Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Boy finds forgotten gun, accidentally shoots self in head

"MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida boy remains in stable condition just days after he found his parents' long-forgotten handgun in a closet and accidentally shot himself in the head.


Police are deciding whether or not to charge parents after their son found a forgotten gun and shot himself.

Sheriff's detectives in Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg, say the boy found the .25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun in a box in a closet in their home."


Okay.

As a responsible parent, how the fuck do you "forget" you own a loaded fucking gun? How do you not know EXACTLY where it is and whether it's loaded or not 24/7?

You have to prove knowledge of applicable laws and demonstrate before a qualified instructor that you know how to operate a vehicle safely before you can be granted a license to operate a motor vehicle.

But any ignorant, hillbilly, fucktard with a pocketfull of cash can buy a gun and have a kid.

That's fucked up.

14 comments:

Old Fart said...

[You have to prove knowledge of applicable laws and demonstrate before a qualified instructor that you know how to operate a vehicle safely before you can be granted a license to operate a motor vehicle]

And that still doesn't stop kids from being killed by relatives who forget they have children with them in cars.

ACCIDENTS happen. With guns. With cars. With draino. With plastic bags. Mix in a distracted parent, and a curious kid and no matter what the object of it's attention is, the kid can get hurt.

Outlaw them all! And mandate we all walk around covered in bubble wrap with a big enough hole to breath through. That outta keep the kids safe.

Xavier Onassis said...

Old Fart - There are legitimate, daily, needs for people to be have easy access to cars, draino and plastic bags.

There is absolutely NO reason why the average citizen should have easy access to loaded guns.

I'm 53 years old. I have lived all over Kansas City. Downtown, midtown, suburbs, I've even lived in New Jersey. I've put myself in dangerous situations and made stupid decisions.

I have never, ever, been in a situation where I needed a gun. Never been robbed. Never been threatened.

Life isn't nearly as dangerous as the gun nuts want people to believe.

Gun accidents don't happen if you don't have a gun!

Old Fart said...

Just because you don't believe there is a legitimate need for a person to have a gun, doesn't make it so.

Protection is a legimate reason. I'm glad you've never been robbed, beaten, or car jacked... millions of Americans aren't as fortunate as you.

Then of course there is that pesky 2nd Amendment that keeps surviving challenge after challenge. The 9th circuit court just ruled the 2nd is a personal right and has long been regarded as the ‘true palladium of liberty’, and in states and localites applies to 'armed self-defense of the home'. So, keeping a loaded weapon in your home is a right of any American citizen who wishes to exercise that right.

Of course it would be really awesome if the idiots would put it out of reach of kids. Just like you shouldn't leave draino laying around, or plastic bags, or car keys.

Oh, and just because life isn't as dangerous, right this minute, as some of the 'gun nuts' claim, doesn't mean it won't be that dangerous tomorrow.

Just for full disclosure: I have been robbed. I worked midnight - eight am in a Hyde Park Massachusetts datacenter. Had to take the MBTA into Mattapan Square every night.

spooneb said...

A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to be irresponsible and dumb as fuck with their handguns, rifles and various other firearms both automatic and semi-automatic, shall not be infringed, and if a few kids don't make it to adulthood or end up Terri Schiavoing into space for the rest of their days, then that's the price we pay for freedom, you commie bastard. /snark

Old Fart said...

AKCB -
The "its for the kids" justification can be made about outlawing/regulating ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Chop down every goddamn tree... kids climb them, then fall and die!

Anonymous said...

So, hip guy, you have never been in a situation where you have been threatened.

Good for you.

But I have, dipshit, and having a defense saved my life an my family.

If the average law abiding citizen can't have access to guns, then only your crackhead pervert friend will.

NO WAY!

So, KISS MY ASS.

Nick said...

There is NO fuckin' excuse for having an unsecured loaded weapon in a house with children.

With little ones in our house, I use a biometric gun vault. It gives me -and me only- access to my gun within seconds. It gives the kids ZERO access.

Horseshit about 'accidents' is just that - horseshit.

p.s. - sorry to see you've been infected with Anony Trolls

FletcherDodge said...

Since I'm a good, atheistic liberal, I think this incident is a good thing and a fine example of why we need to protect the rights of people to own guns.

I mean, we all know that god is bunk and that the only reason we are here today having this discussion is that because, eons ago our ape-like ancestors climbed down from trees and decided to invent espresso machines, and it's all been evolution and natural selection since then.

Luckily, guns are helping the natural selection process along. I mean let's face it, the kind of genius that forgets about a loaded gun in the closet is probably going to raise an equally "special" offspring. That kid is going to grow up, mate with the tramp from the neighboring trailer park and the whole cycle will repeat itself until the entire human race is living in a van down by the river.

Thanks to guns, we get to stop the cycle before it can perpetuate itself. It's like a natural check on dumbassery.

Sure, the incident is a prima facia tragedy. But look at it this way, there's one less would be careless gun owner out there.

Also, its just additional strong evidence for my contention that Florida is Our Most Fucked Up State®.

I Travel for JOOLS said...

There are probably far more accidental poisonings from parents leaving meds in a place where kids can get to them or household cleaners, etc. Just a few Tylenol can kill a child. Do you blame the Tylenol for killing the child or the irresponsible parent? Irresponsible people are the problem. I believe our society has the right mix of legislation to protect us from gross harm. The rest is up to us.

Faith said...

"Luckily, guns are helping the natural selection process along."

Goddammit, Emaw. You WOULD be the one to come in here and make this argument before I had the chance. Fucker.

What he said. :D

mamagotcha said...

Around our house, we have a saying that we use for incidents like this: "Father Darwin called him home."

Nightmare said...

This is a perfect example of Social Darwinism. If that kid is dumb enough to play with stuff he doesn't know anything about...I'm guessing his only future would be as the Governor of Arkansas. Does he also pick up random snakes, and stray pit bulls? I might show some more sympathy for a kid that is under 4 but a 12yr old? Get outta my gene pool.

Anonymous said...

Hey, emawkc, you atheists are a hoot!

You are pro choice, aren't you?

Well, I choose to own guns!

The hilarious thing about atheists, is that after telling us there is no God to tell us what to do, THEY want to tell us what to do!

Bad news, asshole...

It ain't gonna happen.

Skeptical Skeptic

Joe said...

I'm not gonna stoop to the name calling, X, but I disagree with you. I've owned a pistol or two for a while. I carry it with me when I go camping. I take it on vacation with me.
I was in Fallon NV one day riding my bike. I was in the public park sitting at the picnic table reading the paper and having a soda. Two guys came up to me and wanted the bike. I squared up to them and pulled up my shirt to show the gun. Suddenly there was no problem.
That's no excuse for the dummies who don't responsibly own one. I keep mine locked up and hidden away.