Rule #1 (per NRA gun safety class circa 1962)-Consider every firearm you
(or anyone else) handles is loaded, whether it is or not.
Rule #2 (per me)-Consider anyone handling a firearm is irresponsible.
Rule #2 may piss off some responsible gun owners, but simply because someone
says -or thinks- they are a responsible firearm owner/user doesn't make it so.
I offer you Exhibit A, one Richard (Dick) Cheney, born(sneer and all), and raised
in a rural Western state, lifelong gun advocate/practitioner.
Shoots hunting buddy in face. Shit Happens!
Exhibit B through Z, read the Gun Fail diaries posted each
week on DKos.
A variation of the Law of Dilution applies here: the more firearms available,
the more they will get into the hands of the irresponsible. Substitute cars for
firearms, the Law still applies.
So, you may be a responsible owner/user of firearms, but it’s not in my
best interest nor my safety to assume that you are as responsible as you think
you are. Anyone can come up with a "situation gone bad" scenario.
If we can't trust Dick Cheney to handle a gun responsibly, who the hell can
we trust?
"Hey, let's be careful out there." - Sgt. Phil Esterhaus