- In a Sept. 13, 1993, editorial column, Harmon wrote about the importance of everyone’s constitutional right to own a firearm.
“I view threats to that freedom as seriously as I do threats to my right to vote, or speak freely, or worship as I please,” he wrote.
In that same column, Harmon wrote he had belonged to the National Rifle Association from the day of his first paycheck.
The article says "showing the weapon to a teenage visitor". Not showing him how to use it. Regardless, apparently the kid was handed a loaded weapon inside a home when he either had absolutely no idea how to use it or very certainly did. One of the problems with everyone insisting on exercising their constitutional rights is that not everyone is qualified to do so wisely.
This is exactly the problem, when it comes to Americans you just don't know who actually knows about gun safety since it's in no way required. At least I find in Canada I can be relatively comfortable around gun owners since although we have idiots we don't give every idiot a gun because freedom. This guy couldn't have cared much about gun safety if he handed a gun to a teenager without making sure he wasn't going to shoot. My ex would hand me a gun he knew was empty and still expect me to check myself and also never ever ever EVER point it at someone.
This and every other story like it illustrates the fact that owning a gun makes you statistically more likely to die by a gun. People should be aware of it. This kind of story is a public service. I'm sure this guy would have told you that he was one of the safest most responsible gun owners around, right up to the day he wasn't.
Unfortunately most Americans don't pay a lot of attention to statistics, but they do love an anecdote. This is a tragedy (despite the shitty snarky comments other people have posted). People off good will and honest intention who own guns need to realize that this kind of thing is a possibility, statistics don't convey tragedy very well.
Even if they were, the response would be 'Well, I'd never be so stupid as to give a (Blank) year old a loaded weapon without knowing that they would handle it responsibly.' Nobody thinks it will happen to them because they are better/smarter/blessed/etc.sure but the people who need to realize etc are, lo and behold, not the people reading these stories.
A guy I know owned a lot of guns. After one of the mass shootings he got all reflective about guns and society. He knew that he liked his guns but after thinking hard about the cost of guns to our world and mostly to kids he decided that he couldn't in good conscious own guns anymore. He cut up all his guns and welded them together into a big tree sculpture. Local public TV did a segment on him but I can't seem to find it. I'm not saying that people shouldn't own guns but they should be made aware of the possible consequences of gun ownership. They should stop to think about leaving their purse in reach of their toddler if they are packing. You seem dead set on the idea that gun owners can in anyway effectively weigh risks or change their behavior when their ideas are challenged. I don't believe that is true. We need these types of stories if we are going to live in a society that has this many guns around.
this seems like a positive optimistic idea and so far in this thread i have been unfailingly negative so i dunno where you got that from or wait maybe you meant "can't"You seem dead set on the idea that gun owners can in anyway effectively weigh risks or change their behavior when their ideas are challenged.
Its a quick way out and suicide rates, by gun, go up in cities with higher gun ownership. This Harvard study confirms that. Guns do not cause suicide, People cause suicide. I would guess that accessibility for anything correlates with use in many circumstances. So if a gun is handy then it is a quick and easy way out.