What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Remember the Bad Idea Bears?*

Well, their refrain "What's the WORST thing that could happen?" kept echoing in my mind when I read the bloviations of NRA President David Keene that volunteers could provide school security to avoid another Newton.

But I didn't expect to run into the stream of post-Newton stories of tragedies, near tragedies precipitated by almost epic stupidity, and farce bordering on tragedy. Not to mention these:

OK, those last few are all pretty funny, right? Except if they'd been lethal.

But then I thought, well, maybe I'm nutpicking--you know, picking extreme outlier examples to make them seem as if they are the majority. These folks may just not have had the benefit of proper gun training. I mean, we can't all be raised by the President of the NRA, right?

Oh, for the love of Benji--

In 2003, David Keene's son, David M. Keene, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for discharging a firearm in a crime of violence after he shot at the driver of another car from his BMW on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in northern Virginia. Police said the shot missed the other driver's head by inches.

According to WND (whoever thought I'd give them a link?), "David Michael Keene, was arrested for a road rage incident in which he allegedly fired a gun at another motorist on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The round fired shattered the rear window of the victim’s car, lodging into the driver’s seat, coming within inches of hitting him, according to police reports." He pleaded guilty and served a ten year term in prison.

Yes, I know that the vast majority of gun owners aren't like any of these people. I know that most are careful, and that trained, educated gun owners are far less likely to have accidents.

But accidents happen. Like the two brothers I played with as a boy, one of whom entered the service, and accidentally killed his brother with his weapon. A moment's carelessness with a gun can ruin an extensive web of lives.

Guns are inherently dangerous. There's a right to bear arms, but the legitimate safety and security of others require reasonable regulation--not wholesale abolition--which has been needed for decades.

*No? Refresher course: