Comment

Gun-Crazy Right Wing Howls for Bob Costas to Be Fired

159
Shiplord Kirel: From behind wingnut lines12/03/2012 7:21:28 pm PST

re: #146 Kaessa

I am a gun owner as well, I grew up with them learning to shoot and hunt.

One of the things I would definitely like to see put in place is mandatory gun safety courses before you’re allowed to own a firearm. ANY firearm. A huge amount of the firearm deaths in this country are accidental, because some nimrod didn’t proper secure their gun.

The added benefit to this is more people properly store their guns in safes or with trigger locks, and store them unloaded. Crimes of passion are less likely to happen if you have to take the time to unlock the safe and load the gun. More time to cool down.

I have mixed feelings about guns. I love to own them and shoot them, but I realize what a danger they are to so many people when they’re in the wrong hands. If we spend some time educating people (as well as taking care of corollary problems like poverty), maybe this wouldn’t happen as often.

Sometimes I forget that most gun owners have little or no formal instruction in gun safety, marksmanship, legal and moral aspects, and all the other types of knowledge we would automatically require of anyone who wanted any other kind of dangerous device. Want to fly a plane? It’s potentially extremely dangerous and not just to you. The FAA requires extensive proof you know what you are doing. The usual drivers license test is inadequate but it is vastly more than the nothing we require for gun ownership. Want to set up as a welder? The state thinks that too is dangerous and it therefore requires a test. Most people learn to shoot from friends or parents, and their skills and knowledge are in proportion to those of their ad hoc teachers.