Us Toddler Kills Himself With His Mother's Gun

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33115246

Yet another tragedy. Why would this daft Mother have left her gun for her toddler to find ? I am sure she will say that it was an accident, but it seems to me that it was an accident waiting to happen. 100 children die in America from accidental shooting every year....this is just one of them.

I expect the America pro-gun lobby to be preparing speeches about liberty and freedom even as I type.

This site is interesting, proving that some commonsense does prevail in America after all ::::

http://momsdemandaction.org/

[sandyRoe]

It will be a tragedy for the family but when viewed in the light of the Sandy Hook school shooting it will hardly give the NRA a moments concern.

[-Talbot-]

Those crazy Americans, I don't even let my kids near the sharpest knifes in the house. Kids at 3 year old usually know which way to point a gun (usually a pretend gun)

[jim360]

Guns don't kill people. Toddlers who have no ability to understand the danger kill themselves through no fault of their own and it's a tragedy but apparently that's all right. Or something.

It feels really bad, in a way, trying to make something political out of another child dying as part of a tragic accident. Again, though, we see an example of guns making the family less safe than it was, not more. The safety guns provide is nothing but an illusion.

[Cloverjo]

I agree, Mikey. It is an insane law that allows any person to have a gun. And to be able to keep it around a toddler is even more so. My uncle used to have a gun for shooting ducks and hares - we can argue about the rights and wrongs of that another time - but he had to show he was mentally competent and kept his guns safe to be able to do so? I despair of the Americans' plea of their right to bear arms.

[mikey4444]

You are right Sandy.....Americans will continue to kill their fellow citizens year in, year out, and the NRA will still continue to pour millions of dollars into efforts to stop common sense prevailing.

Thanks goodness we saw some of that common sense on our side of the Atlantic, and Hungerford and Dunblane.

[mikey4444]

Cloverjo....My Dad was a rifle shooter when I was young back in the 50's and 60's and he often took me to places like Bisley. We lived for a time in rural Somerset and he often went shooting and brought back pheasants and rabbits for the table. But at all times, his guns were kept in a locked metal gun cabinet and were never, ever left lying around the place. With 4 normal, curious boys in the house, anything less than this would have have been down-right stupid.

When he died, my brothers and myself handed in his shotgun to the Police
( making sure, of course, that they didn't have the words Purdey or Holland and Holland on them anywhere ! )

This daft American woman provided an opportunity for her curious little boy to get access to her gun, because she didn't exercise even the most basic rules common sense. If American must surround themselves with guns, why can't they do it safely ?

[RATTER15]

What the hell is wrong with these people and their obsession with carrying guns!! are these places really so dangerous they need to arm themselves when going out with their children!!

[RATTER15]

I was brought up with guns, until a few years ago I always had guns in the house, I used to hunt a few times a week. My guns where always locked away in a gun cabinet with a chain through the trigger guard and the ammunition was locked away in a separate cabinet. The only time they came out was to be taken immediately to the car, not left lying around!

[jennyjoan]

why does keeping guns in a locked cabinet make sense - if you were to need them in an amergency ie burglary - how would you get them out in time.

[mikey4444]

Ratter...I have visited the USA many times over the last 40+ years, and nearly always to stay with friends. As far as I know, none of them carry guns in their handbags while going to Walmart, and they see no reason to do so.

I strongly suspect that the fear of gun violence is very much exaggerated and exacerbated by the pro-gun lobby, mainly for financial gain. In fact I am convinced that it is the case.

[RATTER15]

jennyjoan //why does keeping guns in a locked cabinet make sense - if you were to need them in an amergency ie burglary - how would you get them out in time.//

I have absolutely no concerns about being burgled, take another look at my profile picture, and we have 3 :-)

Even if I was concerned, I would not resort to guns. In nearly every case of burglary in the UK, if you were to suspect a burglar in your house, just shout and they will almost certainly flee!

[RATTER15]

mikey, I am sure you are right, however there are a lot of people that do carry guns in handbags and hidden from view.

[Peter Pedant]

Jim turn your logic circuits on ....

gun dont kill people - implies people do
in this case - a three year old...

are you saying he has any idea of what the consequences of his actions were ?

The mother will get screwed for not locking the gun away
as it s foreseeablle that if a 3 y o finds a gun he will damage someone/thing

but even I would draw the line at - the mother has killed someone

[-Talbot-]

She is responsible for this child's death, PP.

[Peter Pedant]

// why does keeping guns in a locked cabinet make sense - if you were to need them in an amergency ie burglary - how would you get them out in time.//

use a chair leg ( joke ) anyway you shouldnt greet a burglar with a gun
I used to keep an ax under my bed

[mikey4444]

I don't think anybody could seriously argue that this woman killed her son, but her stupidity resulted indirectly in his death. She should have put the gun away somewhere safe as soon as she arrived home.

But the reason that she didn't is probably because gun ownership has become so much the norm in America, that careless practises are now commonplace, and its that obsession with guns that the citizens of America should be addressing.

[SeaJayPea]

"About 100 children die in the US every year in accidental shootings, according to data compiled by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America."

No comment necessary.

[zebo]

When I've been in the States, I've found it very disconcerting to be behind someone at the checkout and see that both were carrying guns openly in their belts. I know self service machines are annoying but......! If they are so hung up on a 250 year old bit of legislation, let them carry 250 year old weapons.

[retrocop]

Dying by gunshot 250 years ago is pretty much the same as dying by gunshot today give or take a few ballistic differences. IT is final!!!

[Peter Pedant]

America is the gun violence capital of the world. According to FBI crime statistics, there were 9,146 murders by firearm in 2009. Like death by accidental gun discharge, death rates for assault by firearm in the U.S. are also disproportionate to similar countries. It has the highest rate of firearm deaths among 25 high-income nations and more disturbingly, the overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children under age 15 is 12 times higher than the death rates of these 25 high-income nations combined.

from http://www.medhelp.org/general-health/articles/The-25-Most-Common-Causes-of-Death/193?page=2