A 19-year-old Clark, Wyo., man is in critical condition in a Billings hospital after his friend accidentally shot him in the stomach Monday night.How is such a thing even possible? The stupidity of some gun owners is unbelievable. The only thing worse is the nonchalance with which these acts of negligence are met. And let's not forget the way other gun owners defend and thereby encourage this behavior.
A news release from Park County, Wyo., Sheriff Scott Steward said Patrick Caines and a friend were cleaning handguns in Clark when Caines was shot in the abdomen at about 8:30 p.m.
Caines' friend was dry-firing the guns after cleaning and reassembly to make sure they worked properly and did not realize that a .41 caliber magnum revolver was still loaded, Steward said.
The gun went off and a bullet struck Caines.
"At the time of this release, the Sheriff's Office considers this to be an accidental shooting and foul play is not suspected," Steward said.
I say one strike you're out. This negligent young man should spend a night or two in jail and a lifetime without guns. We'd all be better off, including him.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Defend and encourage? Hardly. Speaking for myself, I defend the rights of citizens who aren't convicted of a crime, and I don't want to criminalize accidents.
ReplyDeleteSo, Mikeb, here's a question for you: Why are you so black and white? Can't you see the subtleties of life?
I'm not black and white. I feel that in many cases jail time is not appropriate, but people who prove themselves incapable of handling guns safely should lose their right to own them.
DeleteWhen one is of a fundamentalist mindset there is no gray and there are no subtleties. To be reasonable, others must agree with you. Further, those who violate your fundamentalist ethic are due nothing but disdain and punishment.
DeleteYou claim not to be black and white, then proceed to use exactly that kind of thinking.
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