Gun Paranoia causing Gun Incidents?

[wintram]

I live in the Indianapolis area and there have been a disturbing amount of child/gun related incidents( accidental or not). I am 30 yrs old and can't remember anything like this in my days, so I asked my Father in his 50's. He can't either, so I moved on to Gramps( approaching his 80's). Still nothing. So the question I bring to the table is "Why now?". I know there are not more guns, could it be simply media coverage, or it is that gun fear has driven common sense out of teaching kids about firearms? I (as I am sure most of you) grew up in a house with atleast 1 firearm not locked away in a child proof safe with the ammo secured in an underground lockbox buried in the backyard. I have been around firearms my entire life, the absolute first thing I do when I pick one up is check the chamber that has been beat in my head since day 1. Is this not been taught anymore or are ppl waiting to long to educate their kids. Mine are 2 and 3 and they know what is off limits in mommy and daddy's room. There is a loaded 45 and 12GA around the bed at all times and my kids understand they are not allowed in those areas and do not touch. My 3 yr can tell you gun safety 101. My theory is Gun Paranoia is causing more gun incidents. I would love to hear you guys' opinion and thoughts.

 

[.452browning]

 

[JoshuaW]

Just an FYI, there are more guns now.

 

[EdC]

My thoughts, in order of probability:

1. Increased coverage. We are swamped with news these days.

2. Lack of parental control. When we look at the stories behind these deaths, there seems to be a continuum of irresponsibility. Some situations (like the Martinsville shooting) seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the 11 year old shot someone. Other situations seemed more like a momentary lapse in judgment. Same bad result, however.

 

[EdC]

Just an FYI, there are more guns now.

That's right! More people, too, I guess.

 

[wintram]

JoshuaW: I would argue per household there is not. Before liberals decided guns were bad and started passing liberty crushing laws to limit firearms, you would have an easier time finding a household with than without. Beening said the population has increased but I would said the with/without has reversed.

 

[eldirector]

Are there really more incidents, or does it seem like more?

My guess (and yes, this is only a guess), is that they make the news more often, but the actual per capital rate is very similar to years past.

 

[henktermaat]

Plus, no one remembers this kind of detail from daily news, no offense to your ancestry.

 

[DragonGunner]

Just an FYI, there are more guns now.

I grew up with guns, Dad was a WWII Vet an grew up hunting as a kid during the great depression. Learning gun safety an having some itelligence is a MUST to be around guns. What we have today are people who did not grow up with guns, never really learned anything about gun safety an don't have enough itelligence to know that they should. They think they need a gun, guns are a cool thing to have, what could go wrong....then things go wrong.....Too many people without enough intellect for gun safety but own guns anyway is going to go bad. Back in the day these people didn't want a gun.... just my opinion.

 

[femurphy77]

I think it's a combination of several things, in no particular order; Increased global 24/7 news coverage, violent video games that MIGHT make some children think the reset button works in real life also, the lack of familiarity with guns due to a generational mindset that guns are bad, the typical response of a child that is told no or you can't have it. . .they are going to investigate to find out why. I think the biggest fault lies with parents though that are unwilling or unable to discuss them with their children and explain to them that life doesn't reset when the bad guy gets you.

We always had guns around the house, there were always rifles and shotguns in the back windows of pickups in the school parking lots, I actually took a gun to school as part of a presentation for the 7th grade with no further notice than to clear it with the teacher the day before. And your parents/grandparents are right, I don't remember ever losing a classmate to a shooting whether accidental or intentional. To put it in perspective, I graduated high school in '77.

 

[youngda9]

Common sense isn't so common anymore...

 

[bwframe]

Common sense isn't so common anymore...

That pretty much says it all.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Common sense isn't so common anymore...

That was "Grampa's" favorite quote

 

[Kutnupe14]

Just an FYI, there are more guns now.

Though I don't think this is the sole cause, it certainly is a factor. I have seen a bunch of people I know, in the last 3 year, buy firearms, without ever having owned one before. It's kinda scary when your noob friend buys a nickel plated .44 as a first gun.

 

[91FXRS]

Also the fact that kids don't get told NO enough anymore and god forbid put your foot up there arse when they screw up.(for the record mine get both often, I guess I'm old school)

 

[NIFT]

Just an FYI, there are more guns now.

If, indeed, this is a major contributor to the rash of children being shot and killed, then it must follow that a major part of the solution is get rid of the guns, because more guns cause more crime.

 

[singlestacksig]

it is getting more media attention now days.. lack of "allowed" accesse to firearms helps create the myth of guns, kids want to play with them because they don't really know what it is..
worse things happened before, back in the '70s several kids in Indy died from playing russian roulette, one right across the street from our house..
when was the last time you heard of kids being that stupid ?

 

[Bunnykid68]

I think in Indiana there have been more accidents this year. There are going to be years were more stupid accidents happen and some years were fewer will happen. This just happens to be a bad year so far and the media will keep it alive as long as possible. Tragedy sells.

But if not one more accident happens in Indiana this year, you will not hear a single word about it.

 

[sonofagun]

Mine are 2 and 3 and they know what is off limits in mommy and daddy's room. There is a loaded 45 and 12GA around the bed at all times and my kids understand they are not allowed in those areas and do not touch.

I'm 60 years old and this was not smart even in the fifties!

As a young father you haven't been parenting long enough to realize youngsters this age are constantly testing the world around them, regardles what you think you have taught them.

I pray yours don't become one of these statistics.

 

[bwframe]

There are fewer fathers in the picture today. That lethally stupid woman in Martinsville whose 11 year old shot her 6 year old is a perfect example. She had three kids with three different dads, none of which is the guy she is with now.