ranges, my legislation will prohibit the use of targets that depict human silhouettes at shooting ranges across the Commonwealth,” the memorandum states.

Apparently believing the government has the right to tell people what they are and are not allowed to print out and place on their own property, Kirkland said the ranges would be allowed to use animal targets.


“Instead, silhouette targets could include, but are not limited to the following: white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, and elk.”

“Not limited to,” because, you know, gotta let people have their freedom!

But Alex Cameron, general manager of Kinsey’s Outdoors in Pennsylvania, said people often come to his range to learn self-defense and want these kind of targets.


“We sell them because our customers have told us they want them,” he told LancasterOnline. “And we will happily continue to do so.”

After all, it really doesn’t seem like knowing how to shoot a turkey would be very helpful with self-defense.