Protect kids from gun owners and guns

[proud2BlibKansan]

Megan Reppond was smart, pretty and just 14 when they buried her a couple of weeks ago.

She was shot to death at a slumber party outside Neosho, Mo., two days after Christmas.

Except calling deaths like Megan’s an “accident,” as authorities have, is to downplay the culpability of the person who left a loaded .38-caliber pistol out — the safety off — where anyone could grab it.

That anyone was one of the three other girls Megan’s age attending the slumber party that night.

Thinking the gun was unloaded, she pointed it at her friend and pulled the trigger.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/13/2582364/protect-kids-from-gun-owners-and.html#ixzz1BRMl8goG

[abelenkpe]

1. RIP little girl

That exact same thing happened to my hubby's best friend when he was 15. The one who shot him thinking the gun was unloaded was his own older brother. The gun belonged to their father. The older brother who pulled the trigger spent the next five years in jail and his life has been a pathetic spiral of depression and drugs. Really, how could he ever get over killing his own brother?

I'm sure some loser gun nut will come along in a couple seconds making excuses saying guns don't kill people, people do. Please don't bother.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. OMG that is so sad

This article gave me shivers because we had a neighbor when our kids were little who had lots of guns. I have no idea if he locked them up or not but his own kids literally ran wild 24/7 so I wouldn't let my kids play in that house EVER. I knew there wouldn't be much supervision.

[geckosfeet]

3. Loaded gun out in the open. Safety off. Where I live it's against the law. eom

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Most .38s are revolvers which do not have a safety

[geckosfeet]

10. Then it certainly should have been in a safe or in a holster on the owner.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. This article says no charges were filed.

That's strange, IMO.

[Duckhunter935]

5. Rule #1

all weapons treated as loaded, always point in a safe direction.

[OrangeGrapes]

7. I don't want to sound like a dickhead

But maybe we should teach kids good gun habits. Because it's not really the fault of the person who left the gun there; nobody forced the girl to pick up the gun––the sole purpose of which we all know (along with that girl, I'm sure) is to throw a piece of metal in the direction it's pointed––and actually aim it *at a person*.

Cars are dangerous, too; but, instead of of abolishing them, we teach new drivers how to use them properly and responsibly, and hope that they do. If we were to apply the very same concept to guns, tragedies like this would not happen.

[Zoeisright]

8. Cars have real uses in society. Guns do not.

Nobody forced the girl to pick up the gun? For Christ's sake, that's what kids do.

And your subject line is right on.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. Guns have real uses, my wife saved my life with one

Kids can and should get gun safety training at an early age. However it does not relieve the owner of the responsibility for keeping it safe

[Skittles]

9. I tend to agree

certainly in America's guns for everyone-NRA culture (:puke:) it might be prudent to teach gun safety along with the alphabet

[geckosfeet]

11. Nonsense. The gun owner is responsible. That gun could have been stolen

with criminal intent, or picked up by a three year old.

The rules.

1. Do not load gun until ready to use
2. Keep gun pointed in safe direction
3. Keep finger off trigger until ready to fire

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. While there is gun safety training for children, owners are still responsible to secure their

firearms.