A Former Responsible Gun Owner

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The difficulty with the gun laws that are on the books, or soon to be on the books, is that pro-gun people would like to be not checked to own a weapon.

"Criminals won't follow the rules," they say.

True.

Yet the problem with it is that you don't become a true criminal until you actually misuse the gun that you bought legally.

And that gives the responsible gun owners a bad name.

Take for instance the guy in Bradford, Pa. who allegedly had a fight with his wife for having an alleged affair. He worked in the Department of Corrections so I'm assuming that he was a responsible gun owner. He allegedly drank all day as he argued with his wife about that alleged affair and then the only thing that isn't really alleged is that he fired a shot.

At himself.

In an effort to get his wedding ring off his finger.

He shot his hand nearly clearly off.

The ironic part?

The ring still didn't come off his finger.

Some things are meant to be.

Yet therein lies the problem with guns.

We all have bad days. We all react in anger to a given situation. A lot of people like to drink and perhaps do other things that make them a little loopy and out of sorts, mentally.

And if there's a gun around.

Yet taking them away from everyone isn't the answer, right?

Evidently not as the backlash will tell you, but its a chicken and egg scenario when you speak to a gun owner and describe the riddle above.

Responsible gun owner shoots something because he's mentally unstable or or drunk or unfit to own one after a certain amount of time.

A buddy of mine follows the shootings along with me.

"Four dead in Herkimer," he texted recently.

"Former responsible gun owner," I replied.

How do you think the dude with the missing digits felt after he sobered up? He'll be going to jail for his misuse of his firearm to be sure. His marriage may also be in some difficulty. He probably forfeited his gun rights now, along with the trigger finger on his off-hand, but why is it always after something happens?

I really get a headache thinking about it.

I also really hold my breath hoping that the next major one is about a century away.

It most likely isn't, though.

There has to be an answer to this riddle.

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