THE WISDOM OF ARMING IN SELF DEFENSE

The FACT is, that ON AVERAGE, people who have a loaded weapon in their home are LESS SAFE. So by advocating for EVERYONE to have weapons, you are advocating for an INCREASE in homicides and accidental shootings.

David often makes the case that carrying a gun is the end-all be-all of personal safety. I think that's both simplistic and flat-out wrong.

Robert Gentel wrote:

the gun control side.

I'm not really advocating gun control, except in the sense that people should make good,
well-informed decisions.

Deciding to have a weapon in the house is a big decision;
I think that lots of people don't have a clue as to many of the dangers.

David often makes the case that carrying a gun
is the end-all be-all of personal safety.
I think that's both simplistic and flat-out wrong.

Oooh. Scary story.

But I can find a lot more scary stories of how little Johnny found his Daddy's gun.

Or how Mr. and Mrs. Johnson got in a fight,
and Mrs. Johnson blasted Mr. Johnson to smithereens.

I'm guessing you've never had much exposure to kids in your adult life.

It's not that easy to do serious accidental or intentional damage
to yourself or someone else with a spare tire.
It is VERY easy with a gun.

Its easy for YOU to scoff;
not so easy for the victims of gun control (children) who got killed.

A 74 year old Lewes, Delaware man used a machete and his .25 caliber pistol to defend himself against a pair of home invaders who were threatening his life.

Police say that a 74 year old home owner, whose name has not been released, returned to his home on the 19000 block of Bee Jay Ln to find an unexpected vehicle near his driveway. The home owner also noticed that the front door to his home had been kicked in, and that the side door was open. Two home invaders approached the home owner at the side door to his house, and tried to explain their presence on his property by saying they were "looking to purchase a dump truck." The home owner then asked the two home invaders to leave his property, but they refused and advanced on him. One of the home invaders grabbed a landscaping tool, and threatened the home owner's life. At this point the 74 year old home owner grabbed a machete that was next to the door and cut the home invader several times in the arm and hand. Undeterred, both home invaders continued to advance on the home owner, at which point he drew his .25 caliber pistol and shot the other home invader in the abdomen. Both home invaders then fled. One suspect, Gregory B. Stewart, was found at a local hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. The other suspect, Paul L. Spencer, was found at his nearby home. Spencer was arrested and charged with 2nd degree burglary, 2nd degree conspiracy, menacing, and criminal mischief. A warrant for Stewart's arrest on the same charges has been issued as well, and Stewart is expected to be arrested upon release from the hospital. The 74 year old home owner was unharmed.

A 12-year-old boy who was accidentally shot in Oakland Friday night when he and his friends found a loaded shotgun is in grave condition Sunday, a police spokesman said.

The boy was playing in the parking garage of his apartment building at 427 Foothill Blvd. with some friends around 8 p.m. when they found the shotgun, Oakland police spokesman Jeff Thomason said.

The kids, believing it wasn't loaded, began playing with it in a game of cops and robbers.

One of the kids pulled the trigger, firing a round of buck shot that struck the child in the face.

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Boy Accidentally Shoots Himself with an Uzi at Westfield, Massachusetts Gun Show - Legal Rights and Responsibilities

Uzi.jpg

Christopher Bizilj, an eight year old from Ashford, Connecticut, died as a result of an Uzi sub-machine gun accidental shooting at the Machine Gun Show and Firearms Expo at the Westfield, Massachusetts Sportsman's Club. Christopher's father had given permission for his son to handle the gun prior to the incident. It is interesting to note that the father, Charles Bizilj, is the Director of Emergency Medicine at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Connecticut. As such, it would appear that Dr. Bizilj has seen his fair share of gun shot wounds and injuries - both intentional and accidental type of shootings.

While Christopher was shooting the Uzi, it recoiled, he lost control, and then accidentally shot himself in the head. This is a true tragic course of events for the Bizilj Family and all involved with the incident.

The shooting shows the importance of gun safety and the dangers of putting a high powered weapon into the hands of an eight year old.

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Teen hospitalized after gun accident
Two 13-year-olds were playing with loaded gun

Updated: Sunday, 30 Aug 2009, 6:27 AM EDT
Published : Saturday, 29 Aug 2009, 10:41 PM EDT

* Gene Rodriguez
* Edited by Jackie Carpenter

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The city’s latest shooting involves children; teens who police say were home alone with a loaded gun.

Children were seen riding their bikes and walking the sidewalks, dozens of them talking and playing together. But Saturday afternoon a game of gunplay at a home on the city's southwest side landed one child in a hospital emergency room.

It appears to be a child friendly neighborhood. Evidence of children is everywhere. But instead of playing, boys were sitting in patrol cars Saturday being questioned about what happened in the 5800 block of Coppock Drive.

“Clearly 13-year olds and firearms don’t mix," IMPD Capt. Craig Fishburn said.