Saturday’s movie theater shooting has many questioning New Mexico's law on gun control.
“If this young man had actually had a license to carry the weapon, he would have been much better trained. I doubt, very seriously, that he would have actually been in a situation where the gun would have just discharged,” said State Rep. Gail Chasey.
Police said Dante Aikins had no permit to carry the loaded revolver. It went off in a crowded theater, injured one person, and it has lawmakers asking questions.
“Would we then want to look at changing the law?” Chasey said. “But I don't think there's the political will to further restrict the law."Chasey said that is the main issue -- no desire to change the state law.
The current law prevents weapons from being brought into courthouses, on school property and inside establishments that serve liquor.
Chasey even tried to introduce a bill called the Handgun Safety Standard Act in 2001. Her bill never made it passed debate on the floor of the House.
So for now, crowded venues, like theaters, stores and sporting events are fair game until the state gun law can be tightened.
I have to ask, along with my gun-enthusiast friends I would imagine, what tightening up of the state law would prevent something like this? Obviously none, at least not directly. When some dopey guy wants to bring a gun along, nothing will stop him.
What can be done though, is we can begin to gradually change our attitude towards guns. The idea that bringing a gun along is a good plan, whether you have a CCW permit or not, is just plain mistaken in most cases. When is the last time you needed a gun in the movies?
It's the gun culture that needs to be reined in.
What's your opinion? Do you think Gail Chasey is right to say if he'd had a license to carry he would have been better trained? Isn't the training minimal in any case? Isn't this type of gun mishandling more dependent on the person's character rather than the little training required for a license?
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
Shouldn't we instead rein in your 10%? Doesn't "general stupidity" constitute one half of one percent of it? Why do you continue to blame everyone when you have already identified the problem?
ReplyDeleteIsn't this type of gun mishandling more dependent on the person's character rather than the little training required for a license?
ReplyDeleteYup, which is why more gun control won't stop situations like this one from occurring.
Gun safety education in junior high and high school would go a long way towards preventing accidental discharges such as this one. It's not the answer gun control enthusiasts want to hear though. They prefer the "abstinence" approach.
ReplyDeleteRR - Just a small correction. This was a negligent discharge.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more details of what happened, particularly the type of gun. Hardly any guns go off when dropped, and revolvers are usually double-action, with stiff enough triggers to prevent going off even if he grabbed the trigger when trying to catch it. (Note: You should not try to catch a falling gun)
ReplyDeleteGetting a license is part of a pattern of responsibility. Other aspects are a decent holster, decent and adequately maintained guns, and training.