Baltimore Sun: The danger of guns in the home

[EL1227]

I wrote a long post and it has not shown up in the comments section. Do they review it first?

Keep clicking the comments button. It may be hung up in the queue.

 

[yellowfin]

At least we got the coloring books back...

/sarcasm

It's the head-in-the-sand crowd, who are bound and determined to hate for hating's sake, who are holding on to the "guns are bad, mmkay" dogma and preventing people from being educated about the right way to live in a world with firearms.

The worst part, I think, is the broad-brushing about the "evil guns"... when in reality, getting rid of guns will STILL not take them out of the bad guys' hands!!

They cling to that dogma because it's their cheap substitute for morality, so that they can claim to themselves that they're good people. Political correctness and abandonment of traditional religion leaves them without means of distinguishing themselves from criminals and evil by conventional means so they have to come up with something. Guns are their voodoo doll that they can pin all the evil in the world on.

They're thinking: "Hmm, I need to be able to tell myself/my kids that I'm a good person. Follow the Bible? Nope. Treat other people well? Uh...nope. Not selfish? Nope, darn. Don't get drunk or do drugs? Uhm...well...college...and I kinda like...uh nope, drat! Don't be promiscuous? Uhm...well...nuts. Aha! I got it! Criminals have GUNS and I don't! That's it! Yay, I'm a good person! Don't be a gun owner and that evil isn't a part of your life! So if I'm against that, I'm FOR being a good person."

That's about the totality of their thought process. A false sense of moral duty and superiority in the absence of something more worthwhile. They get the sense of need for morality from the basic human tendency towards needing a religious like center. Hence you see the large numbers of liberals with Catholic and Jewish family religious backgrounds--they grow out of actually following the religion as written (get drunk/sleep around in college, etc.) but they still have the guilt-redemption mechanism built in, so they substitute in being anti gun, pro entitlement, pro affirmative action and race reparations, and environmentalist.

 

[Vince55]

The comment button disappeared again. They wouldn't like my comment anyway and probably wouldn't post it. Anti-gunners don't like to hear the truth.

 

[MikeTF]

One would think that kids of almost every age, given the abundant supply of gun violence depicted on TV and in the movies, would know that putting a gun to someone's head and pulling the trigger is a very bad idea. This kid knew what would happen and should be held completely responsible for his actions. Those that were present when it happened and did nothing are also responsible.

What the city and this newspaper article are telling people is this: if you want to murder someone and get away with it, invite them to your house for a sleepover/party, and have someone underage pull the trigger. No charges will be filed.

The kid knew what would happen. He's responsible.

 

[Brychan]

So far all the comments are pro gun and most pro firearm education.

 

[Second Amendment]

Baltimore Sun = Assbags

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the Maryland law regarding a firearm being "properly" stored? Is that determined by virture of children being present?

 

[Norton]

I wrote a long post and it has not shown up in the comments section. Do they review it first?

Not in my experience. It usually shows up right away.

I'm not tech guy, but I get the feeling that whatever platform they use for their comments isn't all that reliable.

 

[EL1227]

The comment button disappeared again. They wouldn't like my comment anyway and probably wouldn't post it. Anti-gunners don't like to hear the truth.

Click 'Comment', then on the next page 'Add Comment', then they all reappear.

 

[Norton]

Baltimore Sun = Assbags

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the Maryland law regarding a firearm being "properly" stored? Is that determined by virture of children being present?

Yes....children under the age of 16

 

[The3clipser]

I forget where I read it, but I read somewhere that more under-2 children are killed by 5 gal. pickle jars than by guns.

Ban pickle jars!

 

[Norton]

Baltimore Sun = Assbags

Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the Maryland law regarding a firearm being "properly" stored? Is that determined by virture of children being present?

a) Definitions.-

(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) "Ammunition" means a cartridge, shell, or other device containing explosive or incendiary material designed and intended for use in a firearm.

(3) "Child" means an individual under the age of 16 years.

(4) (i) "Firearm" means a handgun, rifle, shotgun, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun, as those terms are defined in § 4-201 of this title, or any other firearm.

(ii) "Firearm" does not include an antique firearm as defined in § 4-201 of this title.

(b) Exceptions.- This section does not apply if:

(1) the child's access to a firearm is supervised by an individual at least 18 years old;

(2) the child's access to a firearm was obtained as a result of an unlawful entry;

(3) the firearm is in the possession or control of a law enforcement officer while the officer is engaged in official duties; or

(4) the child has a certificate of firearm and hunter safety issued under § 10-301.1 of the Natural Resources Article.

(c) Prohibited.- A person may not store or leave a loaded firearm in a location where the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised child would gain access to the firearm.

(d) Penalty.- A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

(e) Effect of violation.-

(1) A violation of this section may not:

(i) be considered evidence of negligence;

(ii) be considered evidence of contributory negligence;

(iii) limit liability of a party or an insurer; or

(iv) diminish recovery for damages arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or operation of a firearm or ammunition.

(2) A party, witness, or lawyer may not refer to a violation of this section during a trial of a civil action that involves property damage, personal injury, or death.



[An. Code 1957, art. 27, § 36K; 2002

 

[august1410]

I taught my daughter how to responsibly care for and handle firearms. There is no "novelty" to them.

According to the Baltimore Sun, I must be a lousy parent.

 

[Second Amendment]

Thanks for the info. Maybe we can suggest to the writers at the B.S. that the solution to the "problem" of guns in the house is that we carry them with us at all times.

 

[smokey]

hit it, sparks beat me by a couple seconds while i was logging in

This happened because of a lack of gun safety education for the children involved. I work at a MD ffl selling guns. Many times people come to buy their first gun and want to know what safe or lock box they can get to keep it away from their children because someone in the house doesn't like guns and doesn't want the children to know anything about them. This is directly opposite to what needs to happen to ensure those children's safety.

Whenever a firearm is brought into a house, it is incumbent on the owner to educate the occupants in basic firearm safety. If you put a pool in your backyard, I'm sure you'd teach your children to swim and pool safety rather than just put a fence around it. With guns in the home, the expectation is that they will eventually handle a firearm without your supervision. It is the gun owner's responsibility to give those people the tools to safely handle a firearm without posing a danger to any innocent person.

The parent should take them to the range and show the child how to:

1) Keep the muzzle in a safe direction(laser-beam rule, dont put that laser coming out of the barrel on anything you don't want to destroy)

2) Finger off trigger and outside trigger guard until ready to shoot

3) Check that the safeties are engaged and that the gun is cleared before handling

This tragedy could have been prevented with basic firearm safety knowledge.

 

[BlueHeeler]

That comment section has been sufficiently raided.

Not that the article does not deserve it for being filled with absolute lies.

 

[Drmsparks]

hit it, sparks beat me by a couple seconds while i was logging in

LOL it only took me 2.5 hours to create an account and post it....

 

[MikeTF]

I taught my daughter how to responsibly care for and handle firearms. There is no "novelty" to them.

According to the Baltimore Sun, I must be a lousy parent.

Have her take the hunter safety course (like I did with mine). Then you can legally leave your guns out (use your best judgement on if/how you want to do this).

 

[Vendicator]

Every single comment on there is on our side. I read each one and didn't see anyone supporting the author of that article.

 

[BenL]

...and don't forget to rate it while you're there. So far, it's 1.15/5.00 stars.

I can't believe they are still in business.

 

[BlueHeeler]

Have her take the hunter safety course (like I did with mine). Then you can legally leave your guns out (use your best judgement on if/how you want to do this).

No need to. He has fled MD to a free state.