I've said worse about people in videos. And like I said I've now joined the ranks. And deserve the criticism. I'm part of a negative statistic on a community I identify with and care about.
You've suffered enough. Don't beat yourself up too much. Publicly talking about it, rather than denying it, making excuses or covering it up helps us all.
There are a lot more people in the gun-owning, shooting and hunting community that have been responsible for negligent discharges than there are those that will actually admit they've had an ND and fewer still who've held themselves accountable for it.
I've seen, over the years (having spent a combined 44 years in the military and law enforcement), a substantial number of negligent discharges, on the range, in clearing barrels, in armories, locker rooms, vehicles, once in a kitchen, another one in a living room (he killed his TV). More to the point, I've seen NDs happen to very smart (IQs considerably over 60), very experienced (years carrying and using firearms professionally) and highly-trained personnel. Almost always, severe fatigue due to operational tempo and/or lack of sleep, occasionally, alcohol consumption but typically -- due to complacency or simply an uncharacteristic moment of inattention (the brain fart).
But the people I have an issue with are those that have an ND and then try to blame it on the gun, the holster, someone distracted them, someone else loaded the gun, or it was the dog's fault. And nowhere do NDs get covered up more than in law enforcement (usually a response to that "aw crap" moment that one has just adversely affected their career prospects). People who 'fess up, own it, learn from it, I got no problem with them and won't presume to know their IQ.
Many years ago, I had an ND in my bedroom. Shot a hole in the ceiling with one of the wife's pistols that was "supposed to be" unloaded. I own it; even though I was a small-arms instructor who always emphasized Rule 1. It's a embarrassing event, for sure, but should be a sobering lesson as well. -- I cannot imagine if I'd fired a round into my own body (I have seen two guys who shot themselves due to NDs, and I can describe in detail how devastating a 9mm Federal F9BPLE +P+ JHP in soft tissue is) So I won't rush to criticize anyone who admits to having an ND (well, unless drugs, alcohol or an egregiously stupid, unforgivable act was involved).
I'm sure there are people out there who've gone a lifetime and never been responsible for an ND. Kudos to them for being such responsible stewards of the gun owning community. But the more you're around firearms, the more you carry them, clean them, shoot them, especially if they're a tool of your job, the more likely you are to have an ND. Not saying everyone will have one, but remember big lesson from your typical Greek tragedy: hubris will lead to nemesis (meaning one's downfall).
