--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Listen, Bob. A gun is just a tool. No…" description: "\"“Listen, Bob. A gun is just a tool. No better and no worse than any other tool, a shovel- or an axe or a saddle or a stove or anything. Think of it alw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/jack-schaefer-58506_cowboy_listen-bob-a-gun-is-just-a-tool-no-bette_2015307.jpg" --- # Listen, Bob. A gun is just a tool. No better and no worse… ![“Listen, Bob. A gun is just a tool. No better and no worse than any other tool, a shovel- or an axe or a saddle or a stove or anything. Think of it always that way. A gun is as good- and as bad- as the man who carries it. Remember that.” quote by Jack Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/jack-schaefer-58506_cowboy_listen-bob-a-gun-is-just-a-tool-no-bette_2015307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/jack-schaefer-58506_cowboy_listen-bob-a-gun-is-just-a-tool-no-bette_2015307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/371/jack-schaefer-58506_cowboy_listen-bob-a-gun-is-just-a-tool-no-bette_2015307.jpg) > ““Listen, Bob. A gun is just a tool. No better and no worse than any other tool, a shovel- or an axe or a saddle or a stove or anything. Think of it always that way. A gun is as good- and as bad- as the man who carries it. Remember that.”” [Jack Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schaefer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A gun is a neutral tool; its moral value depends on the user, urging responsibility in weapon handling. **In simple terms:** Tools are neutral; people decide their use. Key Takeaway Use tools responsibly, consider character. Themes ethics responsibility violence Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - self‑defense - hunting - law enforcement - conflict resolution Key Concepts tool neutrality moral agency Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your use of powerful tools? - How do you assess a person's intent? A Different Perspective Tools can be misused despite neutral intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Cowboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowboy/) ## Related quotes > [“They did not look at each other. They did not say a word to each other... 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What counts is how you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-cassou/painting-is-just-a-tool-it-is-nothing-in-itself-what-counts-is-how/) [Michele Cassou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-cassou/) > [Money is just a tool. It will take you anywhere you want, but you have to be the driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/money-is-just-a-tool-it-will-take-you-anywhere-you-want-but-you-have/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [It is often easier for our children to obtain a gun than it is to find a good school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/it-is-often-easier-for-our-children-to-obtain-a-gun-than-it-is-to/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [“You sort of have to know how to use a gun for it, to do you any good”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-rich/you-sort-of-have-to-know-how-to-use-a-gun-for-it-to-do-you-any-good/) Christie Rich > [The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. 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You just load me all up, then you shoot me and get rid of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-munton/you-re-like-a-gun-you-just-load-me-all-up-then-you-shoot-me-and-get/) [Simone Munton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-munton/) > [“The gun was just the go-between. It was the loneliness that got me in the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/the-gun-was-just-the-go-between-it-was-the-loneliness-that-got-me-in/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [We didn't have counsellors rushing around every time somebody let off a gun. You just got on with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/we-didn-t-have-counsellors-rushing-around-every-time-somebody-let-off/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) ## More by Jack Schaefer > [What a man knows isn’t important. It’s what he is that counts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schaefer/what-a-man-knows-isn-t-important-it-s-what-he-is-that-counts/) [Jack Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schaefer/) > [“Ernie's past friendship. Your debt is to the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schaefer/ernie-s-past-friendship-your-debt-is-to-the-living/) [Jack Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schaefer/) > [“They did not look at each other. They did not say a word to each other... They knew that talk is meaningless when a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schaefer/they-did-not-look-at-each-other-they-did-not-say-a-word-to-each-other/) [Jack Schaefer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-schaefer/) > [Enjoy yourself. 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