Posted on 10/25/2021 7:05:22 PM PDT by grundle
At least once a week or so, I read stories about allegedly accidental shootings. These stories always puzzle me, because assuming a competent adult and a non-defective gun, there’s no such thing as an accidental shooting. The two kinds of shootings are “intentional” and “negligent.”
What’s worse is that all too often, these supposed “accidents” involve people who carry guns professionally and have received extensive training in their use. They don’t have recourse to the excuse that they didn’t know what they were doing.
For example, Clayton County, Ga., sheriff Victor Hill was indicted on Nov. 12 for “accidentally” shooting a woman with whom he claimed to be “practicing police tactics.”
In late October, former Austin, Texas, police officer Charles Kleinert was granted federal immunity from manslaughter charges for “accidentally” killing a man (he claimed he only intended to pistol-whip the guy).
For that matter, a decade or so ago, a Drug Enforcement Agency agent announced to a room full of students “I’m the only one in this room professional enough that I know of to carry this Glock 40” before “accidentally” shooting himself in the leg. Some professional, huh?
Let’s clear all this “accidental” nonsense up right now. There’s no such thing as an “accidental” shooting. There are only two kinds of shootings: Intentional and negligent.
Look, people: Neither guns nor gun safety are complicated.
The gun is either loaded or it isn’t -- and you should always assume that it is. If you don’t, you’re negligent. Period.
If you point the gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot, you’re negligent. Period.
If you leave a loaded gun around where a four-year-old can pick it up and shoot a sibling while playing, you’re negligent. Period.
If you use a gun for some purpose other than the one it was intended for -- as a bludgeon, for example -- you’re negligent. Period.
Especially, not just “even,” if you are a police officer or a member of the armed forces.
Gun rights activists (yes, I am one) are fond of pointing out that guns don’t kill people, people do. That’s true. It’s true whether the killing is justified or unjustified, and it’s true whether the killing is intentional or negligent.
Negligent shooters and their supporters need to stop making excuses for negligent shootings. And the 99.9 percent of responsible gun owners who take gun safety seriously shouldn’t be tarred with their “accidents.”
I agree
accident noun
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ac·ci·dent | \ ˈak-sə-dənt , -ˌdent , ˈaks-dənt \
Essential Meaning of accident
1: a sudden event (such as a crash) that is not planned or intended and that causes damage or injury
In New Mexico involuntary manslaughter is a fourth- degree felony. The maximum sentence is 18 months in jail and the $5000 fine. So in other words this is barely more than a misdemeanor. I doubt Baldwin will even be charged.
Bravo! I once wrote a letter to the editor that was published in our major city daily on a similar theme. Two cops in an evidence room had managed to discharge a shotgun, and one was wounded. Walked the editors through how modern firearms in good working order simply don’t fire by themselves, and how the 4 Rules were negligently broken. Disabused them on using the term accidental discharge in favor of negligent discharge.
I was frankly amazed and gratified it was published.
Does AB have a gun control passport?
Baldwin is a raging liberal in good standing. And his hatred of Trump makes him immune from such trifling issues like negligent discharge.
How did that work out for Dick Cheney?
Sure, but no ad? Right?
Remember, it was a “misfire”. The “gun’s” fault.
True dat!
Unintentional maybe but no accident.
He should have known better.
For example, consider this absolute statement:
The gun is either loaded or it isn’t -- and you should always assume that it is. If you don’t, you’re negligent. Period.
You are going to clean your gun. Is is reasonable to do this if the gun is loaded? No. So how do you do it if you always assume the gun is loaded.
You cannot.
Same for disassembly. Same for dry firing.
There are qualifiers to all the absolute statements made in this post.
negligent and accidental can sometimes both be true
i use accidental but don’t mean it to take away responsibility from the shooter
“Accidental” is you fumbled & dropped it, and reflexively grabbed it in a way causing it to fire in an unfortunate direction.
Saying “stand there while I point and fire this at you” is not accidental.
If that is true, dick should have faced charges back then, and alec should face them now. No such thing as an accidental shooting.
So if the AD was giving the gun to Alec and he inadvertently shot and killed him, do you honestly think he’d only spend 18 months in jail and pay a $5000 fine?
Personally I would vote in favor but some people seem to think that guns run around shooting themselves.
Negligence is when one engages in reckless behavior and intentionally ignores basic safety measures. One can follow all safety rules with religious adherance and still the mind can be distracted or believe something to be true when it isn't and thus have an accident. If one engages in careless behavior that is a different thing entirely.
Human beings are not perfect. We sometimes do things we don't intend to do no matter what precautions and procedures are in place. These are accidents and they can happen with a firearm.
Saying there is no such thing as an accidental discharge is to say human beings are perfect and capable of never making a mistake and thus any unintentional discharge of a weapon must be intentional carelessness on the part of the user. This statement cannot be true because we know humans are not perfect.
Further having the mindset that there are no accidents and only negligence is in fact dangerous as this is to ignore the imperfect nature of human beings. This attitude is saying I'm perfect and incapable of making a mistake, which ironically is a form of negligence in itself.
So yes there can be accidental discharges and even shootings. In the case of Baldwin we don't know enough details.
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