I was printed in the "Letters to the Editor" section of the local rag (Tacoma News Tribune) today. I was writing in response to an AP piece which talked about gun manufacturers touting new "safety" features. "Smart" guns and the like. So I fired this off:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Your January 22 article "Gun makers emphasize safety at trade show" was
somewhat misleading. Surely, gun makers do emphasize safety, but not by
the marketing of the electronic and mechanical devices described in the
article. "Safety" is to be found between one's ears, not in a ring or a
computer chip. Responsible gun owners learn and internalize the Four
Rules of Firearm Safety:
1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
These rules are both the foundation and the totality of responsible gun
ownership. The next time you see something in the news about a tragic
gun accident, learn the facts and you'll discover that somebody violated
one or more of the rules. Technology cannot nullify the need for
constant vigilance and caution in the handling of firearms, for they
have no minds. We must use our own.
Frank Jones[/quote]
And they printed it.
The most important thing here is spreading the Word. The Word is composed of the Four Rules. The more people that know the Four Rules, the better off we'll be, for several reasons. First, well, the world will be a little bit safer. Second, people may just begin to get an inkling that safety is about thinking, which could lead them to realize that safety isn't about laws or electronics. Which could lead them to realize that gun control is idiotic folly. As such, what I am about to propose is a kind of political strategy.
I ask the members of TFL to call and write your local newspapers and challenge them to print the Four Rules. Perhaps a nice sidebar or small article. Ask nicely.
This will be a chance to either expose or, to some small degree, reverse the hypocrisy displayed by the media on the so-called "gun safety" issue. Let us tell 'em what real gun safety is.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Your January 22 article "Gun makers emphasize safety at trade show" was
somewhat misleading. Surely, gun makers do emphasize safety, but not by
the marketing of the electronic and mechanical devices described in the
article. "Safety" is to be found between one's ears, not in a ring or a
computer chip. Responsible gun owners learn and internalize the Four
Rules of Firearm Safety:
1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
These rules are both the foundation and the totality of responsible gun
ownership. The next time you see something in the news about a tragic
gun accident, learn the facts and you'll discover that somebody violated
one or more of the rules. Technology cannot nullify the need for
constant vigilance and caution in the handling of firearms, for they
have no minds. We must use our own.
Frank Jones[/quote]
And they printed it.
The most important thing here is spreading the Word. The Word is composed of the Four Rules. The more people that know the Four Rules, the better off we'll be, for several reasons. First, well, the world will be a little bit safer. Second, people may just begin to get an inkling that safety is about thinking, which could lead them to realize that safety isn't about laws or electronics. Which could lead them to realize that gun control is idiotic folly. As such, what I am about to propose is a kind of political strategy.
I ask the members of TFL to call and write your local newspapers and challenge them to print the Four Rules. Perhaps a nice sidebar or small article. Ask nicely.
This will be a chance to either expose or, to some small degree, reverse the hypocrisy displayed by the media on the so-called "gun safety" issue. Let us tell 'em what real gun safety is.