OT: Another preventable tragedy...

[Bogie35]

This really angers me...it was so preventable. Only 5 years old...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528966,00.html

bogie

[Hobie]

I imagine there are some details missing. Was she AT her grandparents' house? Are they mentally competent? Lots of things could have brought them to that point. And yes, it is terrible.

[bogus bill]

Thats awful! I live in the area and hadnt heard about it! There are poligamists and indians in that local, ranching area kind of isolated. I probley will hear more. Met glower and know some on the department.

[AJMD429]

I guess the 'clinician' in me not only mourns the loss, but immediately shifts into 'diagnostic' mode, and wants to find a way to prevent the next incident. It seems so obvious that there are three points of intervention:

a) All kids should understand 'Eddie Eagle' type safety stuff; if they are old enough not to stick forks in electric outlets, play with circular saws, or pull boiling pots off the stove, they can understand "Stop, Don't Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult" - but too many parents (and schools and kindergartens) have such a visceral dislike for guns they won't allow gun safety to be taught - it's "too controversial"

b) All adults should understand that sometimes kids don't get safety instruction, don't obey the rules, and don't know what to do, so locking up firearms isn't all that hard to do, and is reasonable under nearly all circumstances. If interrupted while working on one (say you're mounting a scope on the kitchen table, and the grandkids drop by) and you don't want to lock everything up, slip the bolt into your pocket, (or if it is a Marlin levergun, the lever), slip a padlock on it, or whatever. Don't keep a non-emergency-gun loaded. If you are in an environment where it really is prudent to have a 'ready to go' gun handy even during a kids birthday party (and you don't have to live in Iran for that to be the case, unfortunately), then get a handgun and carry it on your person, concealed if possible (so if you doze off, some dumb kid doesn't slip it out of your holster). It isn't rocket science.

c) The 'legal' system already has plenty of tort capabilities which can invoke severe penalties with regards to anyone doing anything (guns or not) which reasults in injury or death. Personally, I doubt you could do anything to the grandparent(s) to make them feel more 'sorry' or be less likely to repeat their mistake. Odds are they will punish themselves far more than society could. For the 'other' grandparents out there who are having their party next week, I think it is pure fantasy to expect any legal threat would deter their leaving a gun accessable more than the threat of harm to a child would anyway. Perhaps 'publicity' and more talk of such laws or penalties will make some individuals think more about such risks, but I'm not convinced; if the grandparents had even the faintest notion of risk of their grandkids life, they'd have already locked the gun away; the added 'risk' of a fine or jail time would pale in comparison, IMHO.

Unfortunately, the sensationalist 'journalists' out there will just see this as a cut-and-dry 'formula' story for the front page ("...if it bleeds, it leads"), and will start shilling for 'tougher laws' because of their phallo-phobic and ignorant hatred of guns and gun owners. Lawyers will be out after the deep pockets they perceive in the 'gun' industry, and politicians won't miss an opportunity to grandstand against the 'great Satan' of gun ownership. That is sad, and does nothing whatsoever to help bring that girl back, heal her family, or prevent future such incidents. All it does is misuse a family tragedy towards a socialist political goal.

You'll notice that when an 'equivalent' tragedy happens with an electric cord near a pool, a bicycle, a drowning, a car accident, or a choking, nobody with an 'agenda' is out there, but if it involves a gun, you betcha!

[Sixgun]

So sad, especially for the grandparents who most likely will never endure another day of happiness.

My two granddaughters just left after a two week stay. (ages 6 and 9 ) They both let me know from the git-go that, "Pa Pa Jack, we know what to do if we see a gun, we will come tell you and we will not touch it". (for real) Good kids because they were reporting guns to me about 4 thousand times a day.
I left every gun where they were while they were here but..................The loaded ones were unloaded, ammo stashed...except for the 642 in my pocket. Kids will be kids--------------Sixgun

[Streetstar]

mmmm-- more ammunition for the anti-gun crowd

(like they need anymore lately -- everytime i open up AOL, there is a blurb about another mass shooting ---- some mentally ill young man just shot his football coach and the anti-gunners were ranting about that a little)

[BigSky56]

Bad luck, it happens all the time different kids different ways, that sweet baby girl is with the Creator now and what the grandparents and parents are gong thru is unbearable at this time I hope and pray that another life is not lost. danny

[Ysabel Kid]

If all parents - gun owners and non-gun owners (especially the latter) would take the time to teach their kids proper gun safety - and then reinforce it - many of these accidents would never happen...

[madman4570]

Unless the gun is in your darn pocket.Gun should not be loaded in home when there is even a "extremely remote chance" that a child will be in the house.No excuse period! Just to lazy to lock/unlock weapon/ammo.
Prayers said for the child/ but at this time I am not saying one for the Grandparent that owned the gun and didnt lock it up..Maybe later, but it ticks me off/no excuse! Sometimes being that stupid dont cut it for me!And sure didnt for that poor kid!How many times do grown up people have to be told kids/guns dont work out unless properly supervised??

[Travis Morgan]

mmmm-- more ammunition for the anti-gun crowd

Oddly, I hear no mention of banning drunk indians.... How about we ban people with crappy firearms handling skills?

[homefront]

At least 4 lives ruined forever.
We must keep loaded firearms completely out of young peoples reach.

[shdwlkr]

I have raised 6 kids with firearms around and didn't have worry about them messing with them as if they wanted to see it all they had to do was ask dad and no they were never ever any ammo around that has always been locked up.
Well on my third family and everything is locked up and out of sight the kids today just don't respect nothing. I don't blame them as TV has created some really dumb ideas in the heads of these kids. None of the kids at the moment want anything to do with dads firearms as they have more interesting stuff to do, surf the net, play video games and watch tv.
I do feel sorry for all that were involved on this accident and will leave at that as I wasn't there to see what was found or any of the questions asked.
I know how hard it was on me last year when I found my daughter who was in bad health dead in her bed and all the police and other stuff that went on. You never know what it feels like until you have been there and most of the time it just plain sucks. But we are human and tend to make stupid mistakes from time to time but it usually doesn't cost someone their life.

[Travis Morgan]

Shdwlkr,

I have a similar situation. Frankly, my kid appears to be bored with guns; I pretty much have to order him to get in the truck, but once he's there, he burns up all my ammo. Otherwise, he could care less. I've even tried to arrange "play dates" with another kid from his church we know through the YHEC (Young Hunter Education Challenge) that my gun club puts on.

[shdwlkr]

the oldest at home that could shoot is 13 and only has two fingers and one complete arm so I understand his dislike of shooting. Now the youngest two a girl 2 and a boy 3 are another question as they are interested and who knows what they will decide or if we will even be allowed to have firearms by the time they are ready. Also have a grand son who is 6 and one who is just a few weeks old who may like grand pa's toys but again only time will tell for sure. I know the 6 year old likes grand pa's toys but we don't get much time together as they live 12 hours away and it just makes it hard to get to and from with the cost of fuel anymore.

[2571]

I have read some of the most racist, anti-aboriginal and in this case, ill-lettered trash here.

Why is it neccessary to bring up 'Indians' in this string?

I would venture that there are more gun accidents among white people than Indians.

I am native-American and I am offended by this kind of cruel, crude and meaningless comment.
Do you think my family is more reckless with guns around our children because of our physical appearance?

Am I not welcome here because of my racial background? There's very little I can do about being born Indian. Will you next resume your efforts to take my firearms from me solely because of my ethnicity?

[Travis Morgan]

I have read some of the most racist, anti-aboriginal and in this case, ill-lettered trash here.

Why is it neccessary to bring up 'Indians' in this string?

I would venture that there are more gun accidents among white people than Indians.

I am native-American and I am offended by this kind of cruel, crude and meaningless comment.
Do you think my family is more reckless with guns around our children because of our physical appearance?

Am I not welcome here because of my racial background? There's very little I can do about being born Indian. Will you next resume your efforts to take my firearms from me solely because of my ethnicity?

Actually, I wrote it, and I'm part indian. The comment was meant to be ironic. If you weren't so worried about calling up the indian Al Sharpton, you'd understand that the comparison to banning guns vs. banning drunk idnians is that neither one makes sense, but one is not PC.

[shdwlkr]

Just for the record I am Native American from both parents and different tribes? Does that make me any less Native American? I was in the Army and listened to that stuff for 7 years and didn't make any sense then and I hung out with a group of Native Americans from all over America and we didn't get into this kind of stuff. The statement was made along the lines of how stupid some things are and that was it was nothing more nothing less.