Gun Show Shootings-or-Twisting Reality

I’m sorry but I can’t remain silent any longer.  As a responsible gun owner who cherishes my time in the field with my firearm, I’m really really really really really sick and tired of the twisted, unfair representation of anyone, or anything related to gun ownership in the media.

SHAME SHAME SHAME on the author of  Gun Show Shootings—5 Accidental Shootings at 3 US Gun Shows.

For crying out loud, they weren’t “shootings” they were accidental firearms discharges. 

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssooooooooooooooo not the same thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Anyone who dares to disagree needs medical attention immediately.

 A shooting, of any sort, implies a deliberate action. Examples:

A photo-shoot. 

Shooting a movie scene. 

Shooting a target.  (whether it’s a piece of paper, a pop bottle or a person)

A shooting is a deliberate action.  So, the media is describing these incidents as an accidental deliberate action?   Help me understand why the media thinks this is an unbiased reporting of the incidents.  Let’s apply their logic to some examples.  In the farthest stretch, we would need to consider the premise as:

They accidentally took pictures of the wrong subject matter in the photo-shoot.

They accidentally shot the wrong part of the group for that movie scene.

They accidentally shot the wrong target (they were aiming for Bob but hit Mary instead).

That would be the definition of “accidental shooting”.

But in the case of the 3 gun show incidents cited, there was nothing deliberate about them.  They were simply unfortunate accidents. The firearms accidentally discharged without intent.   It would be similar to a premise like:

As the photographer was leaving the photo-shoot, his camera, hanging over his shoulder accidentally turned on and took images of the ground as he was walking away.

Would that be described as a “photo-shoot?” not likely.  It would be an accidental discharge of the camera.  Unintentional.

Now, shame on the gun owners for not following the rules to the letter on proper storage and handling of their firearms, indeed!  That certainly should be addressed to the fullest. But, don’t paint the untrue and unfair picture that their negligence resulted in a “gun show shooting”.  Stop the sensationalism! Their negligence resulted in an accidental firearms discharge.  Period.

And how dare the media throw in the little tidbit about the Raleigh NC case as being a “weapon”.  PLEASE stop referring to guns as weapons!  Guns are firearms.  Referring to them as “weapons is an unfair generalization based on a specific attitude about guns.  In order to be fair—the media then needs to include all the other items out there that are weapons.  Hey, I know what… let’s start a list…….

• Knives are weapons. 
• Actually, forks, steak knives, paring knifes, pots and pans (oooh especially a cast iron pan if you get some gusto in the swinging of it)  Let’s face it, most things found in the kitchen are weapons—don’t forget plastic bags and cleaning chemicals and, well, probably food (now there’s an idea for taking out a crowd)!
• Ladies shoes are weapons. 
• A strong set of fingernails—oh yeah, that’s weapon material.
• Car and house keys are weapons.
• A heavy vase, or a table corner—could certainly become a weapon.
• Virtually any object could potentially be a weapon-look around the house—an ashtray or decorative glass or metal bottle or bowl to the head-or even a clothesline, umbrella or dog leash—indeed, with a little creativity, all weapons. 
• Cars are weapons.
• Hell, a good size diamond ring can be a weapon. 
• Maybe people should not be allowed to take Martial Arts instruction like Karate or Tae Kwan Do any more—it should be made illegal because, you know what?  A trained body can most certainly be a weapon.

The list is endless.  If I got a knock on the door to surrender my “weapons”, my house would end up practically empty.

STOP picking on guns and start focusing on the truth of the matter that guns don’t kill people, people kill people.  And mentally well people are not the ones that are out there doing it, unless, of course, it’s a matter of self-defense. 

How about shifting the focus of concern to enforcing the laws that are already in place?  Why is it that our fearless leaders are ready to spend all kinds of tax payer dollars to create more gun control, but they aren’t willing to spend the cash to simply enforce the laws already in place? 

Who thinks that giving the mentally ill a couple prescriptions and sending them off into the world is a good idea to begin with?  Let’s see a raise of hands.  Well, guess what, those folks out there by the thousands, and some of them are able to exist successfully in society.  But certainly if they try to buy a firearm and fail the background check…

That should be a bit of a red flag, don’t you think? 

How about enforcing the laws we already have in place to deal with that? 

I’m just sayin’.