... a group of children were playing pranks by ringing the doorbells of neighbors and running away. The neighbors say one man became upset at the prank and fired at the kids.One boy was hit by buckshot and was taken to the local children's hospital. I'm ashamed to say that this happened in Louisville, and I don't even like Louisville!
OK, I tried being nice yesterday, but I realize I was just preaching to the choir. I'm pretty sure that y'all don't need to be reminded that firearms are a tool for self-defense, fun, and food gathering, not for the discouragement of nuisance pre-teens. So, please spread this message to our brother and sister gun owners who have, shall we say, issues with anger and self control:
Quit acting like a moron with your bloody firearm! It is not an instrument of intimidation, revenge, or negotiation! Quit using them as your first resort in neighborhood and domestic disputes!
Look, I have a temper, a pretty bad one at that. And I'm as territorial as the next guy when it comes to my property. But kids are kids. They're going to pull pranks, play where they're not supposed to, and every so often they get on someone's nerves. Heck, my own kids irritate me, and I have an emotional bond with them. So I understand getting a little irate when the little darlings from down the lane make a stranger angry. But for heaven's sake, leave the gun in the gun safe. A verbal correction, followed by a discussion of the situation with their parents, followed by a call to the police is usually all it takes to make the offending behavior stop. Worst that happens is that you get to be the grumpy guy in your neighborhood. Come on over, we have jackets.
I hope the young man who was shot last night comes away from this with nothing but an interesting set of scars to tell his friends about, but I hope the jerk who gave them to him spends a very long time in Eddyville because he let his temper overcome his judgement and grabbed a firearm instead of a telephone.
Like I said yesterday folks, it only takes one dickhead among us to tar us all as dickheads. If we don't police ourselves, someone else will do that for us, and probably in a way that we won't like. Please, for the sake of us all, reach out to your fellow gun owners and make sure they know they have a pressure valve through you that doesn't involve shooting up middle schoolers for being obnoxious kids.
2 comments:
Amen brother 'Bear...
I had an instance of a neighborhood youngster from down the street playing ding-dong-ditch a few years back. I saw him head over to the park across the street and it was not difficult to use Daddy Bear's measured response. I simply walked over and talked reasonably to the boy. This was long enough ago that I was sporting the shaved head and goatee ala Jay G, but the polite yet stern verbal request was all it took. Ever since then, that neighbor boy and I have greeted each other with a friendly wave, and he knows my doorbell is not a toy.
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