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Has there been a loss of gun safety knowledge?

7K views 100 replies 25 participants last post by  Dallas53 
#1 ·
In a world built around the polarization of political views, it is often times challenging to discuss issues that cause this polarization. One of these topics known around the United States is gun control, whether one wants more or less gun control will often lead to a direct polarization in the room and result in an us versus them mentality on both sides. This polarization has resulted in a loss care over simple issues on both sides of a given argument.

For gun owners I believe there has been a general loss of gun safety. This loss I believe occurs when someone becomes polarized on an issue. Rather than learning the necessary knowledge to be a responsible gun owner often times one is more worried about defending their right of having guns than knowing how to use them. The second way there is a loss of concern over general gun safety is the way society has turned gun mishaps into a comical events. According to a study by the CDC, between the years of 2005 and 2010 there were 3,800 accidental shooting deaths (Aftermath Services, 2017).

Part of this stems from personal experience. While growing up my parents taught me everything I know about guns and gun safety and this was reiterated each time I shot a gun. This shared knowledge of gun safety seems to have been lost in the translation at some point. Most of the time when I take someone shooting I have to spend the first 15 minutes simply telling him or her how to handle my guns safely. Whereas most individuals seem to just tell people to aim and pull the trigger. Which results in flagging, accidental discharges, dropped guns, inadequate trigger discipline and many more issues.

The second way general gun safety seems to be lost is how individuals experience guns in the media. A majority times I see a video of someone shooting a gun it is meant to be funny. This results in many thinking “gun fails” are funny rather than realizing how dangerous and harmful they truly are and could be.

In this video many think it is comical that this individual shoots him self but miss the underlying issues. He shoots himself due to a lack of trigger discipline, which should be learned when one, learns general gun safety.




In many funny “gun fail” videos the individual missis the most elemental rule of firearm safety, treat every gun as if it were loaded. The next video shows a male shooting a pistol in his house while using it as a toy.



Each of these situations could have and should have been avoided with simple gun safety knowledge. Try watching these videos with gun safety in mind and see if they are still funny. With this being said I believe it is our responsibility as gun owners to know general gun safety and aid others in practicing gun safety as well. This increase in gun safety will decrease the number of senseless deaths and will aid in keeping our rights.

Examining Accidental Shooting Death Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2017, from http://www.aftermath.com/content/accidental-shooting-deaths-statistics
 
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#59 ·
Considering FACT and not EMOTION the firearm is the safest machine you can encounter in this world and the FACTS show it is very seldom caused serious injury or death 'by accident' than any of the other machines capable of this. This over reaction to 'limit, restrict, or deny, our right to keep and bear arms is just what the anti gun promoters are hoping for. Just consider this issue using facts and logic, not emotion and misinformation, which we have been indoctrinated to do in this modern world and you will see how ridicules the 'training requirement' really is.
Jim I know how you feel about people disagreeing with you, but...

The fact is that accidental deaths by handguns do happen and nearly 100% of them are the result of an untrained human being pulling the trigger. And these deaths, at least a lot of them are preventable.

The training isn't about whether the gun is safe. It's about whether the human is safe with a gun in his hands. We don't want the anti's to blame the gun, and we aren't blaming the gun. We are focusing on the person who needs training.
 
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#61 ·
Actually that is not true. MOST accidents are a result of complacency by those who use fire arms the most. Just reality. I have had several unintentional discharges in my life and they were 100% my fault because I got lax/complacent! And as a LEO I have investigated many unintentional discharges of firearms too, same conclusion!:( And if you COMPARE the #'s of death caused by TRUE 'accidents' you will see what I mean. Those who use/handle any 'machine' are more apt to make mistakes than those who seldom use/handle the same machines regardless of training. Don't get me wrong, I am 10000% for training, just not MANDATORY training, as I have trained 100's, if not 1000's, of people in armed self defense.. If you were to make training mandatory, as several states have for CC, it only puts another EXPENSIVE obstacle in the way of GOOD people being able to exercise a GOD given right! :(
 
#60 ·
ya know, sharing thoughts or opinions seems to be frowned upon by some if it disagrees with theirs.

maybe if some would discuss things in civil manner, even if they disagree with others, an intelligent discussion could happen.

sure makes me regret even sharing mine. from here on out i'll keep mine to myself. if people want to act stupid with guns then so be it. none of my business as long a they stay away from me.

ya'll enjoy, cause i'n out of this one.
 
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#62 ·
What Jim says is true if one follows the reports of accidental injuries or deaths by firearm.

Most, not all, but most happen to folks who knew better than what they did with the gun to cause the accident.

Knock on wood I've not had a ND, or AD. But if I ever do it'll be because i got to relaxed and did something stupid that I fully know better than to do.
 
#63 ·
this all fine and dandy if one assumes that Jim is the expert.

and of course, anyone in LE is automatically assumed to be an expert in firearms. :rolleyes:

ya'll enjoy! i'm out. :)
 
#67 ·
Complacency is probably the one most frequent contributing factor I've witnessed in firearms injuries, especially with officer-involved AD's. When shooting on a range, we are (or should be) focused entirely on firearms safety. On the job, multi-tasking, sometimes in stressful situations, officers get safety sidetracked occasionally. As was pointed out earlier, when firearms are carried all day, every day, as part of our job, you can get lax - even with the best of continuous training. Three of my LE friends lost children to complacency as to off-duty storage of duty weapons. Two to accidents, one to suicide. Safety isn't just about control of firearms when it's in your immediate possession, but also about when they are not. All three were the kids of officers with decades of LE careers and all three knew better than to leave guns in the home unsecured when they were not home. Just saying ...
 
#69 ·
When America was mostly rural, except in one or two states, guns were as much a way of life as a team of horses, a hoe or a, tractor.

Kids grew up with guns, knew how to handle and use them at an early age.

As things began to become more urban these same folks moving into the cities already knew all about handling and using guns. Their generation was raised in a gun culture.

Move forward a couple of generations. Gun control, eliminated the true gun culture in big cities and that knowledge like many other rural skills were lost to those kids being raised basically by government over sight and over reach.

Now we have a resurgence of people wanting to be armed, but never were exposed to a normal upbringing where SD and gun usage were a normal part of life.

So yes there has been a dumbing down on the subject of guns in general. On purpose.
But removing the laws that caused this dumbing down is the answer. Not passing another unconstitutional gun regulation like mandatory training.

JMO
 
#70 ·
Very well said and true. Now go back a generation or two and it wasn't uncommon for high schoolers to have a gun rack in their pickup truck at school. There were shooting clubs and often these teens would go shoot after school. Perfectly normal activity for youths.
Liberalism has changed the meaning of normal.
 
#71 ·
have to agree. even in NY, it was not uncommon for the upperclassmen to either have a rifle, bow, or shotgun with during hunting season, so long as it was kept out of sight. granted, it wasn't legal per say (Read: At All), and I never did so myself (My cousin lived about 3 blocks from the HS, so i'd drop it off at her place on the way in, and pick it up on the way out), many od the students in that rural district did have one in the trunk, or in a rack on the back of the truck's seat.

Hell, one SD over, they closed school on opening day of firearm big game season, as most of the mybe 35 seniors would all get 'sick" that day, and come back perfectly fine the next. funny how that always seemed to happen.

As to teams in the shooting sports, even back in the 60s, when my parents, aunts, and uncles were in school, all attempts to start a shooting related sports team were met with stern nos. And that was with a club willing to host them, 2 teachers willing to be coaches, and a well laid of plan for starting the team, and other schools that would follow suit, if one were started, within the zone.

But, there are a few Hs shooting teams in NY, just not in that area, which is part of the Buffalo region.

when we lived in NC, dad was on his last couple years in the Corps, had made E9, and had personal time to burn, so he would go home early, change, grab my gear, load up the ammo and shotguns, or the .22s, in the truck, and park down on the bus end at Swansboro HS, so we could head down 24, and hit the state game lands after I got out.

in both places, no one got shot, no one died, and fun was had, by all involved, as he wasn't the only one to do that regularly.

now, we did have 2 incidents where students did bring handguns into the school, and LE was involved. Both times the party doing so was arrested and charged under the Sullivan Act, and in both cases, they were members of the local Indian tribe, who also dealt on the side. Someone had a beef with someone else, and decided to take the chicken $#!+ way out, rather than take it out behind the bus garage, which only helped to make the rest of us that did have firearms, and knew how to safely and responsebly use them, get pulled in the office for wearing hunting and shooting related shirts, jackets, and other gear.

i got pulled in one day, over my NRA shirt, and was told to go to the nurse's office to get a shirt from her, to wear instead.

one of the few times in my life that I ever straight up told someone in an authority position to go outside, and play hide and go F#@% them self. (Literally)

Parents got called, showed up, and told about it, as well as that I was going to be in ISS for the rest of the week, and that I had refused an order. Dad and mom's reply "No. He won't."

Spent the rest of the week at home instead, and when I was told to go to ISS again upon my return, they came up, and informed the superintendant as to what was going on, and he told the principal to drop it.

yes, back then it was a different world, depending on where you lived. not much has changed in the little town in Western NY from now to then though.

As to my parent's take on it, they didn't really like the fact that I said what I did, but they got why. At least that was mom's take on it. Dad's was a bit different, as all he said was:

"I would have done the same d@mn thing in your shoes."
 
#72 ·
Thus who 'grew up' hunting and/or shooting, as a general rule, were/are more responsible and respectable people then those who did not. Just an observation of someone who has been dealing DIRECTLY with the masses my whole life! ;)
 
#76 · (Edited)
Hello Rentacop:

Just so you know,,,
I've been an NRA member for over 30 years.
I do assist and help out with Boy Scouts and 4-F shooting programs.
I have introduced several dozen college kids from my university to shooting and continue to do so every semester.

My opinion on some form of mandatory training is based on what I see in my daily life.

There were always uneducated/unqualified people with guns in the past,,,
But in modern times the chances of each person you see with a gun being one of them is greater.
Often the new gun owners are the first in 2-3 generations and they simply don't know they are ignorant about law and safety.

So flame me and disagree with my opinions if you so desire,,,
But don't make any assumptions about my commitment to furthering and maintaining the 2A.

So far you've been wrong on all counts.

Aarond

.
 
#77 ·
People who would never buy a basketball and expect to be admitted to the NBA will buy a gun and think they are an off the shelf expert.
 
#78 ·
Maybe we can find some common ground here .
Maybe we can all agree that it would be nice if the high schools taught firearms safety to all of the students instead of breeding hoplophobia .
No doubt we have all seen too many unsafe people on gun ranges . Certainly we don't want the image of the shooting sports to be formed from " Idiots With Guns " videos on YouTube .
We may differ when it comes to improving safety . Can we all agree that formal training is something everyone should get ?
Should a gun range always have a range safety officer on duty ?
Should gun ranges require customers to watch a short safety video before being allowed to use the range ?
I see old experienced shooters sweep other, set guns down pointed sideways instead of downrange, walk down to check targets while others are shooting etc.
Every kind of shooter is the problem, right ?
When I take new people out to shoot, I tell them this , " What you are getting today is 'familiarization' , not 'training ' . I will teach you enough to be safe on a range and hit a target . That will make it fun . Do not go away believing that you have been trained with a firearm . Take formal instruction some time . "
 
#79 ·
Maybe we can find some common ground here .
Maybe we can all agree that it would be nice if the high schools taught firearms safety to all of the students instead of breeding hoplophobia .
No doubt we have all seen too many unsafe people on gun ranges . Certainly we don't want the image of the shooting sports to be formed from " Idiots With Guns " videos on YouTube .
We may differ when it comes to improving safety . Can we all agree that formal training is something everyone should get ?
Should a gun range always have a range safety officer on duty ?
Should gun ranges require customers to watch a short safety video before being allowed to use the range ?
I see old experienced shooters sweep other, set guns down pointed sideways instead of downrange, walk down to check targets while others are shooting etc.
Every kind of shooter is the problem, right ?
When I take new people out to shoot, I tell them this , " What you are getting today is 'familiarization' , not 'training ' . I will teach you enough to be safe on a range and hit a target . That will make it fun . Do not go away believing that you have been trained with a firearm . Take formal instruction some time . "
I can agree with most of that as long as none of it is required.
 
#84 ·
Just a suggestion. The topic of this thread is "Has There Been A Loss Of Gun Safety Knowledge". Your opinions about each others philosophies have absolutely nothing to do with that topic. Keep them to yourselves.

This suggestion could be applied equally well to several other threads if you replace the quoted topic.

I would hate to have to escalate from the "suggestion" level.
 
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#85 ·
People still shoot, but now not with guns, but with cameras and smartphones. The weapon of the 21st century is the Samsung/Apple smartphone. Instead of saving lives when shooting real firearms, people now capture the end of lives by using their mobile apparatus.

The shooting in France, when a police officer was brutally executed with an AK-47 while begging for help, showed me how deplorable we're becoming as a race. Absolutely worthless lives we're living.

Teach your kids to use a gun and save lives, don't teach your kids to hold the smartphone and damage their eyes and brain with a bouquet of radiation cellular waves.

I know, I'm not an Neanderthal, I use electronics even more than some people around here since that's my job, but come on man, give it a break, kids, parents.

Smartphones don't save lives.

A bullet travels faster than a Ford Crown Victoria.
More gun safety and tactics should be taught to everyone, young or old.

And by tactics I don't mean Battlefield or Counter-Strike, or PUBG. I mean tactical situations, use Airsofts for this since Simunition is banned for civilians I reckon.
 
#88 ·
Actually political affiliation can have a hell of a lot to do with how one views gun safety. Some think the gov needs to be the nanny. Some think government regulations will help. Some think mandatory gov training will help.........and some merely think taking a class will make a diff (not gov sponsored).

So today I'm at the club and a Vietnam Vet is practicing with his Glock. When done he puts in a fresh mag and racks the slide to chamber a round and puts it in his hip holster.

Of course when he did this next bench over he chambers the round with the gun pointed right at my head.

I didn't say anything. Am kinda used to active and not active mil and LE waving guns about. Professionals, gov trained, taken classes..............yeah, it makes no difference. Maybe they think that stuff is a replacement for using their brain.

I dunno.

Told the ol lady what happened when I got home. She wasn't too happy. Told her if he'd have ran his finger on the trigger and had a 1911 she could finally get rid of my big deer mount in the back room. LOL
 
#90 ·
Yup...........he didn't rack it pointed down range and then holster it. Nope just moved it up, turned to grab it better, gun was pointed at my face and then he was done.
That quick. Clueless.
Stereotypical former LE or Mil IMHO.
Worked a shop w a range. Had too many civis and pros point guns at me.
Why I joined the outdoor club and refuse to shoot indoor range .
New note.........pick a bench well away from the war hero.
Or just go into town not far away and get a burger if he's there.
Nice enough guy..........just clueless as to his error.
 
#92 ·
FWIW some outdoor ranges now say "no holstered guns".
I'll bring it up at the next board meeting.

That way all guns should be unloaded when folks go down range and nobody touching any guns.

Could help with safety at the shooting line itself.

Too many times to count, some idiot pulled his loaded carry piece in the gunshop to play "show in tell".
 
#94 ·
Had dual loaded 1911's pointed at my belly........two old farts playing show and tell. One a former Mil/LEO too.
I just moved down a ways to avoid a 230 grain bellyache. No doubt if one of the morons fired the other would spaz and touch one off.

Double the fun.

Real simple. Carry guns are fine. Leave them in the friggin' holster. It aint "show and tell" so quit coonfingering it.
 
#96 ·
I now might use an indoor range, once or twice a yr...........when nobody else is on it. Not to actually shoot for practice, but to do a function check or check a scope kinda sorta. I'm taking 10 mins of indoor shooting a yr.

Used to have membership 20 yrs ago and shot a lot indoors.
No problems.

But stupid people started showing up. That ended that.
 
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