What police called an accidental shooting Tuesday in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart store along North Atherton Street in State College sent a man to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand.
The outcome could have been much worse.
We’re glad the man’s injuries were not serious. And we’re especially glad no one else was hit by the stray bullet.
Although the man had a permit to carry a firearm, we find his handling of the weapon to be reckless and irresponsible.
Clearly, his actions were dangerous to himself and others.
Patton Township police said the man shot himself when he attempted to pick up a gun that had fallen out of his holster as he hustled through traffic.
The man had been carrying bags of merchandise across the parking area when the gun fell, and he shot himself while shifting bags in his hands after picking it up.
The bullet went through his hand and into the pavement. He was treated for his injuries at Mount Nittany Medical Center.
Lawful gun owners and even concealed carry permit holders do this kind of reckless shit all the time. Every single day there are stories of their bumbling unfitness. The problem is they are not held accountable. Even in cases like this one in which someone is hurt, they are not held accountable.
Naturally the cases in which a bullet goes whizzing past someone's ear or harmlessly into the floowboard go unreported and ignored.
That's why gun owners pose as much of a threat than criminals do. It's time we heightened the screening and qualifications for gun ownership and especially for concealed carry.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Let's say that your claim that all the time equals every day is true:
ReplyDeleteDays in the year: 365. To take in leap years and to slop up the data, let's just call this 400.
Plural of ever day: 800. How about even calling it 1,200?
Now there are 100,000,000 gun owners in this country. There may be more, but we'll go with that number. There are some 8,000,000 carry license holders. Again, there are more people able to carry, given the Constitutional carry states, but smaller is better for your case. And let's even cut that number in half, since probably some don't carry every day.
This means that the number of accidents like this amounts to three hundredths of one percent.
That analysis leaves out the question of how you'd identify in advance who is likely to drop a gun in the first place, but I want you to see how this is a tiny problem, if it's a problem at all.
"No charges"? Does Pennsylvania (or any other state, for that matter) criminalize clumsiness? Do you think they should?
ReplyDeleteViolation of the basic safety rules should definitely be criminalized. Why would you not want that. These clumsy and don't-give-a-fuck guys make it bad for all of you.
DeleteThese clumsy and don't-give-a-fuck guys make it bad for all of you.
ReplyDeleteHow do they "make it bad for all of" me? I am utterly unaffected
Yes, you're so superior as to be completely unaffected by public opinion. You don't care if more and more people think you're a raging gun-rights fanatic who's completely off his rocker. Fine. Keep telling us that.
DeleteYes, you're so superior as to be completely unaffected by public opinion.
DeleteUm . . . what "public opinion"? I see your unhinged opinions, but who is this "public" advocating that some other guy's clumsiness/inattentiveness/negligence/etc. should affect me?
You don't care if more and more people think you're a raging gun-rights fanatic who's completely off his rocker.
There is no "more and more people." There's you, getting more and more shrill and strident about it, because of your personal issues.
Good luck with those.