Grumble and Grouch

You were warned. [Rant Mode ON]

Gun/Self Control

Some weeks ago a Seattle family lost their 4 year old daughter to death by accidental gun shot. This is such a common occurrence that it doesn't even make the first five minutes of most major city news reports. What is uncommon about this particular death was that she was asleep in her bed at the time, when the family's downstairs neighbors blasted through the floor with a shotgun. We hear about drive by shootings in LA, about gang retribution that leads teen to kill teen. But this little girl was asleep. And the gunmen weren't gang members that I know of. It was just stupidity and criminal carelessness.

Growing up in Alaska, I've known many good people who keep guns in their homes for hunting purposes. I've known a few who collect vintage guns. I named my son after a man who dealt in antique guns. I was married to a man who kept guns for home protection. While I didn't grow up in a house that contained guns, I've been around them. And I've been around responsible users of guns. None of them have ever been accidentally injured because of their hobby, thank heavens. But NONE of them can say they've never accidentally shot a gun. None of them can say they've always, every time, been 100% in control of the gun. Now, I don't know about you, but that scares the everloving bejeezers out of me.

For Japan to host the winter games this year, they had to bend their laws a little for the biathlon athletes. The biathlon, you might remember, is cross-country skiing back into the woods, shooting a rifle at targets, then skiing back out of the woods. Japan has such strict gun control laws that to host the games they had to make extraordinary efforts. As the guns came into the country, they were carefully inspected, and each and every bullet was cataloged and kept track of. They were taken from the athletes until it was time to compete, and remaining bullets were taken after the competition. The course itself had to be altered because it came within 4,000 feet of a building with people in it, too close by Japanese standards. Japan had fewer than 10 deaths last year due to gunshot. Not Tokyo. The whole country. Food for thought, wouldn't you say?

It seems to me that if people cannot be self-controlled with the weapons they wield, then the guns themselves must be controlled. I've never been a proponent of more government, but when 4 year old little girls die in their beds because of a legally owned gun by a stupid person, the government must prevent stupid people from owning guns.

[Rant Mode OFF] Thanks for listening.

jeniwren@compuserve.com

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