General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Handgun-owners map draws outrage [View all]calimary
(81,222 posts)I'd be SERIOUSLY nervous if I knew my young children were over at another kid's house where there were guns. I don't think I'd want my kids over there. Mine are all grown up now, so it's past that time for me. But we've had WAY too many tragedies in which presumably responsible, law-abiding citizens don't keep their guns completely safe and hidden from curious children's prying eyes and searching fingers. Kids can wriggle their way into all kinds of places where they're not supposed to go, and where they're not supposed to know about it. Some kids know where their parents keep those guns because maybe they go out to target practice together - and what's to stop one of those kids from saying to their friends - "hey! C'm here! SHHHHHH!!! Don't tell anybody... You wanna see something REEEEEEEALLLY COOL?!?!?!!!!!" And then we have another one of those horrible nightmare family tragedies. You KNOW that kind of thing happens. How many times have we seen stories like this in the news, where it was just one really terrible mistake?
We've seen WAY too much of that. Hell, the mother of that nutcase in Newtown CT was a responsible, law-abiding citizen, too. Those were HER guns. Including that dreaded bushmaster (WHY???? WHY ON EARTH would she want such a thing in her home - under ANY circumstances????). How'd that work out for her - OR for any of the other grieving parents in that town now?
I'm really torn.
I completely understand and support privacy rights. I truly do.
But as someone who does NOT believe the answer to the gun problem is more guns in more hands, or that any Tom Dick and Harry is entitled to have free and unfettered access to any kinds of guns they want, for WHATEVER reason, I think I'd actually appreciate knowing who's got guns in my neighborhood. I would want to avoid them. I would not want to go into the house of somebody who had guns - knowing what could happen in a random or uncontrolled moment of madness - or of negligence or carelessness. ONE moment like that is all it takes.
So I'm torn.
You know how your first reaction tends to be the real one for you - it's always tell-tale. Well, this one's mine. The first time I heard about it, my immediate reaction was - "GOOD!"
And yet the right to privacy is also a key right that I recognize and greatly appreciate. I certainly demand it when it comes to MY body and a woman's right to choose.
I'm seriously torn. This is a difficult one. I don't know which side I'd take on this one.