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It would be covered under Child Endangerment laws, yes. Which indeed every state has a variation of. It would then be up to local prosecutors to pursue - some do, some don't (under perhaps the thought that the family has suffered enough). In my opinion it should be.
These events of accidental shooting get lots of publicity, but someone mentioned accidently ingesting rat poison - I would venture to guess accidental poisoning involving children is much more common then accidental shootings. They just don't get publicized and exploited for those with an agenda.
That's probably true, but there's another factor involved. When a child gets hold of an unattended gun he's not only a danger to himself, but to everyone else around him... other children or adults. So the risk factor (for others) is much greater than if the kid crawls under the kitchen sink and gets into the rat poison. Perhaps the fact that guns are so much more dangerous, and someone has to mess up pretty bad for a child to get hold of one, makes it more newsworthy.
Aren't there laws that say guns have to be secured under lock and key, in households with kids? Why are these negligent parents not being charged in cases like this? When are adults going to take seriously the need to secure their guns? How many more tragedies will it take, before that happens?
It would be covered under Child Endangerment laws, yes. Which indeed every state has a variation of. It would then be up to local prosecutors to pursue - some do, some don't (under perhaps the thought that the family has suffered enough). In my opinion it should be.
These events of accidental shooting get lots of publicity, but someone mentioned accidently ingesting rat poison - I would venture to guess accidental poisoning involving children is much more common then accidental shootings. They just don't get publicized and exploited for those with an agenda.
Toddlers don't go around poisoning their playmates, siblings, or parents, though.
That's probably true, but there's another factor involved. When a child gets hold of an unattended gun he's not only a danger to himself, but to everyone else around him... other children or adults. So the risk factor (for others) is much greater than if the kid crawls under the kitchen sink and gets into the rat poison. Perhaps the fact that guns are so much more dangerous, and someone has to mess up pretty bad for a child to get hold of one, makes it more newsworthy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
Toddlers don't go around poisoning their playmates, siblings, or parents, though.
Well, yeah...but a gun shot could be more or less lethal then poisoning. If you fire a weapon accidently you can miss, or it can be non-lethal...if you ingest poison, it's not going to be a miss.
I wonder what kind of weapon this was. The trigger pull on many weapons is too heavy for a 3 year old. glocks are a bit lighter I think. The parents could have also modified the trigger for a lighter pull.
Also a warning to readers on trigger locks. No good around children, they don't work. The only way is to lock up your guns in a safe when children are in the house.
Well, yeah...but a gun shot could be more or less lethal then poisoning. If you fire a weapon accidently you can miss, or it can be non-lethal...if you ingest poison, it's not going to be a miss.
It will if the child is found in time, and taken to the hospital.
The issue here is the irresponsibility of the parents or whoever left a loaded gun laying around. The issue is not whether a gun is more deadly than poison.
Anti-gun nuts love it when little kids get shot. It helps to promote their controlling ways over the rest of us.
I think I can actually hear them smiling as they type.
The top 5 things they put on their Christmas list:
1. A TEA Party member blowing something up.
2. A school being shot up by a NRA member.
3. A white cop shooting a black man on camera.
4. A priest molesting a child.
5. A GOP member having a affair (with someone of the same sex).
Well, yeah...but a gun shot could be more or less lethal then poisoning. If you fire a weapon accidently you can miss, or it can be non-lethal...if you ingest poison, it's not going to be a miss.
I wonder what kind of weapon this was. The trigger pull on many weapons is too heavy for a 3 year old. glocks are a bit lighter I think. The parents could have also modified the trigger for a lighter pull.
Also a warning to readers on trigger locks. No good around children, they don't work. The only way is to lock up your guns in a safe when children are in the house.
Well, sort of...
If a kid is old enough to be taught about hot stoves or hot water or knives, he or she is old enough to be taught about guns.
As in: "DO NOT touch, EVER!" Yes, the lesson will have to be repeated many times, but eventually it WILL get through, and the kid will not have a problem.
Of course, that is where hunters have a distinct advantage. They bring home dead animals, and they can show their kids what a bullet wound really looks like. It ain't what they see on TV, that's for sure!
Strangest thing, I raised five kids long before trigger locks and gun safes were invented. My guns sat in a closet, totally unsecured by modern standards, yet there was never an incident of misuse of a gun in my house.
But, that was the norm in the little Wyoming town we lived in at the time.
Training and education CAN stop accidents!
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