Gun Safety

I was thinking about gun safety the other day.  And then I suppose safety in general.  A friend had asked me awhile ago what my opinion was on the matter.  It was kind of a deer-caught-in-headlights moment as she asked me in front of our husbands who both immediately stopped their conversation to hear my response.

The truth of the matter is I have conflicted feelings.  One of her arguments against having guns in the home is that they only serve one purpose: to kill.

I'm not sure if I agree 100% with that statement.  Her husband didn't either and offered the alternative use: Defense.  It's kind of like two sides of a coin...the difference is subtle and yes, ultimately, guns can cause injury and death.

But so can knives.  And most everyone I know has a block of very sharp ones in their kitchen.  What's the purpose of a knife really?  Well, I suppose it's to cut food.  But ultimately it's to cut.  Which can cause injury and death as well.  So what's the difference really between knives and guns?

I suspect a big difference is the way we view them.  I certainly recall being taught "knife saftey" while growing up.  You always walk with the point down.  They're not toys.  Etc.  But do we teach similar gun safety from a similarly young age?  Often not.  I wonder if guns were as ubiquitous as knives, and if we taught gun safety in a similar fashion...if they wouldn't be such a problem.

But for all that, I know full well that if we had a gun in the home and despite our best efforts at gun safety with Wiggles...he or a friend accidentally (or otherwise) shot themselves or each other, causing injury or death....well, I probably wouldn't be able to forgive myself.  Truth be told...I'd feel similarly if something awful happened with a knife.