Reply #22: Small problem there [View All]

[Prophet 451]

Currently, a weapon purchased for home defence is around 40 times more likely to perforate a family member than a criminal. Now, obviously, a certain percentage of those are crimes but a good portion are accidents and a good portion of those accidents are caused by unsafe practices (my father served as a range officer, you simply wouldn't believe some of the stories he can tell).

One underlying idea of this is that a mandatory class in basic safety, maintenance, etc serves to remind people that a firearm is not a talisman that anyone can pick up and play Annie Oakley with (as the media sometimes perpetuates). It is a potentially dangerous tool which requires skill and practice to master. That doesn't mean we should be frightened of it but it does mean that, just as with a car or a power tool, we should be aware of safety when we use it.