Frightened Teen Shoots, Kills Friend Because He Didn’t Recognize Him
The gunners are fond of saying that people can be killed with scissors, or a baseball bat, or even a bottle of Coke. I think I’ve heard them all from those who believe that everyone in America should not only be allowed but encouraged to carry a gun. After all, despite evidence to the contrary, Obama is about to take over the world, and crime is rampant, so every good American needs a gun.
In point of fact, guns are impersonal as are those who are killed by them. You can’t stab someone to death with a pair of scissors if they’re 10 feet away, and the same applies to the bat and the bottle. With a gun, however, you can kill your assailant, or Obama appointed assassin from a safe and comfortable distance.
Unfortunately the rhetoric of the NRA and their loyal followers isn’t completely understood by the children. Most logical thinkers know that what they tout is pure nonsense, but the kids may well take it as gospel and when they do someone dies. Someone innocent.
(Newser) “It’s a tragedy all around.” That from Capt. John Bedford of Billings Police Department in explaining what happened in his Montana city in the wee hours of Sunday. Per police, Mackeon Schulte, 15, and a friend he was spending the night with went to another friend’s home around 2:30am. The two wanted to wake the sleeping boy, so they rapped on his window and tossed pebbles at the glass. Shaken from his sleep, the boy looked out the window and saw two faces, but recognized neither, reports KULR. Scared, he reached for a gun that was in his room and fired through the window, reports the Billings Gazette. Mackeon was hit in the head. A neighbor tells the Gazette he heard someone say, “Dude, you just got shot.”
The Senior High sophomore was pronounced dead at St. Vincent’s Hospital a short time later, the department noted in a Facebook post. The boy who was with him was uninjured; his name and that of the shooter have not been released. Police are calling it an accidental shooting and have made no arrests; investigators and the county attorney’s office are discussing how to move forward. “This is a huge tragedy for Senior High and the district,” the superintendent tells the Gazette. “We’re just doing the best we can to make sure everyone is OK throughout this situation.”
What about Americans and guns? Is it ignorance or common sense?
Actually, that’s what I said – teens shouldn’t have unsupervised access to guns.
My issue was that because so many unreasonable and frightened people are willing to depart from reality when thinking about weapons, I worry that they will see what you say as another stereotype to use against anyone who owns, for instance, something like that 1861 Colt Army revolver in the picture.
No doubt that accidental shootings are less rare than accidental stabbings or clubbings, but really, this is hyperbole at best and void of any statistical foundation to boot. Really, what’s a “gunner?” Isn’t that an attempt at a false stereotype, an attempt to say that all gun owners own them for the same and rather unstable reasons? And why oh why always mention the NRA as though everyone who likes to shoot skeet is solidly behind that group?
When the Tea Party stereotypes liberals, when people stereotype minorities or Females or anyone else, we recognize the dishonesty and the motivation behind it. Why is it different when we do it? If those who would like to further restrict gun ownership would please refrain from making things up, ranting about “military style” and weapons that don’t actually exist or play a part in the real world — if we could have a truce from elevating far-fetched and remote possibilities to panic levels and above all refrain from cynical stereotypes and get down to proposing real, practical solutions to real problems, perhaps the rigid polarization would ease a bit.
Are all or most gun owners paranoid and sociopathic or dangerous people who keep guns load3ed and shoot at anything that moves? Seriously? or is it just more fun to talk that way?
Sure, I think teens should have limited and restricted access to guns, cars, motorcycles and other things. Let’s talk about that specifically, let’s talk about real numbers and real risks relative to other things teens get into. Dung slinging, character assassination, hyperbole and scare mongering don’t help.
When I use the term “gunners” I’m referring to the fanatics, not the responsible gun owner, and most of my readers know that. I own lots of guns. Long rifles, shotguns, and several different types of handguns. I am trained in their use, and know how to store them safely.
I have no concerns, either, about “stopping” someone who might decide to threaten me or mine with grave bodily harm, although that is highly unlikely. I might have a better chance of winning the lottery.
There is no statistical foundation because it’s a short little article that aggregates a news story, not a dissertation or an in depth opinion piece, although there are several story links. Were it either I warrant it would be rife with statistics and peer reviewed references. The nice thing about owning one’s own site is that you can pretty much write and publish what you want. Readers can believe it, or not, as they see fit. I don’t pretend to be the New York Times 🙂
As to the NRA they are the open and visible mouthpiece for the fanatics. They are the public face of the gun movement. I’m aware that there are skeet shooters who are members but once again I’m talking about the fanatics.
Teens do get into a lot of trouble in so many different ways. You are right. But don’t you think denying them unsupervised access to guns might be one less thing for them to use to kill each other?
Oh that’s perfectly alright with the NRA. The malicious throwing of pebbles at someone’s window to wake them is justification to shoot anyone.