If you want to go to a range or shoot bottles in a field, you can go through a lot of ammo. I kinda feel like more liability would good. If the consequences for your kid getting ahold of one of guns and accidentally shooting someone were pretty severe then maybe people would at least keep their guns locked up. That would reduce a lot of deaths, especially suicides. Hell, just a public awareness campaign about keeping your guns secure might help save lives. I mean keep your handgun in a lockbox on your nightstand if you are paranoid. It only takes a couple of seconds to punch in a four digit pin.

I really think part of our problem with guns in this country is that we've aged out of a population where a majority of the males either hunted or spent time in the military learning gun handling, so that firearms have become more of a fantasy weapon rather than a practical tool to be respected.

I think you're right. Gun ownership seems more about identity than need in a lot of cases.

If the ammo lives at the range, no problem. Maybe people should shoot fewer bottles in fewer fields, but I know I'm an anti-gun (typed "fun" the first time!) pinko and no one would listen to me.

I really think part of our problem with guns in this country is that we've aged out of a population where a majority of the males either hunted or spent time in the military learning gun handling, so that firearms have become more of a fantasy weapon rather than a practical tool to be respected.

There was an article about the decline of hunting in some MI paper. Hunting license fees are a non-trivial part of the park budget there, so it's an issue. More women are hunting than used to, but not enough to make up for the decline. It's strange to me. When I was growing up, November 15—the opening of deer season—was an unofficial school holiday. Stores had "deer widow" sales. If you were anywhere near a wooded area you kept your dog inside that week. It was a major cultural thing, like church or politics. Escanaba in da Moonlight played it for laughs, but hunting really was that big a deal.

It only takes a couple of seconds to punch in a four digit pin.

Or even less to activate a fingerprint lock. If they can put that on a phone, they can put it on a gun safe.

Yeah, right now, i'm all for taking away everyone's guns and ammo and starting over.

Maybe people should shoot fewer bottles in fewer fields,

Yeah I'm fairly sure even the most hard core 2nd Amendment fetishist would have trouble coming up with an argument that shooting bottles in a field is a Constitutionally protected legal right.

I was raised with guns because my father hunted. I know and love a number of 100% responsible gun owners. The 2nd amendment crazies that I know are the absolutest no restrictions ever under any circumstances insane variety. To me regulations such as those required to drive a car are more than reasonable. If I had magical powers they would just all disappear. The gun nuts I know find any suggestion of any kind of regulation no matter how minor completely unacceptable and pound on their phrase from the constitution as if a commandment from the gods.

If only the Second Amendment nuts were restricted to antique weaponry.

Requiring insurance would at least pay for some of the damages.

ION, today's Google animation is dedicated to Steve Irwin.

We always had guns in the house - my father grew up on a farm and he and his older surviving brother would go out and shoot things for food. And we had a handgun my mother's father, um, acquired during WWI. But I dislike guns and wouldn't have one. I wish people would have to take some kind of gun safety instruction - so many seem to treat them casually, as though they were just another household appliance (there was a thing a while ago where a woman was posing with a gun tucked into her yoga pants ... neither attractive nor a good idea).

Have we already forgotten Plaxico Burress??