The Most Dangerous Gun

Whether you love them or hate them, guns are a part of our lives in America.  Since before the founding of our country guns have been used to fight for freedom and progress and to defend against those who wish to take it away.  I am not going to advocate for or against firearms here.  My intent is to stress the importance of teaching gun safety.

Accidents involving firearms are nothing new.  In the days of the pioneers accidental injuries and deaths from guns were a regular occurrence.  A loaded rifle bouncing along in the back of a wagon bumps up against something and gets jarred in just the right way to cock and release the hammer, firing it off blindly into whatever unlucky thing was in its path.  Another thing that happened often was someone would grab and pull out a gun that was half buried in a wagon box.  The hammer would get hung up on something and when it was pulled free it would snap back into its uncocked position, firing the round in the barrel.  While the exact number of injuries and deaths by gun accidents on the Oregon and California Trails is unknown, we do know that like today, gun accidents happened much too often and many innocent people were hurt or killed that shouldn't have been.

Today, reports of gun accidents almost have a regular slot on the evening news.    If more adults and children would become knowledgeable on safe gun handling techniques, as well as where and how to safely store firearms in a home, the occurrence of these tragedies could be greatly reduced.

 We have had a few family meetings focused on gun safety.  Those meetings included discussion on handling firearms, parts of a gun, what to do if you find a gun, and more.  We even played a hide and seek game where I would hide a "gun" somewhere in the house, then they had to find it and demonstrate the proper procedure for what to do if you find a gun.  More recently, we have taken the family out to shoot at targets and do a little hands on learning with guns.

All of our safety discussions and training began with the following question: What is the most dangerous kind of gun?

Answer: An unloaded gun.

A staggering number of people are hurt or killed by guns thought to be 'unloaded' every year.  In recent years, my wife and I have both personally known people who have died from accidental shootings.  So, without exception, every gun is handled as if it is ready to fire.

I am not fanatical about guns, nor am I against them.  But, whether or not you own a gun, they will continue to be a part of the lives of Americans. It is important that we all know how to be safe around them.  Everyone can agree that the most effective way to be safe around guns is to know how to handle and behave around them. Safe gun handling prevents injuries and saves lives.