OT: A quick question about people, their feet, and guns.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 9:35 pm

On 2002-09-14 23:23, Ridseard wrote:
This seems to me like a diversionary thread, to take the heat off another thread which was becoming unpleasant.

You may be right. Reckon which unpleasant thread it's a diversion from?

Kim in Tulsa · Post by **Kim in Tulsa** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 9:44 pm

On 2002-09-14 23:35, John Allison wrote:
I used to work in hospital emergency rooms

I took care of a guy that ran over a Phillips head screwdriver with a lawnmower and <b>shot it clear through his foot, boot and all!</b>

But I wouldn't say it qualified as shooting one's self in the foot, as he didn't realize it was in the grass.

K

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 10:59 pm

A friend is a paramedic. He was telling me of the call they got from the home of one of the village's less intellectual family (the total IQ of all four may not make triple digits). On arrival, they found the son, who really is referred to by townsfolk as the 'Village Idiot' standing there buck nekkid with a board attached to his backside. Seems he'd backed hard into a board with a protruding 16 penny nail. Jeff wasn't sure how and really wasn't too anxious to know.

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Sat Sep 14, 2002 11:34 pm

The reason is simple...... guns shoot people in the foot, not people!

Rockymtnpiper · Post by **Rockymtnpiper** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 12:16 am

I think that Leonard Skinnard was on to something when he said "and if you like drinking whiskey.. you might just shoot yerself"

The Bowhunter incident is a bit odd, since thems usualy the smart ones. I have heard stories about farmers who actually spray paint the word "COW" on their cows so they dont get shot. Wouldnt you know it.. some hunter with a cow tag comes along....

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 12:42 am

On 2002-09-15 01:34, madguy wrote:
The reason is simple...... guns shoot people in the foot, not people!

I do not believe in so-called gun control laws. But some people don't behave very responsibly. An old classmate of my father's tried to commit suicide with a handgun, once. He's still living, but has no nose.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 5:06 am

Speaking professionally, from a Podiatric point of view, I would have to say... I have no idea!!
A number of years ago, my stepson was taken to the ER because he supposedly shot himself in the foot with a friend's pellet gun while they were fooling around. The ER Doc did a little Quincy thing and deduced that Chris could not have possibly done it due to the angle of the entry wound. Chris finally admitted that his friend had accidently done it and Chris was just covering for him (on the theory that it is pretty stupid to shoot yourself in the foot, but the gunshot is it's own punishment, whereas to shoot a friend is REALLY bad). I wonder if this might be the case in some of the other injuries

Post by **Dale** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:19 am

On 2002-09-14 21:22, StevePower wrote:
I doubt that your question was actually about guns, in any 'real' sense, was it Dale? As usual, it appears that you are being subtle. I'd prefer you to come out with 'all guns blazing'.

Steve

No. I'm afraid I'd shoot myself in the foot.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:26 am

John - Funny you should mention someone shooting himself in the rear. During years on the firing range at the outdoor police range, I'd always heard tell of some guy who'd shot himself in the rear while on the line; I never could figure out how. It was only recently that I discovered in the course of casual conversation that he was someone I'd known all those years!

Bottom line is it doesn't pay to assume, take for granted or be careless ever when handling firearms.

Philo

chas · Post by **chas** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 8:34 am

On 2002-09-14 21:08, jim_mc wrote:
Well, I've never fired anything but a musket, but it would be pretty hard to shoot yourself by accident with a rifle or shotgun in any other body part.

There was a comedian (I wanna say Blake Clark) who would occasionally read newspaper stories. He had one from Texas, which said something to the effect that a guy was found dead with two bullet wounds to the chest. The local sherriff also found a few feet away from him a 30-06 (high-powered rifle) which had fired two rounds. They ruled the death a suicide. The comedian added, "You've really got to admire the guy. Personally, after I'd pointed the muzzle at my chest and pulled the trigger with my toe, I'd probably have given up after one round."

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 9:48 am

On 2002-09-14 23:35, John Allison wrote:
While serving as a Navy Hospital Corpsman it was standard procedure to accompany the Marines to the shooting range because they were constantly shooting each other!

Interesting. I was a corpsman assigned to the Marine Corps. Never had anyone shoot someone on the range (or even come close). However, we did have a gate guard shoot his partner by accident (playing "quick-draw"). Both were kicked out of the corps. The one who did the shooting, and the one who got shot, since he was the senior member on duty, and was letting the other marine play with the weapon.

vaporlock · Post by **vaporlock** » Sun Sep 15, 2002 10:57 am

I'm slow, but I finally understand the question.

jim_mc · Post by **jim_mc** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 12:57 am

I have another question. This is kind of a moral dilemma.

If I know that someone is dumb enough to shoot themself in the foot, is it wrong for me to leave a loaded gun where they might pick it up?

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 1:00 am

On 2002-09-16 02:57, jim_mc wrote:
If I know that someone is dumb enough to shoot themself in the foot, is it wrong for me to leave a loaded gun where they might pick it up?

Only if you're within range of them.

Sometimes darwinism needs a little nudge.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 9:57 am

--quote--
I have another question. This is kind of a moral dilemma.

If I know that someone is dumb enough to shoot themself in the foot, is it wrong for me to leave a loaded gun where they might pick it up?
--endquote--

Of course, I know this isn't a literal question, but a lifetime of being around guns leads me to answer it literally first: if you ever leave a loaded gun anywhere, it is absolutely your fault if anyone or anything is damaged by it. Also this is true if you ever leave an unloaded gun or even ammo anywhere where anyone can get to it. The only safe place to leave a weapon is a locked safe.

OK, now to the deeper question you are really asking: can we really get rid of all the "loaded guns"? Do we really live in a world where we can reasonably remove every way it which a person can damage themselves?

For instance, if you refer to the Internet as a "loaded gun," (and many have)--can you make it "safe" without in fact destroying the essense of what it is? Wouldn't a "safe" Internet be just cable TV for computers? 1,999,999,990 channels but nothing on?

You could even refer (in a purely hypothetical sense, of course) to a popular online whistling message board as being a "loaded gun," as certainly people seem to be standing in line for the chance to shoot themselves in the foot with it lately (hypothetically, of course).

Best to all,
--James
http://www.flutesite.com

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: peeplj on 2002-09-16 12:00 ]</font>