Drizzt
March 18, 2003, 04:51 PM
St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, MN)
March 17, 2003 Monday
SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 5B
LENGTH: 699 words
HEADLINE: Gun owners owe society responsibility
BYLINE: Valerie Grant Rude, Freelance OK
BODY:
Target range accuracy doesn't fulfill obligation
I want to discuss gun safety and responsibility. Gun owners need to be aware that they have a responsibility to the community in how the gun is used even when there may be cases in which a person feels a need for a gun for protection
I am somewhat familiar with the use of guns. I was raised on a farm and we always had a shotgun and a rifle for hunting. Dad taught my brothers (he tried to teach me) how to shoot and about safe handling of the guns. The guns were always emptied and cleaned after use and stored in the back bedroom in the "broken" or "open" position. The ammo was stored two rooms away in the kitchen near the back door so it could be grabbed on the way out when we heard a rustling in the hen house.
One day in a fever my older brother scared the dickens out of us by aiming an empty rifle at the ceiling and clicking the trigger. We were grateful that the ammo wasn't handy to him.
Brochures
The HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics in St. Cloud have an informative brochure, "Keep Your Family Safe from Firearm Injury," which is provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Center to Prevent Handgun Violence.
Before someone begins to get bent out of shape, the brochure does not say anything about gun ownership in itself. It describes common sense precautions for protecting yourself and others from your own and other's firearms. It touches upon teen depression and how the availability of guns increases the risk of suicide. It states "the risk of domestic homicide is three times greater if there's a gun in the home."
Other clinics may have similar brochures.
Assessing risks
Gun owners have a responsibility toward their community in terms of safety. I find it scary to hear people describe how they would use their gun to settle situations that could become dangerous.
For example, one day at work I heard a maintenance fellow speaking to someone outside my office door. He said that a strange dog had appeared during the previous evening on the street, which was crowded with children. He said that he was tempted to go get his gun and shoot that dog. He wanted to fire his gun into a street full of children. He didn't say that the dog was threatening.
Why didn't he think in terms of calling the experts - the police and the Humane Society? Why did he feel that he might solve the problem himself because he owned a gun?
A few people may feel they can take things into their own hands because they have the power, they have a gun. They may pull that "baby" out and start to play Wyatt Earp with the gun, endangering those around them. The police say don't be a hero because you could become injured or an innocent person could be caught in the crossfire.
Training
If you have children in your house, are you going to lock your empty gun away? In our society many see guns as being cool and the holder as having power. Young children and teens may not have skills and training to prevent them from using a gun inappropriately.
How well have you trained and drilled members of your household in the dangers and the use of your gun?
The accuracy of a shot is not enough. One must be able to instantly determine if the target is friend or foe. Even some adults who are supposed to be trained in how to use a gun aren't. My son-in-law supposedly taught my daughter how to use a handgun. When she was trying to show me, he had to show her again how to take off the safety and how to cock it. I wondered how accurately she could shoot before an intruder took it away from her. Would she end up shooting her landlady in the middle of the night by mistake?
People should not think in terms of solving problems by using a weapon. Our police have been trained in methods of assessing and in de-escalating situations before things get out of hand. If you are going to carry a concealed weapon, do society a favor and take courses in target identification, situational assessment and anger management.
Target practice is not enough.
Valerie Grant Rude is registered occupational therapist living with her husband in the Rice area. Her column is published the third Monday of the month.
March 17, 2003 Monday
SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 5B
LENGTH: 699 words
HEADLINE: Gun owners owe society responsibility
BYLINE: Valerie Grant Rude, Freelance OK
BODY:
Target range accuracy doesn't fulfill obligation
I want to discuss gun safety and responsibility. Gun owners need to be aware that they have a responsibility to the community in how the gun is used even when there may be cases in which a person feels a need for a gun for protection
I am somewhat familiar with the use of guns. I was raised on a farm and we always had a shotgun and a rifle for hunting. Dad taught my brothers (he tried to teach me) how to shoot and about safe handling of the guns. The guns were always emptied and cleaned after use and stored in the back bedroom in the "broken" or "open" position. The ammo was stored two rooms away in the kitchen near the back door so it could be grabbed on the way out when we heard a rustling in the hen house.
One day in a fever my older brother scared the dickens out of us by aiming an empty rifle at the ceiling and clicking the trigger. We were grateful that the ammo wasn't handy to him.
Brochures
The HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics in St. Cloud have an informative brochure, "Keep Your Family Safe from Firearm Injury," which is provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Center to Prevent Handgun Violence.
Before someone begins to get bent out of shape, the brochure does not say anything about gun ownership in itself. It describes common sense precautions for protecting yourself and others from your own and other's firearms. It touches upon teen depression and how the availability of guns increases the risk of suicide. It states "the risk of domestic homicide is three times greater if there's a gun in the home."
Other clinics may have similar brochures.
Assessing risks
Gun owners have a responsibility toward their community in terms of safety. I find it scary to hear people describe how they would use their gun to settle situations that could become dangerous.
For example, one day at work I heard a maintenance fellow speaking to someone outside my office door. He said that a strange dog had appeared during the previous evening on the street, which was crowded with children. He said that he was tempted to go get his gun and shoot that dog. He wanted to fire his gun into a street full of children. He didn't say that the dog was threatening.
Why didn't he think in terms of calling the experts - the police and the Humane Society? Why did he feel that he might solve the problem himself because he owned a gun?
A few people may feel they can take things into their own hands because they have the power, they have a gun. They may pull that "baby" out and start to play Wyatt Earp with the gun, endangering those around them. The police say don't be a hero because you could become injured or an innocent person could be caught in the crossfire.
Training
If you have children in your house, are you going to lock your empty gun away? In our society many see guns as being cool and the holder as having power. Young children and teens may not have skills and training to prevent them from using a gun inappropriately.
How well have you trained and drilled members of your household in the dangers and the use of your gun?
The accuracy of a shot is not enough. One must be able to instantly determine if the target is friend or foe. Even some adults who are supposed to be trained in how to use a gun aren't. My son-in-law supposedly taught my daughter how to use a handgun. When she was trying to show me, he had to show her again how to take off the safety and how to cock it. I wondered how accurately she could shoot before an intruder took it away from her. Would she end up shooting her landlady in the middle of the night by mistake?
People should not think in terms of solving problems by using a weapon. Our police have been trained in methods of assessing and in de-escalating situations before things get out of hand. If you are going to carry a concealed weapon, do society a favor and take courses in target identification, situational assessment and anger management.
Target practice is not enough.
Valerie Grant Rude is registered occupational therapist living with her husband in the Rice area. Her column is published the third Monday of the month.