Accidental Shooting of Florida Pawn Shop Employee - No Charges

UPI reports

Police in Florida said a pawn shop worker was accidentally shot in the buttocks by another employee who was putting a gun into a display case.

The Margate Police Department said a worker at David Bari's Pawn Shop on State Road 7 left his semiautomatic Glock .40 caliber handgun on a counter when he stepped out around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and another employee mistook it for a store item and attempted to place it into a display case, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

Police said the incident is being investigated but the preliminary investigation indicates the shooting was accidental.

Remember, "accidental" is a code word for "negligent."

There are several reports like this in the news every day, and you know what that means? It means there are hundreds that happen each day, day in and day out, only the most dramatic of which make the news. With very few exceptions, these incidents of negligence are committed by people familiar with guns, usually gun owners with enough experience with firearms that they should know better, at least that's what you'd think.

The facts are, however, that far too many gun owners are reckless, clumsy, stupid or otherwise unfit to responsibly own and use guns. The gun-rights advocates continually try to overlook that fact and pretend that "gun owners are responsible."

What's your opinion? Would better screening and training requirements help to improve the skills of these less-safe characters? Would it perhaps identify and disqualify some of the worst cases? Of course it would.

Pro-gun guys call that "punishing the vast majority" because of the few bad apples. What do you think of that? I really don't think better screening and training requirements is a "punishment." At worst it would be a minor inconvenience. How self-centered can one be to resist something like this which would do so much good?

Please leave a comment.

"Jesus is a Straight Shooter."

The Suburban Journals reports on the church-sponsored gun safety classes provided to empower women.

Welcome to First Baptist Church, in Wentzville, Missouri.

The seminar at the church is for those who want to learn about guns and gun safety. The class began a year ago as an all-female gathering.

And if you're going to own a gun, she says, you must practice shooting at a firing range to ever be comfortable with the weapon. With practice and knowledge, she says, comes confidence.

"You are no longer the little, withering petunia," she says.

Now that's a cute way of saying what we've been talking about, no longer feeling like a "withering petunia." And linking up this fear-driven justification with The Lord, is pure genius. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Wisconsin Concealed Carry Would Require Training

JSOnline reports on the latest developments in the Wisconsin gun-rights struggle. The extremists had been trying to move Wisconsin from one of the few states that prohibits any kind of concealed carry to one of the few that allows so-called Constitutional Carry, which is a cute euphemism for "no requirements at all." We discussed this before.

People could carry concealed guns if they get training and permits under a bill a key committee approved Thursday, after Republicans stepped away from a proposal allowing guns without permits that earlier stirred controversy.

The Joint Finance Committee passed the new version of the bill 12-4, with all Republicans voting for it and all Democrats voting against it. The Senate will take it up Tuesday.

Permits would cost a maximum of $50 and be good for five years. Renewing a license would cost $25. To get a permit, people would have to offer proof they have passed a course on firearms training, firearms safety or hunter safety.

Well, naturally I prefer some training to none when determining is someone is fit to carry a gun in public, but I'm afraid the suggestions for Wisconsin are sadly inadequate.

How about this? Applicants must read The Truth About Guns every day, and arrange for personalized training by one of their heroes, Massad Ayoob. Then they'll be ready.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.