Gun Control

I don't know how it is elsewhere, but here in Texas, alcohol and firearms have always seemed to go together. I belonged to a Gun Club for years. We had a huge piece of land outside the city limits and alcohol was certainly allowed. Pretty much anybody who drank always brought their alcohol of choice when they'd come to shoot. They didn't have a liquor license so it was always BYOB.

Our shop had a huge ice machine and my boss was the club president for many years. But every evening members would stop at our shop on their way to the club to fill their ice chests. Including me. We'd shoot targets, skeet, pistols, rifles, all while drinking our favorite libation. I don't recall anybody getting shot or shooting themselves. Probably not very responsible to people in other states,, and maybe it wasn't. But it seemed normal to me at the time. And yeah, we'd always drive home. No wonder Texas pretty much leads the nation in DWI.

Growing up and learning to hunt the adults always had their alcohol. Granted, it was reserved for later after we were done for the day. But as an adult I always had plenty of beer on the lease where we hunted. And still would today if I hadn't quit drinking years ago. But even so, I'm still not surprised when people bring alcohol to a hunting lease or the few times I go back home and visit the gun club. The way that I grew up it was just part of the culture.

What I'm anxious to see is how open carry goes over. January 1, 2016 it becomes legal. Many businesses have already said it won't be allowed. It still won't be allowed in bars or government buildings or so called gun free zones. Private property owners can ban it with the display of a sign. The open carry folks have already said they're going to sue businesses who don't allow them to carry openly in their place of business. Even though there is a provision in the law granting owners of private property a way to forbid it. This may end up like the cake. It will be interesting to watch. It won't bother me though. I don't want anybody knowing whether I'm carrying today or not.

guns and booze and hunting ...

definitely these things have mixed in my experience; best practice was the booze started after the guns were put away, anything else was pretty rare.

for myself, wanting to have any guns unloaded that I use for hunting, I've noticed a couple of times over the years that I've gotten them out to load and found I never unloaded them. Yep, thinking back, just hadn't taken that extra step yet after a long day, started drinking, and forgot.

Guns booze and hunting
hmm
Just one name comes to mind
Dick Cheney.

Quote: odiousgambit

I've noticed a couple of times over the years that I've gotten them out to load and found I never unloaded them. Yep, thinking back, just hadn't taken that extra step yet after a long day, started drinking, and forgot.

Speaking of Harold & Kumar, I love this scene.

Getting tricky to protect yourself.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wdbj7-reporter-alison-parker-photographer-adam-ward-killed-live-tv-n416221

Nothing says crowd control like you very own flame thrower; http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/08/facing-possible-ban-more-americans-are-buying-new-and-legal-900-flamethrowers/

The amazing thing about these toddler/gun statistics is that they are from 2015 alone. (Was it this bad 10 or 20 or 30 years ago?) Moreover, these are only the stories covered by the news media, there are probably many many more incidences of toddlers firing guns where no one was hurt, and therefore the story didn't make the newspapers.

This is a uniquely American problem. Which is not to suggest that somehow American toddlers are more dangerous than non-American toddlers, nor is it to suggest that American parents are more negligent (incompetent) than non-American parents. But if you live in the nation with the most guns, than you live in the nation where it is easiest for a 2 year old kid to get their curious hands on one.

Quote: reno

The amazing thing about these

Where is this happening most, in what
neighborhoods, if you get my drift. I
have never been in a house where there
were loaded guns where kids could get
to them. I'm betting some urban homes
where guns are a part of everyday life, that
loaded guns are laying where kids see
them every day. It's not a gun problem,
it's as usual a people problem.

Quote: reno

This is a uniquely American problem. Which is not to suggest that somehow American toddlers are more dangerous than non-American toddlers, nor is it to suggest that American parents are more negligent (incompetent) than non-American parents. But if you live in the nation with the most guns, than you live in the nation where it is easiest for a 2 year old kid to get their curious hands on one.

So it seems like it is happening once a week. In a nation of 300 million people lots of things will happen once a week. The article is an editorial disguised as news. Note their hit piece on the NRA, as if the NRA has some kind of responsibility. The problem is not the guns, it is people not watching their kids.

If everyone thinks everyone else has a gun, will they stop throwing slurpees?

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2015/10/road_rage_in_mount_clemens_wom.html

Will people be able to express their anger without fearing being shot?