I posted this a few months ago to my blog. After some consideration, I'll post it here as well.
“You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.”
- Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
These words spoken during the Second World War should warm the hearts of firearm owners across the United States. The notion that a sworn enemy (at the time) of this country was so fearful of the overwhelming weapon’s cache possessed by the civilians (not military!!) is unheard of in modern culture. Fortunately, the citizens of our somewhat free nation still retain the right to own firearms, and may do, despite the unrelenting attacks of the leaders of the free world, and their major media comrades. However, the competency of the citizens with their entrusted right has fallen to the point of downright dangerous irresponsibility.
If Admiral Yamamoto were to utter his famous words again, he would have to add the addendum of “There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass, but hardly any would be pointed at the enemy.”
I have unique opportunities to observe the general public and their firearm handling skills, and the average “Joe Gun Guy” makes me wish for body armor.
Since this is my forum, lets review the four firearm safety rules as I subscribe to them:
1. Treat every firearm as loaded. Always.
2. Never point your firearm at anything you’re not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to shoot.
4. Know your target’s foreground, background, and the status of your firearm.
Clearly, everyone will have their own version of these rules, but I submit that any responsible gun owner will agree on the basic premise of the above stated laws. However, it is astonishing how frequently “responsible” gun owners are insulted when you correct them on a violation of one of the above mentioned rules.
#1. All guns are always loaded, and should be treated as such. Yes, there are ways that we as adults can visually and physically inspect a gun and observe that there is no ammunition in the firearm, but they should still be treated as loaded. How many times has there been a story where one person says “it’s unloaded” either using it themselves or passing it to another person, and shortly there after someone is on the ground bleeding from a gunshot would, all because the mindset was that the firearm was “unloaded.”
#2. Never point your muzzle at something you’re not willing to put a bullet through. This includes me, your neighbor, other people you’re shooting with, anything. The training deficiencies of the public cause this one to be frequently violated. Shotgunners are the worst at this rule, submitting that the gun’s action is open and therefore not dangerous. Yes, at that state the risk of a firearm discharge is lessened, by why would you want to take the chance of sending a discharge into your buddy/neighbor/kid?
#3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Pretty easy, right? Incorrect. For whatever reason, many people believe that their booger picker needs to be on the bang lever at all times, as if it would get up and run away if given the opportunity. Yes, guns are ergonomically designed so that your trigger finger fits comfortably on the mechanism, so to keep that finger off has to be a conscious decision. Either the majority of the public is too lazy, or too irresponsible to follow this. Which is it? Realize that most modern firearms will not discharge unless that trigger is pulled. Again, I submit, why take the chance of injuring or killing someone else, especially if you neglected the first two rules.
#4. Know what you’re shooting at, and where the bullet will go if you hit or if you miss your target. There have been several incidents, especially in public unregulated shooting areas, where errant shots have injured or killed other people as a result of careless backstop choice. The shooter owns that bullet until it comes to a complete stop, whether it impacts your intended target or not. Attached to the front of that bullet is a lawyer and a multimillion dollar lawsuit. Do you have that kind of cash just lying around? Didn’t think so, know where your bullets go after you pull the trigger.
The addition of knowing the status of your weapon was added to my vocabulary by someone that I respect greatly. MSgt. Paul Howe was the original instructor, and I take this addition as part of a defensive/concealed carry mindset. More on this discussion in a later post.
The point of all this is to express a frustration with the gun owning public. If you own guns, get training. Then get more training. You can view the statistics of firearm negligence/accidents with law enforcement, by utilizing a quick search on the internet. They supposedly have extensive firearms training. What do you think Joe Gun Owner has, who has never taken a class. Is that who you want shooting around you?
Firearms training is a perishable skill, you must maintain a level of proficiency and competency to be considered a responsible gun owner. If you’re not willing to put in the time and effort, do the rest of us a favor and don’t shoot.
