We've had this discussion before. It doesn't matter if the gun is loaded or unloaded. You treat it the same. It's a gun. There is no reason to introduce the notion that loaded status matters. It doesn't. There is nothing I can do safely with an "unloaded" gun that I can't do a "loaded gun" or vice versa. Loaded status is 100% irrelevant as to how I handle a firearm. If it helps you to pretend it's loaded, fine, do that. Some folks are more literal minded and when you introduce the notion that it matters you simply invite the idea there are two ways to handle a gun.
When I taught my son gun safety before he was old enough to go to Kindergarten, I didn't teach him "it's always loaded". I taught him it's a gun. I armed him with a Savage Rascal single shot, and I loaded the gun while he was already on target. If, after he shot and was walking back to the table, he flagged himself or someone else, he didn't get to shoot for 5 minutes and he knew why. He learned very quickly the fun was over for awhile if he wasn't careful. He's about to be a teenager now and you can ask Indiucky how his gun safety skills are.
You know what? He's never asked me "is it loaded" when I handed him a gun because it's never occurred to him that it matters in how he can handle it. Indiucky asked him once if all guns were always loaded and he just got a quizzical look because...it doesn't matter. It's a gun.
I believe this approach of not letting the loaded/unloaded status to even enter the equation to be superior. Not simply as a matter of arguing semantics, but in leading to actual outcomes. Of course you can be safe by also pretending guns are loaded if that helps you, but there is a segment of the population that is too literal for that to work. You can make fun of them, brow beat them, etc. but that doesn't make them understand it because they don't think like you. A bright line "it's a gun" works for a wider array of people with different thought processes. No rules will reach 100% of people, of course, but I think eliminating the loaded/unloaded status reaches more.
I have never thought about it this way. My first reaction has always been, "is it loaded" I then proceed to treat the gun as if it we're loaded, regardless. My mindset was more of a showing of respect to those around me, and just a show of "hey look at me being safe" for a lack of a better way to put it.
The way this is put makes so much more sense across the board. I will try to shift my mindset to this line of thought. Thank you for sharing.