What's your opinion? Is that a backwards state, or what?14-year-old Megan Reppond of Joplin, Missouri went to a slumber party Monday night with three of her friends at the home of Scott Arkle. Arkle had gotten a new concealed weapons holster for Christmas and was trying it out with his .38-caliber handgun. He left the gun, loaded, unlocked, with no safety on, in the holster on top of a piano in one of the rooms of the house.
When the girls went into the room one of the young teenagers picked up the gun, assuming it wasn't loaded, jokingly pointed the gun at Megan and pulled the trigger. Megan was flown to a hospital in Springfield and was taken off life support Tuesday morning and subsequently died.
The county prosecutor said that while it is never a good idea to leave a loaded gun out in a home where there are children, he does not anticipate filing any charge in the case. Missouri does not have any CAP (Child Access Prevention) laws that require guns be stored locked and unloaded and impose criminal liability on adults who negligently leave firearms accessible to children.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Missouri's Lack of Gun Laws
via Ohh Shoot.
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That's not a lack of laws problem. That's a lack of training problem.
ReplyDeleteActually, it iS a lack of laws problem when you are trying to prosecute. You need to show a law was violated before you can prosecute someone. Missouri doesn't have a law so the guy who behaved irresponsibly is free to go about leaving his guns lying around for children to find.
ReplyDeleteYou see, the lack of laws problem comes into play when it comes to actually punishing the person responsible for an innocent child's death.
Certainly training would have prevented it as well but the fact remains there is no legal recourse for the state to take, and this may hurt any civil action Megan's parents may wish to take.
So a family loses their child and the guy who left the gun lying around loses ... ? What? A night's sleep? Maybe his carry permit (I hope, if he's that irresponsible!) But there is no punishment.
C'est la guerre.
Maybe mistletoe would have been a better choice for a Christmas gathering.
ReplyDeleteLeaving a weapon out on a piano when untrained people(or people you don't know the level of training) are around is stupid.
ReplyDeleteIf you buy a weapon for self defense it should within reach (ideally in a holster on your person) when untrained people are around.
A locked up and unloaded weapon is useless. Might as well buy a rock.
Bob H. has the solution. Rocks not guns.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough everyone on here (being biased) leaves out a simple fact in this case. A teenage girl killed someone. She picked up a gun and pulled the trigger. Training is absurd. Owner responsibility is absurd. The fact is that this stupid, no common sense bitch would have killed someone eventually in some other way anyways. You watch TV, you see guns kill. You see finger on trigger and BANG! What else did she expect? Where I come from the smallest child that can understand language knows not to point a gun at anyone. Clearly this man had some teenies in his house he trusted to be smart enough not to fire guns at each other. This was stupid, no doubt. But this girl needs to be put in a home. The man needs a kick in the balls amoung other things for being so stupid.
ReplyDelete"Bob H. has the solution. Rocks not guns."
ReplyDeleteAgreed. When I am capable of throwing a rock accurately at 1200 fps, I'll stop carrying a gun. But until then....
FWM:
ReplyDeleteWhen I am capable of throwing a rock accurately at 1200 fps, I'll stop carrying a gun. But until then....
Until you're able to not only do that, but able also to follow that rock with at least half a dozen or so others, in seconds, at equally high velocity, you'd still be giving up quite a lot of defensive capability.
FWM and Zorro, When do you figure you'll need such defenses?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, What are you sayin', we should just lock the bitch up and problem solved.
Yours is the most simplistic worldview I've heard in a while. Kids watch TV, they should know better.
'FWM and Zorro, When do you figure you'll need such defenses?'
ReplyDeleteI'll answer for them. How about when the need arises. It does you know. Read the news. Crimes happen everyday.
'Anonymous, What are you sayin', we should just lock the bitch up and problem solved.'
I didn't say lock her up. I said put the dumb bitch in a care home. Padded walls and junk. She clearly is mentally unfit. She clearly is too stupid to be let to run amuck. Yes, mistakes happen. But pointing a gun at someone at that age? Should someone else suffer in this train wreck of stupidity?
'Yours is the most simplistic worldview I've heard in a while. Kids watch TV, they should know better.'
Refreshing isn't it? No crap, no grey area. Just statement. If you are 12 or so and live on this planet and do not know that guns kill could you please direct me to the newly established garden. Which way to Eden? That way?! Oh thanks! Seriously. You think that labeling her as a kid changes the fact that she should have known better? Kids don't need 'training' to know that guns kill. If the kids (tweens, sorry) are so dull nowadays get on your knees and pray because he is coming back soon...
This situation was preventable in many ways. 1) Gun owner should have practiced gun safety, always, especially when his 14 yr old daughter is hosting a slumber party with her best friends. 2) Gun training. I now realize as a non-gun owner, no guns in my house, that I must train my children that all guns are to be considered loaded, and never to pick up a gun *for fun* period. Additionally, not to stand for their friends horsing around picking up guns. 3) Don't have a gun in your home. Seriously... I virtually NEVER hear of people truly defending their home/family/property from intruders with guns. It's a very rare occurence, and too many people have guns just to give themselves a power trip. More loved ones are shot accidentally than are criminals entering their stupid homes. That said... this happened. Why cry about laws at this point. I know this story, happened in my area. Four girls who were best friends from their church, and four families who deeply and thoroughly love one another, are those who were involved. This man is being punished mentally for the rest of his life, as is the girl who shot the gun. Why cry over a lack of law? It's the family of the deceased child who has stated they have NO interest in pressing charges... they love these people deeply and have for life. They are all ill over it, and just trying to go on breathing and living daily. Why harp on whether or not we can throw some non-criminals, who love each other, into further devastation by locking people up. These people are not a threat to society, but rather have lived life serving their community. It was a stupid, horrendous accident. Leave it at that. Megan is gone. Her best friend will struggle forever over this.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Thanks for that personal report.
ReplyDeleteI agree the gun owner and the young shooter are already punished plenty. But, the guy needs to lose his gun rights. That's all.