"News"

[Marco]

Driving home this evening I happened to hear a "flash" news story. A teeneager had been shot and killed while attending a party in West suburban Chicago. Apparently during the party the teens were "playing" with this gun and "the gun went off". Can you believe it"""" THE GUN WENT OFF"????. Not even a veiled mention of the fact that one of these cretans PULLED THE TRIGGER AND KILLED THE KID. The gun couldn't "went off" without some dip s**t pulling the trigger. It wasn't the GUN that killed the teen it was some punk doper at the party. I'm was surprised that there were NO mentions of SUV's that may also have contributed to this tragedy.It's "stuff" like this that...................

Mark
PS: Other than that, the day went well.

[flymaker2]

They should ban partys. Then things like this would never ever happen. Simple.

[nighthawk]

When my father was a teenager, during W.W.II, he was involved in a hunting accident that cost him the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. He dropped his Stevens single shot shotgun and must have grabbed for it with his left hand. The firearm discharged. We are thankful that he wasn't killed.

We all hunt in our family and dad is fanatical about firearms safety, even more so than our military. Vets know what I mean about the military and keeping that weapon pointed in a safe direction. As children we weren't even allowed to point toy guns at each other. Doing so would get the toy smashed and your seat warmed for you. In the military the Cadre will beat the tar out of you.

I am so thankful to have been raised by old fashioned, morally sound parents and trained by Vietnam vets in the U.S. Army. I sometimes wonder what is wrong with people that knowingly point lethal weapons at another person and then claim to have accidentally killed or wounded them.

I just saw a guy from Colt on a show the other day. He said that 65% of all law enforcement killed in the line of duty are shot with their own weapon. Colt is very close to marketing a handgun that will only fire while being held by the officer it is issued to. That addresses the tech part of the equation but what about the moral part? To me it is morally wrong to do anything that endangers the lives of innocent people. I do believe, after all, that guns do not kill people, people kill people.

Sorry for the rant. Just my 2 cents worth.

[harleybob87]

my big question is was he wearing a helmet. anything in the news can be prevented by wearing a helmet that was the whole problem there

[ohiotuber]

IMHO, the first problem may be WHY the damn gun was there AND loaded in the first place. Seems like it was a handgun. MOST people who have "protection" guns are 1)ill trained, & 2) have NO idea what it's like to point & PURPOSELY shoot another person. Even when you feel threatened, if you point the weapon, delay for a moment, & YOU'RE dead! THEN, they leave it where kids can find (& PLAY?? with) it....combine that with the possible presence & use of booze and/or drugs, & the recipe is disaster. Too bad they don't do psychological screening before selling handguns. Here in Ohio, folks can be licensed to "carry". I was in a favorite leather store & the owner & I were appalled at a man's attitude about his handgun...he was easily in his 60's & used terms such as "packin', blow 'em away, etc". What a GREAT attitude he had!!
While I do not own a gun & don't hunt, I do support folks rights to own guns. Unfortunately, there are too many gun owners out there who have no business owning them. Sorry for the rant, but I sold guns after I got out of the Army in 1969, & I talked many folks OUT of buying based on fear.
Mike

[Midge Man]

Harleybob, your comment cracked me up. Several years ago my wife and I were living in Topeka Kansas and during a particularly troubling summer storm the local news caster was warning of an impending tornado and suggested that everyone put on their bicycle helmet... just in case. I laughed so hard I thought I would never recover. TO this day, if there is a storm coming, I run to the closet and grab my old mountain biking helmet and wear it proudly until my wife makes me take it off.

[Helicopsyche]

I didn't grow up in a family with guns around or hunters. But my dad made sure I got exposed to guns. He taught me how to shoot, load, UNLOAD, and safely handle them so I would be comfortable aound them and know what to do. Unfortunately, I think many young people's education comes from the teevee.

Adam

[J Castwell]

Well, they have done it again. It continues to live. Another reinforcement of the elitism of fly fishing. This time it is in great big letters on the nice shiny cover cover of a major magazine. "How to become a certified caster." Not, how to attempt to become certified as a FFF Casting Instructor. How to become a 'Certified Caster!' Big thing? It shows what people really think they become once they pass the test. Not all, but some for sure. The article with pictures shows all the test questions along with how to answer them.
Now,,, lets get back to unsupervised kids shooting themselves while stoned at rap parties.

[Bear742]

Now,,, lets get back to unsupervised kids shooting themselves while stoned at rap parties.

Well, go back to the original report and find anything about drugs or alcohol at the party. Do we have that much trouble accepting that a terrible accident has happened due to a gun owners carelessness that we have to jump to the conclusion that alcohol or drugs must have been in the mix? IMHO the buck starts and stops with that gun's owner.

"Gill nets don't kill fish, people kill fish."

[anglerdave]

I am not for banning guns. But, I am for banning dumb assed parents for leaving unsecured guns around where kids can get at them. Or, leaving their homes unattended where dumb assed kids can have parties.

I agree with Marco. the gun wasn't at fault. The parents were.