4 ms·

She was of course pointing it at other people on purpose, because where the firearm is pointed is a purposeful decision by the wielder. This sort of casual and

She was of course pointing it at other people on purpose, because where the firearm is pointed is a purposeful decision by the wielder. This sort of casual and incredibly dangerous treatment of firearms is why I support rigorous training and licensing requirements for firearms ownership in the US, despite being an owner myself and hunting enthusiast. Too many irresponsible people have incredibly easy access to firearms in the country.

Dem_Boys 6y ago
Your point is valid and I agree. It was obvious this lady never handled a gun. I wonder how many people get killed/injured due to lack of training? I would argue that not having training is just as bad as not having a gun at all. If life is in danger, why would I reach for this thing (a gun) that I don't know how to use properly?
- alphabettsy 6y ago
  Not having training could be worse in many cases and you end up injuring yourself or loved ones in a situation thats not supposed to be dangerous, ex. Showing it off, cleaning, just having it where children are concerned, etc.
- meowster 6y ago
  As long as the laws were carefully written, and it doesn't become a barrier to anyone any more than driver's ed is a barrier to driving, I wouldn't mind requiring people to take a short basic class on gun ownership and use in order to purchase or obtain: These are the four basic rules of firearm safety, this is how you wear PPE, this is how you remove ammo from a gun, this is how you load a gun, and this is how you shoot, then shoot a few rounds so people can experience the noise and kick. Shouldn't be more than a 2 hour class and cost more than $50 ammo included. (I'm an American gun owner and enjoy using the range every now and then.)
- giardini 6y ago
  Dem_Boys says " If life is in danger, why would I reach for this thing (a gun) that I don't know how to use properly?" Thanks largely to movies you very likely can a gun. For example a double action revolver requires merely pointing and pulling the trigger. Even a blind man can shoot a gun: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blind+man+shoots+assailant& https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blind+man+shoots+assailant& Often the mere appearance of a firearm in the hands of a victim is enough to convice an attacker(s) to leave. And shooting a firearm, whether anyone is hit or not, attracts all kinds of attention from neighbors and police.
harshreality 6y ago
In order to have rigorous training and licensing requirements for ownership, you have to have more government control and intervention, and potentially yet another id/card system. That's a non-starter for most people in States that care more about individual rights and privacy. The far better solution is to have a firearms safety and target practice course as part of compulsory schooling. Use laser-dry-fire equipped, color-coded handguns and you can avoid any live fire/ammo anywhere. Live ammo and live fire aren't necessary to learn safe handling. The instructors would still be correcting any students who handle their laser guns unsafely. And the lasers in those laser guns or snap caps aren't powerful enough to be a huge safety risk. The laserlyte snap cap ones appear to be 5 mW. Not perfectly safe, but unlikely to do significant damage without intentionally staring up the beam.
- giardini 6y ago
  I dunno: I'd rather be shot than blinded! It is of limited use to practice shooting with guns that don't shoot real bullets. The student doesn't learn safety properly and picks up bad habits b/c he thinks the guns are safe. That learning transfers over to real life and how you practice is how you will react under stress.
  - tablespoon 6y ago
    > It is of limited use to practice shooting with guns that don't shoot real bullets. The student doesn't learn safety properly and picks up bad habits b/c he thinks the guns are safe. That learning transfers over to real life and how you practice is how you will react under stress. I agree. A course like that would have to have a module where the students would have to fire real guns, but I'd say you could still use dummy guns to teach the basics (and fail anyone who's blase with those) before they advance.
giardini 6y ago
wavefunction says> "She was of course pointing it at other people on purpose..." Written as if she had some malevolent intent, which is absurd. But this is what makes handguns so useful: even a hardened criminal begins to look for the exit when he sees even the most naieve person pointing a handgun randomly. Guns are indeed a great equalizer.
- andrewflnr 6y ago
  I don't think GP is implying malice, just trying to make a (relatively separate) point about responsibility by equivocating on the phrase "on purpose", e.g., you decide where the gun points, even if you don't specifically want to sweep someone. I wouldn't phrase it the way they did, but they do have a point.

Dem_Boys 6y ago

Your point is valid and I agree. It was obvious this lady never handled a gun. I wonder how many people get killed/injured due to lack of training? I would argue that not having training is just as bad as not having a gun at all. If life is in danger, why would I reach for this thing (a gun) that I don't know how to use properly?

alphabettsy 6y ago
Not having training could be worse in many cases and you end up injuring yourself or loved ones in a situation thats not supposed to be dangerous, ex. Showing it off, cleaning, just having it where children are concerned, etc.
meowster 6y ago
As long as the laws were carefully written, and it doesn't become a barrier to anyone any more than driver's ed is a barrier to driving, I wouldn't mind requiring people to take a short basic class on gun ownership and use in order to purchase or obtain: These are the four basic rules of firearm safety, this is how you wear PPE, this is how you remove ammo from a gun, this is how you load a gun, and this is how you shoot, then shoot a few rounds so people can experience the noise and kick. Shouldn't be more than a 2 hour class and cost more than $50 ammo included. (I'm an American gun owner and enjoy using the range every now and then.)
giardini 6y ago
Dem_Boys says " If life is in danger, why would I reach for this thing (a gun) that I don't know how to use properly?" Thanks largely to movies you very likely can a gun. For example a double action revolver requires merely pointing and pulling the trigger. Even a blind man can shoot a gun: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blind+man+shoots+assailant& https://duckduckgo.com/?q=blind+man+shoots+assailant& Often the mere appearance of a firearm in the hands of a victim is enough to convice an attacker(s) to leave. And shooting a firearm, whether anyone is hit or not, attracts all kinds of attention from neighbors and police.

harshreality 6y ago

In order to have rigorous training and licensing requirements for ownership, you have to have more government control and intervention, and potentially yet another id/card system. That's a non-starter for most people in States that care more about individual rights and privacy. The far better solution is to have a firearms safety and target practice course as part of compulsory schooling. Use laser-dry-fire equipped, color-coded handguns and you can avoid any live fire/ammo anywhere. Live ammo and live fire aren't necessary to learn safe handling. The instructors would still be correcting any students who handle their laser guns unsafely. And the lasers in those laser guns or snap caps aren't powerful enough to be a huge safety risk. The laserlyte snap cap ones appear to be 5 mW. Not perfectly safe, but unlikely to do significant damage without intentionally staring up the beam.

giardini 6y ago
I dunno: I'd rather be shot than blinded! It is of limited use to practice shooting with guns that don't shoot real bullets. The student doesn't learn safety properly and picks up bad habits b/c he thinks the guns are safe. That learning transfers over to real life and how you practice is how you will react under stress.
- tablespoon 6y ago
  > It is of limited use to practice shooting with guns that don't shoot real bullets. The student doesn't learn safety properly and picks up bad habits b/c he thinks the guns are safe. That learning transfers over to real life and how you practice is how you will react under stress. I agree. A course like that would have to have a module where the students would have to fire real guns, but I'd say you could still use dummy guns to teach the basics (and fail anyone who's blase with those) before they advance.

giardini 6y ago

wavefunction says> "She was of course pointing it at other people on purpose..." Written as if she had some malevolent intent, which is absurd. But this is what makes handguns so useful: even a hardened criminal begins to look for the exit when he sees even the most naieve person pointing a handgun randomly. Guns are indeed a great equalizer.

andrewflnr 6y ago
I don't think GP is implying malice, just trying to make a (relatively separate) point about responsibility by equivocating on the phrase "on purpose", e.g., you decide where the gun points, even if you don't specifically want to sweep someone. I wouldn't phrase it the way they did, but they do have a point.