Fess up time

[Jack Ryan]

Some people shoot without any hearing protection on a regular basis, and to them, there would have been nothing wrong with the situation. I prefer to not hear ringing for the next week, though..

Me too and I've had my own ears "rung" both just because I didn't know any one else was ready to start shooting and because didn't expect to be making on go bang. Didn't enjoy either expirience. Fortunately both weapons were pointed in a direction a person wouldn't mind shooting what was in front of the gun at the time despite there was at least one person or more in attendance that didn't expect the weapon to be fired.

I sure didn't "give them reps" just because they admited to it. Gave 'em somthing but ya couldn't call it "reps".

 

[Jack Ryan]

People make mistakes. EVERYBODY makes mistakes. I applaud the guy's courage and honesty for relating his story here and trying to teach someone how quickly things can go wrong. He "fessed up" to his terrible mistake and is trying to teach us something. I am extremely careful with firearms and I've had a ND once as related in my earlier post. I learned from it and haven't had another since. Frankly I've never trusted those who say they have never made a mistake. Humans make mistakes, some minor, some major. Again I'm glad nobody was hurt and hopefully others can learn something from this.

Every one has their preferences.

I prefer to learn from people who don't make mistakes rather than the ones who do. If the only way to learn something is to learn what not to do from some one else's mistake then that'll be better than learning from my own but I'll still be looking for the people who don't make those kinds of mistakes when I want to learn WHAT TO DO.

I'm glad no one was hurt as well but I think there's plenty to learn here besides how a few people got lucky. At this point in the thread I'm even more sure of it.

 

[Jack Ryan]

34oSc...Don't be a dick. It doesn't suit you or the forum.

I think he's being sarcastic, or facetious.

 

[blainepoe]

I think he's being sarcastic, or facetious.

Nope. He was being a dick. He is not getting "pity reps" for what happened. He is getting repped for actually ADMITTING it. You and 34oSC ever make any huge mistakes in your life? I'm not talking necessary with a firearm either. Go ahead and spill that on the open forum here. Most people keep mistakes like that to themselves. This story reminds ALL of us that our fear and respect for firearms is grounded in reality. I admit I was angry with the OP when I first read the thread, but it takes a man to own up to it like he has.
~Poe

 

[Jack Ryan]

You ever make any huge mistakes in your life? I'm not talking necessary with a firearm either. Go ahead and spill that on the open forum here. Most people keep mistakes like that to themselves.

This story reminds ALL of us that our fear and respect for firearms is grounded in reality. I admit I was angry with the OP when I first read the thread, but it takes a man to own up to it like he has.
~Poe

Yep. Mistakes at least. I used to think they were big until I started reading internet messege boards. Yep, I keep most of them to myself unless I think some one else is about to make the same one or keep making the same ones I've made AND I think it will help them out.

I don't need accident stories to remind me firearms mistakes get people killed but it doesn't make me angry at all for them to post their "mistake" stories. A few antis may make use of this thread but I don't much care what antis do, think, or any thing else about them. They don't influence what I do.

The implication that making mistakes and then "owning" up to them some how makes a person a man is something I find irritating. It's complete BS in my not so humble opinion. Acting responsibly and setting a good example makes a person a man not that whiney liberal bull about "owning up".

You want an example of a man, look for some one showing the self discipline to behave responsibly so he doesn't have mistakes that get people killed to own up to.

Or just do what ever you want to or feel like at the time. May be someday you'll have something to "own up to". Hope it doesn't get any one killed.

 

[Bill of Rights]

You put a loaded pistol in reach of your 4 year old?
You're *glad* she kept the muzzle in a "safe direction" after firing it?
I can only recomend that you get rid of ALL firearms in your home.

Hold on there. Before you go criticizing David, chastising him and "recomend"ing that he get rid of all his guns, I suggest strongly that you remember that there are but two kinds of firearms owners: Those who have had a negligent discharge and those who will. From the sound of your post, you are not in the first group.

Many of us have had them, thankfully, most have not resulted in any harm due to following three of the Four Rules-You see, to cause harm, a person has to break at least two of the Rules:

If you're pointed in a safe direction, even forgetting to keep your finger off the trigger will not cause harm. If you recall that ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded (and by extension, treat them with the respect due them,) forgetting to know your target and your backstop will not cause harm.

So before you come down on him, you should probably remember that you'll be in his shoes someday.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Bill of Rights]

Look, the guy admits to putting the gun within reach, then he says the 4yr old kept it pointed in a safe direction...
Somebody call Child Protective Services. Pretty sure a crime has been committed-even if no-one is dead. Is THAT what we need? Another dead kid...maybe if Daddy's nuts had got blown off...
If this guy's kid does it again next week(I know, I know, he says he's Eddie Eagle NOW)and blows her head off- how's all these "pity reps" gonna look entered into evidence? Not me, folks. This guy did a major screw-up, probably need to call the law.

No. "The guy" told the story to a bunch of "gun guys" of how he was changing clothes, set his pistol down, THEN his child came into the room, grabbed the gun and fired a shot before he could stop her from doing so.

Ever been around a four year old? My GOD, they move like greased lightning! Excuse? Not at all. Simple fact. I didn't rep the fact that the kid got the gun. I didn't rep the fact that he just "owned up" to it. I don't give "pity reps".

No, what I rep'd was the fact that this MAN got on a board like this, where he is known by his full name, held himself up as the example for people to learn from, saying, "I f***ed up here. I had taught my kid the safety rules, and some stuck, some didn't. However careful you're being, be more careful."

THAT takes balls!

To put this in perspective, there is another man I know and respect. He was at the time of this incident a volunteer firefighter. A captain on his department, he entered a garage fire to warn seven other firefighters of a fire in the roof over their heads. As he reached the last one, the roof came down on him and the other man. The other was injured and spent some time in the burn unit, but the man of whom I speak had his helmet knocked off and only his hood protected his head. He continued searching for the others who he didn't know had already gotten out, then as he came out completely on fire was put out by his department. He received second and third degree burns to his face and head. He was disfigured and spent MONTHS at Wishard. He spent many more months wearing a clear plastic mask strapped to his face to guide the direction of the regrowth of the skin and tissues. When he got out of the hospital, while still wearing the mask, he began doing something he still does to this day, 12+ years later: He goes to the elementary schools and uses his disfigurement to teach them in a way no one else ever could, just what fire can do to a person. This man is now a career firefighter, getting paid to do what he then did without compensation.

He took the fact that something happened outside of his control (mostly- of course he had some control; he could have refused to fight fires. He could have refused to go in. He could have done many things, but he did what he'd done for years: went in, fought fires, and perhaps he took a chance with his own life and safety out of complacency; the fire had never done anything major to him, so he'd get in, get them out, and everything would be OK.

His injuries are no less because he uses them to teach. He could have been, and was actually very close to being, dead that night. He did not die, however. He also did not forever swear off fighting the red devil-if anything, he fights it harder now, but I bet he's never ever gotten complacent again.

Kinda makes a $70 hole in the roof seem a little less significant, huh?

The point is that these two men of whom I speak have used personal experiences to better others.

That's something I respect. Some say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. That's a platitude and it's patronizing to say it that way. These two men have taken the lemons and used them to not only make lemonade, but lemon chicken, lemon merangue pie, and the lemon dish detergent to clean up after the meal.

I guess some people can't feel good about themselves unless they're ripping someone else a new @$$hole. Those're the people I "pity".

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Tandem160]

If I was on-duty and, he told me personally...I'd call IMPD (I'm IFD) and let them hash it out. Hate to say it but, I would. The kid was placed in a dangerous, life threatening situation by a series of events that should have been avoided. Makes me think of my story I posted here though, I think I did right by my son. I hope I never hear that knock on my door though.

 

[Bill of Rights]

If I was on-duty and, he told me personally...I'd call IMPD (I'm IFD) and let them hash it out. Hate to say it but, I would. The kid was placed in a dangerous, life threatening situation by a series of events that should have been avoided. Makes me think of my story I posted here though, I think I did right by my son. I hope I never hear that knock on my door though.

And the point of the post was that no one else's kid be put in that situation.

You cannot plan for everything. You can plan for SOME things. It sounds like David did just that. He had already begun the process of "gun proofing" the kids, and since finding out that was insufficient for that day, he's taken further steps to kid-proof the guns.

Which would you prefer? Making the phone call to IMPD or someone having that "oh " moment where they realized their security needed reinforcement?

Guys, piling on the man is a fast way to ensure that no one else tells their stories, if all the members are going to do is pick them apart and tear down a man who's probably already second guessed himself more than you EVER will. Personally, I take knowledge wherever I find it. I'd prefer to learn from the "good" examples (no offense, David), but the errors are what point out the "chinks in the armor" so to speak. To continue the metaphor, given the choice of discovering those chinks by a sword passing through them vs. a ray of sunlight, I'd rather have the light than the steel.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[jennybird]

I prefer to learn from people who don't make mistakes rather than the ones who do.

A rather UNsafe way to live life don't you think? Wouldn't you do everything in your power to teach your kids what you have already learned through your own mistakes? Simple little things like don't stick your finger in a light socket, don't remove a radiator cap when it's hot, don't touch your tongue to a frozen pole? Or are those lessons also lost on you because they were learned the "hard way"?

Kudos to everyone here who WILL take this opportunity to learn from another man's mistake. Boo to you who refuse to acknowledge a good learning experience when you see one.

Yeah, he screwed up. Big time! But he's thrown himself to the proverbial wolves in order to make all of us THINK and PREPARE and BE AWARE. For that he deserves respect.

 

[blainepoe]

Yep. Mistakes at least. I used to think they were big until I started reading internet messege boards. Yep, I keep most of them to myself unless I think some one else is about to make the same one or keep making the same ones I've made AND I think it will help them out.

I don't need accident stories to remind me firearms mistakes get people killed but it doesn't make me angry at all for them to post their "mistake" stories. A few antis may make use of this thread but I don't much care what antis do, think, or any thing else about them. They don't influence what I do.

The implication that making mistakes and then "owning" up to them some how makes a person a man is something I find irritating. It's complete BS in my not so humble opinion. Acting responsibly and setting a good example makes a person a man not that whiney liberal bull about "owning up".

You want an example of a man, look for some one showing the self discipline to behave responsibly so he doesn't have mistakes that get people killed to own up to.

Or just do what ever you want to or feel like at the time. May be someday you'll have something to "own up to". Hope it doesn't get any one killed.

If you have nothing to learn about other people's mistakes, then why would you even read a thread like this? Is it simply to reprimand the original poster?

It takes a certain level of humility and maturity to admit to one's mistakes, and whether it does or not, the original poster's intentions are to help others. He cannot be faulted for that. He does not need to learn a valuable lesson from YOU by being reprimanded; he has already learned that lesson the hard way.

Admiting one's mistakes for the sake of others does not make you a "whining liberal". We all do stupid things from time to time, "to err is human". Hopefully one day you will find some level of humility.
~Joe

 

[jennybird]

The implication that making mistakes and then "owning" up to them some how makes a person a man is something I find irritating. It's complete BS in my not so humble opinion. Acting responsibly and setting a good example makes a person a man not that whiney liberal bull about "owning up".

It's called accountability. Got some? Or are you one of those that refuses to admit mistakes? Do you cover them up? Do you blame someone else? Or do you simply live by the montra of "deny deny deny"? Yep. Never making a mistake, or at least never owning up to it, is what makes you a REAL man right?

You sound like a Jackass Jack.

 

[dross]

I have a two year old daughter and though intellectually I know that all parents feel this way, emotionally I can't imagine that anyone has ever loved another person as much as I love that little girl. If I were to cause her death through my own negligence, I'm afraid that I would follow her by my own hand an instant later.

That is why I am so appreciative and thankful for dburkhead's post, and the courage it took to tell us. It reminded me to be more careful and how fast a toddler moves and all the rest of it.

I advise all of you people so sure of your invulnerability to stupid, tragic mistakes to watch yourselves. Humility is safer than sanctimonious pride.

More children drown in toilets and buckets than get accidentally shot. Do all of you self-righteous folks have a child safety devices on your toilet? Let's call child services. How about household poisons? All locked away, never for an instant left one in reach of a small child? No? You're a damned liar. Is your child's carseat carefully and scrupulously installed according to the instructions? Statistics say that 70% are not. How's your driving? Most kids are killed in traffic accidents? Are you one of those I see every day making stupid choices on the road?

I have committed several blunders concerning my child that but for the grace of God, or luck, or the universe or whatever force for good exists didn't turn out in tragedy. For that I'm humbly grateful, and I'm no better than dburkhead just because none of them were with a firearm.

Be grateful the man didn't lose his child, and be thankful that he posted his embarassment for our benefit, and yes, at least one mark of a man is owning up to his mistakes.

I'm repping him, and I hope it irritates the hell out of some of you. You know who you are.

 

[esrice]

Ok, we're 4 days past this incident and I think everyone who's going to comment probably has, and some multiple times.

We know where everyone stands.