I think this sums up the solution quite well.
In my opinion, a large group of 'gun enthusiasts' and new shooters alike don't place enough emphasis on safety. They may have heard the safety rules a thousand times (or so they think), but that doesn't mean they truly take them to heart.
Every time I walk in to an indoor range I about crap my pants -- loads of people walking around with their new shooting bags, ear muffs, and pistols with magazines in them - chambers closed - walking around with their itchy booger hook resting on the flipping trigger. The 'safe' newbies, may keep their finger off the trigger, but they'll still (start to) turn around in a stall with a chambered round.
The 'gun culture' as we like to call it, has spent so much time fighting to stay alive, we've minimized the fight to keep people alive. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but there's a lot of truth in it. We have to do more to educate new shooters and "seasoned" shooters that have grown up with absolutely terrible habits.
Until we step up and realize the importance of education -- not just safety, but also form and function of our munitions and weapons -- we'll continue to see situations like this one (at Precision Gun Range).
Safety is everyone's responsibility -- from the gun manufacturer, to the range designer/owner, to the shooter. Manufacturers, operators, and owners need to start working together to not just keep the 2nd amendment alive, but educate existing owners and the general public. There may be some things that hardcore 2A advocates have to give up, like -- GASP -- maybe people should have to complete mandatory safety training prior to being able to purchase a firearm. I don't know what the solution is to the current problem; but that's what we've got, a problem.
If you don't believe we have a problem, look at the fact this thread is 14 pages long and has 140+ posts -- and (I'm pretty sure) more than half are debating who the blame falls on.
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Though it is a right to own one.
