> I got local news that I can never remember hearing growing up. I should > start by saying that my daughter, Beth, has gone to more funeral > parlors/funerals than her mother and I have. I think that she's gone to > funerals for seven schoolmates over the last four years. > > And then, around 6:30 last night, I got a call from a friend from church > saying that he could not make a church meeting I was chairing. It turns out > that late yesterday afternoon, at a pool party across the street, a 17 year > old senior boy that Beth knows fairly well shot a senior girl who I had in > my Girl Scout troop in the face. She's clinging to life now in critical > condition. > > Details are not available, but the boy has been charged. > > Talking with my wife last night, I tried to understand why things have > changed. Even though I favor gun control, it can't just be the availability > of guns. Where I grew up, lots of kids had guns for hunting. I think it > may be involved with the fact that most people now have guns for protection > instead of hunting. Plus, instead of gun safety almost being a religion, > the gun is just bought and put in a drawer for just in case. > > Back in my day, kids who owned/used guns use to tell stories about how their > dads really got upset with them when they violated a gun safety rule. Those > stories encapsulated the importance of treating guns with respect. Now, > guns are just there, just in case. The area is awash with guns casually > bought, and intended for use on humans "just in case." My guess is that > this has something to do with the unreality of a gun and its use at pool > parties. > > But, dammit anyways, 18 year olds shouldn't have to go to this many funerals > for people they know. They don't have to think about a friend of theirs > being a murderer. The big risk at a teenage pool party should not be being > shot. > > Dan M.
With the understanding that one gun accident is one too many, I have to ask: how many of those past seven funerals were for gun deaths? My niece and nephew have gone to 6 separate funerals, two for cancer, three for car wrecks, and one for drowning. Their high school had a shooting, but no one was injured. I�ve been to four funerals for classmates, two car wrecks, one train related, and a military training incident. Again I agree your incident was wrong wrong wrong. There is no defending the boy with the gun. But just want some perspective. Heck I think parents should have to get a license to have kids, and it has to be renewed every three years until the youngest is over 18. Wouldn�t going directly to the true source save these kids? Kevin T. Must leave work soon
