Do gun owners ever feel guilty after a gun accident involving their gun?

[MRT144]

Like, if your seven year old blew a hole in his chest at a home made gun range, would you reconsider the merits of your personal relationship with guns?

[Lorizael]

Why? Do you feel guilty when your oven successfully cooks a roast?

[The Mad Monk]

Yes, just like if I ran my child over with my car.

(hint: I wouldn't be getting back in my car for a while, if ever.)

[MRT144]

I just havent seen many stories where the families of victims of gun accidents take a moment to ponder their gunlust and what can be done to prevent it in the future.


Worst case scenario in my mind is family loses 2 children separately due to gun accidents in the home and they chalk it up to "Golly Gee, I guess Jesus was just getting lonely up there"

[Sava]

Yes, just like if I ran my child over with my car.

(hint: I wouldn't be getting back in my car for a while, if ever.)

A car is used for transportation. That, for many people, is a vital need. Guns are primarily used for pleasure. Other (superior) forms of entertainment exist.

Such an analogy would only work if you only drove a car as a hobby.

[rah]

Any child's death is a parents nightmare regardless of the circumstances. So I agree with the analogy.
And yes I would punish myself for a long time with either. (since I own no guns one of them is not likely to happen)

[Sava]

So I agree with the analogy.

Sigh. Being stupid is a choice. You should know better.

[ColdWizard]

A car is used for transportation.

Bus, taxi, train, bicycle, friends, family, the other parent, feet, an older child, motorcycle, scooter, segway, subway, lawnmower, streetcar, horse (with or without buggy), pony, mule, donkey, dogsled, sleigh, skates, rickshaw.

[MRT144]

Any child's death is a parents nightmare regardless of the circumstances. So I agree with the analogy.
And yes I would punish myself for a long time with either. (since I own no guns one of them is not likely to happen)

But that's the entire rub and point of this post - I haven't seen many if any parents of children who died at the hand of a gun accident show any sort of guilt or remorse - maybe they flagellate themselves in private but the impression I get is that most parents who lose a child to gun accidents seem to think "I'm so sad but there's nothing that can or will be done to prevent it"

The fact that you'd punish yourself for the accident seems to correspond with a reluctance to own a gun in the first place.

[Sava]

Bus, taxi, train, bicycle, friends, family, the other parent, feet, an older child, motorcycle, scooter, segway, subway, lawnmower, streetcar, horse (with or without buggy), pony, mule, donkey, dogsled, sleigh, skates, rickshaw.

Yes. There are also a lot of other weapons one could use for their "hobby" that also aren't as effective.

[ColdWizard]

Yes. There are also a lot of other weapons one could use for their "hobby" that also aren't as effective.

But people here have the freedom to choose the best. Be it transportation or killing devices. And so a tragedy could lead one to reevaluate one's choices. Such introspection doesn't seem likely to be considered "news"-worthy though.

[Sava]

But people here have the freedom to choose the best. Be it transportation or killing devices. And so a tragedy could lead one to reevaluate one's choices. Such introspection doesn't seem likely to be considered "news"-worthy though.

I suppose the lack of information on the topic is the reason MRT made the thread.

[snoopy369]

MRT, I think you have two problems:

• One, usually people who lose a child to a gun accident don't spend long hours talking to the media afterwards. The ones who do are either a lot crazy, or care more about their political agenda than their own children, see option A.
• Two, the people most likely to not value guns all that much and value their kids a lot *already made that choice*. Lots of people are like me - I don't exactly object to other people owning guns (I'm okay with gun control, okay with not with some restrictions), but I certainly won't allow a gun in the house, and if Grandma gets a gun (which may literally happen at some point) the kids won't be coming over anymore, period. (That said, I also fully intend to have my kids trained in gun safety including going to a range at some point. I just don't want one around the house.)

There are certainly some people on the margin, who like guns and want to have one but post-accident would change their minds - but I suspect a lot of people feel like some of the other posters here: even if it happened to them, guns aren't the problem, but rather improper storage and training. I also suspect a lot of them are like Mad Monk; they are pro gun, but if it happened to them they would personally change due to the remorse/guilt factor - but they're not going to become gun control advocates, either, and you won't hear from them much.

[Sava]

If I killed a child with a slapshot somehow, I would rethink hockey.

well... no I wouldn't

[Dinner]

I'm sure some of them do.