[geeks] gun control thoughts

[Bill Bradford]

"Gun Control" = "hitting what you're aiming at". 8-)

I grew up in a law enforcement household.  My parents were both working
at the Oklahoma City, OK police department when they met.  When I was
growing up, my mother worked for the PD (carrying a gun and wearing a 
uniform) and my father worked for the Department of Justice (was a Lt. Warden
in the federal prison system before he retired a few years ago).

So, I knew what guns where, and was taught gun safety, from the time I was
old enough to walk.  We had LOTS of guns around the house - but there were
plenty of rules that were FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER, such as:

- No loaded guns in the house, or in a vehicle.  You break down your weapon
  and clear it of ammo before bringing it in the front door or transporting
  it in a moving vehicle.

- Only point your weapon (loaded or unloaded) at something you intend to kill.

- ALWAYS treat a weapon as if it is loaded, even if it is broken-down (cylilder
  out, shotgun breech open, magazine out of automatic pistol).

- Clean and properly store your weapons after each use.

And, a funny story:

I took Amy (my wife) "home" with me to visit my mother and see where I grew
up, about a year ago.  Amy and I were sitting at the kitchen table, and my
mother was cooking breakfast.  We were all just sitting around BSing, as
people do.

me:  "Hey Mom, still got that Smith & Wesson nine millimeter you showed me
      back in '98?  That was a sweet pistol, and I've been looking for one to
      pick up and teach Amy about guns."

mom:  "Yeah."

She reached over behind the flour and sugar jars, pulls out a zippered bank
deposit bag, unzips it, and pulls out the S&W.  Ejects the mag, locks the slide
back, and hands it to me.

amy:  *goldfish mouth* *blinking* "uhm..."

I admire the gun, work the slide, aim it down the hallway.  

me:  "Nice balance, good weight.  I like it.  Here, honey."

I handed it to Amy.  She looked at it, handed it back as soon as she could,
I gave it back to Mom, she put the (empty) magazine back in and put it back
in its place.

amy: "uhm.. the gun.. in the kitchen.. behind the flour jar..."

She was just completely shocked that someone would keep a gun in their
kitchen. 8-)

Our reasoning to her:  The kitchen was the central point of the house,
kinda the "crossroads" in the middle.  If you're going to put a gun in
the house, put it in the middle of the house, so you can get to it as
quickly as possible.  And why *not* put it behind the flour jar?  Nobody
would ever think to look there! 8-)

Anybody else have a house that had a (purposefully-built) gun closet six
feet from the front door?  Right inside the front door was the mud room
(small bathroom) for the men to clean up in when they came back from 
hunting, and just beyond that was where the guns were stored.  Directly
past that was the kitchen..

My mother is still a Sheriff's Deputy in Oklahoma, and always carries a
gun (even if its not visible).

Sadly, I haven't used a firearm in oh, probably ten years.  I miss going
out and plinking at the river, or even shooting pop cans in my backyard
with a BB gun.  Can't do that now that I live in the middle of town with 
houses on all sides. 8-(

Bill

-- 
bill bradford
mrbill at mrbill.net
austin, texas