Originally Posted by TSGracchus

I just looked at those stats and saw no support for this statement.



We were teenagers. (This answers your question, too, Mrs. M.) The only way it could have been out of reach was if it were locked up or disabled, which would have also meant it was unavailable for household defense as needed.

Believe me, I do blame my friend for being an idiot. However, idiots do exist, and everyone is an idiot at extraordinary times.



This is an absurd statement, Matt. Of course there's an inherent danger in owning a gun, unless by "properly stored" you mean stored in such a way that it can't be used, and it is never taken out for use. Your statement makes no more sense than to say that driving a car poses no risk. Of course it does.

The question is whether it poses a greater risk than not having one. My belief is that, for the overwhelming majority of people, it does. One could try to argue to the contrary, and for a few people in high-risk situations you would be right, but to suggest, as you do here, that the risk of having a gun is literally zero, is ridiculous.