The news today says he "stole" the gun from his step-father, whatever that means.
The 17-year-old student who took a loaded gun to Gardena High School in his backpack and then ran when it accidentally discharged, reportedly stole the weapon from his stepfather, according to a source.Every time this happens, the gun apologists are insistent that you can't blame the victim of a theft for what the thief does. And, in this case the thief was old enough to know better. But, I've always found all that insistence a bit odd, odd in a self-serving kinda way.
My contention is that most guns that are stolen, are not properly stored and secured. We're not talking about international jewel thieves torching the gun safe. We're talking about taking a gun out of the nightstand drawer.
The gun owner, in this case the step-father, has to be held responsible for his part of this. For people who talk about individual responsibility so much, you'd think gun owners would be the first to agree everyone is responsible for his own actions or lack thereof.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
"The news today says he "stole" the gun from his step-father, whatever that means."
ReplyDeleteYou really don't know what "stole" means? It means he took the gun without permission, which is a crime. It means that by taking it he is eligible for being arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced for his crime.
Do you know what the rest of these words mean?
"For people who talk about individual responsibility so much, you'd think gun owners would be the first to agree everyone is responsible for his own actions or lack thereof."
The blame for the crime belongs to the criminal. The failure to purchase a safe is more complex. Ideally the father would have bought one, but it's hard when money is so scarce. How about we get rid of the tax on guns so people can save up for safes?
How about if people stop making it so easy for their teenage kids or the local burglar to "steal" guns?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you guys try so badly to excuse the gun owners who are guilty of making theft too easy? Is that such a restriction on your lifestyle to ask that you keep your guns safely stored?