Krotch, it's all about attitude. I agree with everything you posted except the part about checking and then treating the gun as unloaded. That leads to complacency and that causes accidents. I mean, how do you treat the gun differently? (aside from breaking it down or cleaning) Do you wave it around? Point it at things that you don't intend to shoot at? What exactly is this different treatment for the weapon once you have decided to treat it as unloaded? Do you dry fire the weapon at passing motorist?
I have a .22, H&R, 9 shot revolver in the night stand. I have a 20 and 12 gauge pump for bird hunting, a single shot 20 for turkey and a 7.62mm Czek made service side arm. I only use the Czek for the range. Loud as hell and an unweildy beast.
If you always treated a gun as loaded than you would never hand it to friend, you would never put it in a car, etc, etc, etc.
We can go round and round but we dont need to, I thought you were against guns, period. If you think a gun should never be seen, thats how you feel, so be it. I do not see it that way. I would love if someone I worked with pulled out a gun, although working in a secure area that is pretty much a job killer, but if I worked in an office and a gun was pulled out it is an oppurtunity to see how that person behaves and its knowledge I want.
People should talk about guns if they own them, they should know if people they work with have them. I know that not one person I am working with is carrying a gun, only security at the front gate.
It would trouble me deeply if everyone kept weapons of all sorts completely hid, I love knowing where I am and who I am around, how they behave.
This woman did the right thing, showing a gun to others that admire guns is right. Guns are much more than simply weapons, they are a tool, they are art, they are an example of craftsmanship and beauty. We should not be forced into a closet. We have the right to show or guns to friends even at our job if that is the attitude of those who own the company.
Yes, a poorly handled gun can kill, but that is no reason to go over the top and restrict a gun to being nothing more than a weapon.
I own two guns and want more. I want like I saw in "the outlaw josey wales", I wont shoot it, it will be art and displayed as such, it will always be unloaded and I will frame it and put it on the wall, if I was to treat it as loaded I could not do that.
I want five winshester rifles in a rack like I see when I watch john wayne and dean martin, those will be loaded, unlocked, proudly displayed.
People are going crazy.
Too many people are above and beyond simple safety.