Read MoreFor the third time in 3 weeks, Washington State police are urging parents to secure their firearms after a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with his dad’s gun.
This is not the type of press we need, if you choose to be armed please be responsible.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Those of us who spent time in the military had this beat into our skulls, but I guess it isn't something everyone knows.“You need to unload and lock it up if you’re not carrying it. ”
Secure your weapon - on your person or somewhere locked. That keeps them out of kids' (and bad guys') hands.
I also spent a lot of time gun proofing my son using Massad Ayoobs advice. My son has had the four rules on his wall for some years now, and he's twelve.
I don't know how well it would have worked when mine were 3, but one thing in our house is that whenever they feel curious about the guns, I stop everything to respond.
The rule is that if they are curious, I will get the firearm and help them satisfy that curiosity - even if it's just a need to disassemble and reassemble or feel the heft - in a safe manner.
Mistakes with guns are so often immediate and irreversible.
It's long history, 21H, but that was pretty much what I did. Usually out of sight and out of reach, but when curiosity started I satisfied it, along with a safety lesson.
By their mid teens all were reasonably proficient with a handgun at defensive ranges and could target shoot with the .22 rifle or the shotguns.
Paul
People have some respect for the complexity of technology. But almost every ignorant fool thinks he understands money and economics.
Our kids we have to satisfy their curiosity on everything from cows, to crawlers to carbines. Hubby gave our 7 year old daughter a .22 rifle of her very own (after much discussion and against my better judgment) that she is only allowed to use with easy to obtain parental supervision. It's now 'old hat' and while she knows I have my Commander in my purse and where Dave keeps his Browning, the Commander is "Mommy's gun" and the little Marlin is 'hers.' The cows are "dumb" cause they know if they are going to step on you and tractors are to 'do farm stuff with' not play on. To pass on the simple wisdom of my ancestors you can protect your children by shutting them away from danger or you can teach them how to live with dangerous machines. The latter children grow to be capable adults.Originally Posted by pmeisel
Dave is fascinated by the idea that I was forced to make a bow, bowstring, arrows and arrowheads from materials here on the farm and has gently suggested I inflict the same atrocity on our children when they reach the same age. That is a matter still under discussion.
“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”
- G. K. Chesterton
Poor kid! Something must be very wrong with the society where arms are so easily accessible that even a 3-years-old kid can reach it and shoot
Well, there was clearly something very wrong with this particular family's idea of securing a firearm.
It is not clear to me how our society can change itself to prevent all such occurences, though offering firearm safety education to new parents would be a start. Given the Heller and McDonald rulings, knowing how to safely handle and secure a gun can be considered part of "Parenting 101."
It may be worth remembering that between 2001 and 2008, about half a million kids (5 and under) were accidently poisoned by medications, presumably because they were not securely stored. What's wrong with our society, indeed.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/0...s-of-children/
Not to mention the children injured in auto accidents that would have been prevented had they been properly secured in their safety seats.
“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”
- G. K. Chesterton
How about children under 5 who drowned in 5-gallon buckets?
Our society isn't so bad. (I hate to be the guy that has to say "while I was in Afghanistan" every post, but...)
How about a society that lets toddlers get run over and leaves them in the middle of the road for the eeevil invaders to treat the child? Or the families that sent their kids out to plant and arm IEDs? oops! Johnny pushed too hard on the red wire - no more fingers, nose or eyes!
We are bad in many ways, but society in America is far from the pot of evil that so many would like to see us as.
Guys while it is true that people are killed or injured more frequently via other methods we need to be careful not to defect blame in negligent situations. As a community our response tends to be "oh ya more people are killed by plastic bags." which is a really unacceptable and inappropriate response.
In cases where people are negligent and that results in harm to others they should be prosecuted. We have the right to be armed, we have the responsibility to not to be negligent and the duty to hold those that are negligent responsible for their actions.
Failure to hold people responsible for negligence will lead to our community lacking credibility and that will result in the loss of gun rights.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Well, IMHO, that's up for discussion. As in this thread: http://www.gunrightsmedia.com/showth...ay-to-go-idiotIn cases where people are negligent and that results in harm to others they should be prosecuted.
I agree that those who are negligent (with firearms or other tools) need to be held responsible for the harm caused by their negligence. And that those who are grossly negligent (reckless or wanton) need to be criminally prosecuted.
What I disagree about is that those who have accidents (resulting from "simple" or standard negligence) that result in harm should be criminally prosecuted. That is certainly not the standard that pertains to our deadliest "tool," the automobile. If one has an accident due to standard negligence (and without breaking any laws), you or your insurance company pays the damage. No prosecution.
You have enough accidents, and your legal driving ability goes away, temporarily or permanently. You drive illegally, and now we're talking criminal prosecution.
I don't hear a lot of car-owners out there saying that unless we jail folks who have car accidents resulting in injury, that is "failure to hold people responsible for their negligence," and that failure will result in everyone losing their driving "rights." So it's interesting to hear such insistence from some gun-owners.
the blame does not belong on society, it belongs squarely on the shoulders of the person whom allowed the child to have unabated access to the gun.
I think we have a winner here! Nicely done!
“Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”
- G. K. Chesterton
George Carlin said...
"Parents are always ready to take credit if the kid turns out good, but if the kid dies from (physical gratification practices I cannot mention here...MB) OH...WE had NOTHING to do w/ that??!!..."
It is stupidity and lack of responsibility on the part of the parents, that is to blame.
Negligence.
Nail their hides to the wall...Take their gun rights away if they can't appreciate them any better than that...LEAVE MINE ALONE.
So his wife goes in the gas station, kids are in the car, and his gun is under the seat? I think this guy has been sniffing the gas fumes too long. He left his kids and his wife undefended in one of the most dangerous personal situations we have, probably right behind doing the same at a teller machine. If there was a carjacking, did he expect the 3-year-old to defend the family? Apparently so.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." - Wayne LaPierre
Republicans: The Other Democratic Party
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