Police: Boy shot in Pa. was buckling himself in | 9news.com

This tragic incident stands out partly because it is a clear example of the need for gun owners who exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to learn how to responsibly handle a deadly weapon as a gun. I'm very much in favor of protecting 2nd Amendment rights, but this tragedy seems very much to be an issue of the father not exercising caution.

This father violated 2 very well-known safety matters that comes with even a small amount of gun safety knowledge ...

- You ALWAYS clear the chamber if unloading the gun. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't do that.

- You NEVER point a gun in the direction of another person (unless of course you are intending to shoot them). Unless the bullet ricochet'ed (unlikely inside a vehicle), the handgun had to have been laid down in a manner that it was pointed toward the child. This is inexcusable from a gun safety standpoint.

IMO, this one's on the father. While I'm sure he is greatly distraught, this angers me. If people are going to be for 2nd Amendment rights to own a gun, they need to be responsible with that that right allows them.

__________________
What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand???

How sad. Breaks my heart.

__________________

When handling firearms, it takes only a second of inattention to kill someone.
While agreeing with Joe that the father bears the onus here, remember that we are all human. The father has enough grief to bear right now and will probably punish himself more than the law could.

I agree with you; we are all human and everyone makes mistakes; didn't mean to sound heartless. I'm sure he will carry the guilt of this the rest of his life. It's sad in every way. Yet these are very basic safety rules though. If any good can possibly come away from this, it is the reminder to gun owners that when handling firearms, safety has to be paramount above all else.

__________________
What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand???

Yeah, I guess.

Funny though, there is never much of an outcry and demand for people to learn to use their cars correctly, to add vast restrictions to them, to have waiting periods before purchase, to forbid their purchase at car shows and to outlaw them near schools and playgrounds, even though cars kill and maim hundreds of times more children every year than guns in America.

And when you get right down to it, a gun is generally kept for more important reasons than a car. One owns a car to keep from having to walk, bicycle or use public transport. Most people own guns to keep themselves and their families alive.

__________________
“Quod scripsi, scripsi"

"Sometimes, the source of the beautiful dawning light that drives back the darkness, is your house burning"

The same rules apply to every item that can cause injury or death if they are handled incorrectly. I hope not to see any posts from the peanut gallery regarding the presence of "a-gun".