When I was in the Army I was confident everyone around was trained to carry

[kairos12]

their weapons in a secure manner. I have no confidence here in AZ that many of the yahoos I see packing have any idea how to make their weapon safe, much less carry it in public without leaving it in on the bathroom or dropping on the mall floor while drinking an Orange Julius.

[guillaumeb]

1. Or having someone drop their weapon from an open purse.

Or having someone carrying an unsafed automatic weapon in a holster.

What could possibly happen?

[Heartstrings]

2. And who's liable if someone is injured

Or killed?

[GP6971]

3. When I was in

I always felt confident that those around me knew what they were doing as far as safety was concerned. On more than one occasion I was the range officer and safety procedures were paramount.

My unit once went to the range and wound up on a range next to the state guard...not a National Guard unit, but the state guard. In that state it was a "loose" voluntary group of former military personal....kind of like a sanctioned militia.
To get to the point, they were on the next range firing from chairs with umbrellas, coolers of beer, all of them laughing and joking. Needless to say our CO moved us to another range.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I have never been in the military.

I have never owned a gun. I do not ever want to have a gun. If I were obliged to have one I'd lock it away and never touch it. Because of my attitude -- don't want a gun, have zero interest in learning to use one -- I'd be only marginally more (less maybe?) dangerous that the person who never before had a gun and now runs out to get one.

Guns are not toys. They are dangerous weapons that exist to kill, or at least wound and maim. Every single person who owns a gun should be required to undergo training and licensing. And the training and licensing needs to be refreshed no less often than every other year.

Oh, and I think it's beyond stupid that people don't have to retake at least the written test every time they renew their license. Retaking the actual road test, especially for older drivers (and I'm 69) would be an even better idea. As an aside, among the reasons I continue to drive a stick shift, aside from really preferring it, is that when I can no longer drive a stick I'll know it's time to stop driving.

[sdfernando]

8. I am like you

Funny thing is I grew up in a military family. Dad was in WWII, Korea, AND Vietnam. 2 brothers served as well. I never had an interest in guns but got serious about joins the Air Force...but that was before they accepted gay people and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret. Would’ve broken my Dad’s heart if I got booted out on a dishonorable. So I didn’t go in. I’m

[Wounded Bear]

5. Not me...

when I first got to MCAS El Toro, CA in ealry 1972, I was in the typical "temp" barracks, where young enlisted men stayed until they were assigned to a squadron. Generally, that meant finishing tech school, which I needed to do.

Anyway, yeah, this was right around the height of Vietnam, just before the drawdown. Lots of people were changing thier MOS, usually because they re-enlisted. There were also people doing their out-checks before being discharged.

Well there was a Sergeant there, who had served in the artillery. His nerves were shot, probably from spending countless hours around very loud machines designed to kill people several miles away, if you get my drift. Perhaps he had a more intimate relationship with combat, I never got the full story.

My point comes in here, he had a pistol in his locker, contrary to policy, I'm sure. But he out-ranked me and I was very new to the base and the unit. One day, he has a group around his locker, and he pulls out this gun, and some cartidges and starts handling them, all the time shaking like a dog shitting peach seeds. I left for the E-club. I didn't interact with that Sgt after that, and rather soon we both moved on. It was, after all, a temporary barrack. Yeah, not always as safe as we want to think.

[keithbvadu2]

6. I just f_______ shot myself

[kairos12]

7. Yep. Avoid Barney One Bullet Fife anywhere you find him.

[raven mad]

9. DO NOT ask about the damn artichokes,

and idiot in what he thought was an "Alaska" look, and his 3 year old in the cart.

It turned out okay, but DAYYYUM!