I sure hope this isn't our friend who calls himself Tennesseean. He's the only lawyer I know from Tennessee.
Murfreesboro attorney Guy Dotson Jr. remained in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Saturday after an accidental shooting while cleaning a gun.
According to the Murfreesboro Police Department incident report, police were called to his residence at 1504 Monticello Court around 10 p.m. Thursday and found Dotson lying on his bedroom floor where he fell after suffering a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He told police he was going to clean the pistol when it accidentally discharged.
Police noted that he had been struck in the right side of his abdomen and the bullet exited his middle back. First aid was started immediately until EMS and first responders could arrive.
If we hear from him later today I'd like to ask what he thinks about my one strike you're out suggestion. What's the difference between the guy who forgets there's a round in the chamber and kills a kid, the guy who shoots himself in the stomach and the guy who puts a round into the floor?
Not much, is my answer. The first two guys broke all Four Rules of Gun Safety. The third guy broke three.
In my opinion they should all lose their gun rights, minimum, in some cases they should go to jail too.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not me.
As for the one strike you're out rule that you have proposed, as I've said before, as stated by you I think it goes too far. The person who ND's into the floor has screwed up and done something negligent. He is now scared to death, feels like an ass, and will never do that again. At least he was keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction, so nobody was hurt.
As for the self shooter or child shooter, depending on the circumstances, this person may well have crossed the line from mere negligence into recklessness. Recklessness with a firearm is a serious thing that I think could legitimately move us into loss of rights territory.
I think part of the difference between us comes down to the view of the Second Amendment. I view the right to keep and bear arms as a right--therefore it takes something more serious than one incident of negligence to cause one to lose the right--especially when no harm comes from it.
You, on the other hand, view the RKBA as a dangerous privilege that we probably shouldn't have at all, but that if we are going to insist upon having, should be restricted as much as possible to minimize the number of people who exercise it.
So we agree on the ones who break all 4 Rules and cause someone injury or death. That's good.
DeleteI question your idea that the guy who puts a round into the floor learns from his experience. Some of them are too stupid or reckless or have problems with alcohol and drugs. If it happens in public and there are witnesses, I believe he should pay the same price as the others.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThat's because you've never put a round in the floor. I have. Well, more accurately, the molding around the fireplace. I was a teenager, and I was gently lowering the hammer on a revolver when it slipped out from under my thumb.
Nearly shit myself. Then learned some important lessons. DON"T FIDDLE WITH THE GUN. Unload it completely if you need to familiarize yourself with it's workings. Once it's loaded, it goes in a holster and is not touched until it is used or unloaded. Always follow the rules. My transgression basically would fall under rule 1, but since the others were followed, nobody was hurt.
Ever since that day, I have been a stickler for the rules, enforcing extreme safety procedures at any range or other event I'm a part of. When others don't think I've gone overboard, I tell them my story so that they can learn from my example rather than have their own mistake. I learned, and they learn.
Thanks for sharing that story. It's nice when they have a happy ending.
Delete