The Place of Dead Roads

Do you have children in your house? Do you have a loaded gun in your house? Are you a fucking moron? From the AP: Texas Toddler Shot by 4-Year-Old Brother

HOUSTON - A 2-year-old remained in critical condition Sunday after being shot by his 4-year-old brother, who may not have known the difference between a real and toy gun, police said.

Police Sgt. Cameron Grysen said the boys had been arguing at their home in southwest Houston on Saturday afternoon when the 2-year-old threw a toy at his brother.

The older boy got the loaded gun from a purse in his mother's bedroom and shot his brother once in the temple, Grysen said.

The mother told police she had the .32-caliber automatic to protect her family because of recent neighborhood burglaries. She said Saturday was the one day that she did not secure the weapon. She could face criminal charges.
Authorities said the 4-year-old didn't seem to understand what he had done.

"He's wondering where his brother is, and when his brother's coming back," Grysen said.

Why do I doubt Saturday was the only day she failed to secure the weapon. I know with two small kids, it is all too easy to fail to do simple things that need to be done. And now this family's lives have been forever changed, and not in a good way. The risks of this sort of mishap is just too great to imagine it ever making sense to have guns, let alone, loaded guns around children. Just let the damn burglars take your stuff. Have good insurance, get new stuff and keep going. This family will never be able to return to the life they had before Saturday.

I am both mad and saddened by this story. Mad that there are people that think guns will actually protect them. Saddened that now this family have to suffer through what has happened and will come.

A friend of mine, a true gun enthusiast, who doesn't have kids, is smart enough to never keep any if his guns loaded. So, once again: Guns and children DO NOT mix. Got it?