When the only tool you own is a gun, every problem is a target.

[DirkGently]

21. Wow. Just Googled this. Interesting example vis a vis guns.

So, this was (is) rural Arkansas, right? And there was apparently some kind of dispute as to what kind of animal killed this poor woman. Couldn't find a news story, but there are several blog posts blaming wildlife officials for supposedly "covering up" a mountain lion attack on the basis they didn't believe there were any in the area. No mountain lion was ever found, apparently.

But one of the main purveyors of the story from the "wildlife officials covered it up" angle reacted by shooting two of his dogs dead on the spot without even examining them for signs of what had happened. He was on his way to shoot all the others when someone convinced him it was a wild animal.

So, not that rural folks don't need firearms, but not a great example of using them intelligently or to protect themselves. All they did here was allow someone to kill two innocent dogs because shooting something dead was the first and only thought in a stressful situation. Problems solved: 0. Needless deaths: 2.

I took my pistol out of the dresser drawer and without first checking for blood or other signs of their involvement, shot both dogs right on the bedroom floor. (This may help show the kind of mental state I was in at the time.) I told Barb that I had shot two of our dogs. She replied, "Kill them all."

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nightmare+in+the+Ozarks%3A+they+thought+they+were+living+their+dream,...-a0113456871