I'm glad someone else posted about this. I am fairly new to the podcast, but I did catch this and wanted to note the difference. It casts a whole different image about someone taking their weapon apart and cleaning it in a car (with brushes, cleaning fluid and so forth) vs. someone verifying the weapon is unloaded.
Apropos of UrsulasShadow's comments,
ALWAYS ASSUME A GUN IS LOADED. I've been around weapons since I was a small boy, shot competitively and own a few. The first lesson drummed into my head by my father (an Army Marksman) was "always assume a gun is loaded" (and the second was "don't point it at anything you don't intend to shoot"). Even though I store my weapons in a locked 500# safe at home, and they are unloaded when I put them in there, I ALWAYS clear the weapon as the first act when I pick it up. And as the last act before I put it away. That's the only safe, responsible way to handle something like a dangerous weapon, especially when its dangerous condition (i.e. a bullet in the barrel) is not readily apparent from looking at it.
Although it sounds like this guy was an idiot, I'm not willing to condemn him based on what little I know. The spectrum goes from obvious idiocy of carrying a weapon with 'one in the pipe' (that he needed to clear before storage) to picking it up from the repair shop after test firing and the idiot at the repair shop didn't unload it. I'm glad he thought to clear it, and to send his son away while he did, since his competence is in question. And he got what he deserved - a bullet in the leg. As far as I am concerned, he should lose all rights to carry a weapon, since he just demonstrated he can't handle it properly.
I'm only starting to recognize voices on the podcast, but I think it was Pete that pointed out that, although many people are skilled enough and respect the weapons enough to carry them, there are many lunatics that can't. What ultimately disturbs me is that this suggests legislating to the lowest common denominator - if one can't, then all can't. I don't believe that is fair (although it certainly solves the whole problem). Frankly, I'd like to see the kind of rigorous training for gun owners that we have for other personal items of destructive capability (i.e. automobiles), and some accountability for mishaps. This idiot in the parking lot should lose his permits, never again be allowed to get them, and have a mandatory jail sentence levied and have his weapon confiscated (unless there's a darn good reason why this happened - such as a car ran into his and he dropped the gun and it discharged). I bet with this sort of consequence, he'd think closely about whether he 'needs' to carry, or just 'wants' to. We'll never stop the bad guys from having and abusing guns, but people that are otherwise honest and sane should understand that this is a privilege to carry a weapon, and can be lost - just like a drivers license.
And, no, I am NOT a member of the NRA, because I believe they do more damage to the sport than good, and I can't support their whining. I may consider joining the National Shooting Sports Assn someday, but right now I am not a member of any lobbying group.
I'll climb down from the soapbox now.
Mark
to mouse cop.
