Among the circle of gun owners that own guns for defensive purposes, safety culture has taken root, for the most part. The "gold standard" rules for gun safety:
1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
4. Be aware of your target and what's behind it.
Since adaptation of these rules in the mid 1970's, accidental gun deaths have fallen some 2/3rds in absolute terms, and nearly 3/4ths in per capita terms. A safety improvement that few can match. Indeed, following those rules renders gun ownership and handling nearly "intrinsically safe".
Of course, not everyone follows the rules, and on occasion this results in accidents, some with tragic consequences. But rarely are those accidents due to mishandled firearms in defensive situations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the phrase "alcohol was involved" accompany a lot negligent shootings.
Indeed, Gun culture has moved away, as a whole from calling such accidents accidents. It terms them as negligence, and is merciless on it's condemnation of those who suffer a 'negligent discharge'.
Other accidents include cases where Children play with guns, or "gun cleaning accidents" that are often thinly veiled suicide.
ETA: Yes, it's "All guns are always loaded", not "Assume all guns are loaded" or "Treat all guns as if they are loaded". The first is an absolute, while the second two imply that sometimes guns aren't loaded. This is the foundation of a dangerous thought process.
Read other answers by Chris Everett on Quora:
- What can non-gun owners learn from gun owners?
- Why do so many people believe that a "magic shield" protects them?
- How can we develop a national consensus that compliance with a mass shooter is not a response likely to ensure our safety?
from Quora http://ift.tt/2cq3f2f
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