Baldwin Shooting Proves Stupidity of Gun Banners But is There a Lesson?

Opinion

Finger on the Trigger Control Press AR Gun
Finger off the Trigger

New Mexico/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- By now, loyal Ammoland readers have head of the tragic incident involving Halyna Hutchins and Alec Baldwin on a New Mexico movie set. To put it bluntly, it was an accident that should not have happened. The ongoing investigation will determine the facts, and what, if any, charges will be appropriate.

Any loyal Ammoland reader knows the basic rules of firearms safety from the National Rifle Association:

  • ALWAYS Keep The Gun Pointed In A Safe Direction
  • ALWAYS Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Ready To Shoot
  • ALWAYS Keep The Gun Unloaded Until Ready To Use

Just following these rules can can greatly reduce the risk that a tragedy like the one in New Mexico will happen. When those rules are disregarded, as reports from multiple sources about this accident indicate, the risk of a tragedy increases.

Whatever one may think of their legislative tactics and strategy, the NRA has worked to educate those who would exercise their Second Amendment rights for decades. While anti-Second Amendment extremists talk “gun safety” (a phrase they have hijacked to pursue attacks on our rights), the real work has been done by the NRA for decades.

The NRA’s efforts to carry out education and training is one reason why we have seen the number of fatal accidents decrease over those same decades as the number of firearms in the United States has climbed. In essence, the NRA in this case has been modeling and preaching the type of actions that reasonable people would assume or expect that responsible gun owners would do.

The Baldwin tragedy is a chance for us to show that we are not like our enemies. While many are tempted to dunk on Baldwin, given his history of anti-Second Amendment extremism, and doing so would be understandable, it is also the type of self-destructive move that could only help the likes of Bloomberg.

For one thing, we are at a serious media disadvantage. The fact is, anti-Second Amendment extremists get passes from the media all the time. See, for instance, a certain deceased United States Senator whose vehicle killed more people than the firearms owned by the vast majority of loyal Ammoland readers.

There is another thing: Just about anyone who seeks to responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights has that nightmare at some point that despite all their caution, something could go wrong, and there could still be an accident. The best thing to do is to wait for the facts to come out.

Second Amendment supporters who wish to brush up on their training can and should check out the NRA’s various offerings. There are over 125,000 NRA-certified firearms instructors across the country who can keep you up to date. Also, pass these on to friends, family members, or others you know who either are exercising their Second Amendment rights, or those who are thinking about it. This could save them the agony that those tied in to that tragic movie set accident are going through right now.


About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.

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vepr

Harald…..
Once again, on his knees , looking up at the skunk, Li’l Wayne LA P U’s belt buckle.

Hey harald…….wipe your chin…..

HoundDogDave

OMG Harold, How stupid are you? In all the years you have been pontificating about/for the NRA and you still don’t know the 4 rules of gun safety? Where the hell did you come up with “ALWAYS Keep The Gun Unloaded Until Ready To Use?” I saw that and had to stop reading to see who was the idiot that would post such inaccurate trash. I should have known it was you, Harold, without looking. Not only is that NOT one of the firearm safety rules, it goes against the very first rule of gun safety, “Treat all guns as… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by HoundDogDave
USMC0351Grunt

Thank you for pointing this out! THIS has been fundamental gun safety since when I first was trained in the Cub Scouts!

JPM

Really Harold? Now you’re a shill for Wayne LaPierre? How much did that cost Wayne?

Watch um

I don’t think Wayne was mentioned in the article, the NRA existed way before “Wayne” was even born
You sir are a bone head, now keep your off topics comments to yourself.

Wild Bill

The NRA may have existed before LaPiere was even born, but LaPiere has taken over the organization, changed the rules so that the membership can not get rid of him, and diverted millions of dollars into his own pockets that could have been used to protect our Second Amendment enshrined Right to bear Arms.
And I may appear to you to be a bone head, too, but on this site we have wide ranging discussions.

Stag

Yeah, and the NRA was pissing on our rights long before Wayne was in charge. What’s your point?

incorrigible

AMEN! I remember reading The Rifleman (in my high school library no less) in the mid 1940s, and wondering about NRA’s betrayal of gun owners even then. But Judas LaPiere just took the betrayal to a much higher level! BTW, the school was on LI, just over the NYC line, and had a rifle team!

JSNMGC

I’ll never forget you mentioning that you are a retired “constable” and when someone criticized the NRA’s many instances of capitulation, you told that person you hoped your colleagues who are still on the force would arrest them for violating future gun laws.

You and Don are not on the side of free civilization.

vepr

Harald BEEN a shill for his hero, the skunk, Li’l Wayne LA P u.

Country Boy

Guns don’t kill people. Alec Baldwin kills people?

nrringlee

We live in a culture where the majority of the public celebrates actors who play Soldiers more than they celebrate soldiers who fight wars. Go figure.

Montana454Casull

How about always treat every gun as if it were loaded and always point the muzzle on a safe direction . Guess this is all to complicated for a low IQ stupid ass Hollywood clown to comprehend . These are the same idiots who want to tell the rest of us about our rights and responsibilities of gun ownership REALLY ???????? NO THANKS !

Ansel Hazen

How long ago did this happen, and Har-rold is just writing about it now?

wapitihunter

There were so many mistakes made it’s unreal. Every rule of gun safety! It was a colt single action! It is simple to check if it’s loaded with a blank or live round, it is easy to check if there is anything in the cylinder. Then you have to manually cock and then pull the trigger. I don’t care who supposedly checked the firearm or said what. He should have checked the firearm. He alone is responsible for checking, cocking, pointing, and discharging the gun. They were not playing with toys. When I heard of the shooting it immediately popped… Read more »

Henry Bowman

More NRA bootlicking from Little Quisling Harold. And there’s 4 gun rules, not 3.

ras52

Harold, are you afraid to say Ted Kennedy?

Wild Bill

Waaaaiiittt! If you speak of the devil … he may appear.

Wild Bill

Yes, or she.

Wild Bill

Couldn’t we just skip all that and get Trump back, somehow?

Wild Bill

Yeeaahh! Don’t they need a vacancy first! What are they planning?

Wild Bill

I don’t think that transfer to the S. Ct. is the correct method of getting rid of her. Better that they should consult with hiLIARy Clinton.

Wild Bill

Yes, but hiLIARy knows best.

Wild Bill

True!

Russn8r

Why do you want Trump back when he STILL claims the vax is safe & effective? He’s an accomplice to mass murder.

DeSantis 2024

Wild Bill

Trump will be up to the task in the coming war with China.

ras52

Wild Bill, I sure hope not, once was enough!

Wild Bill

That does not scare me. Joe the democrat from W. Va … his running would scare me.

ras52

10 4 to that

USMC0351Grunt

I am still waiting for the production company and all their fellow left-wingnuts to file a lawsuit against that murderous gun? How much longer do we have to wait with all the hundreds of thousands of anti-gun laws on the books? Just pick one, any one and let’s get that bad boy on the stand! In the State of New Mexico: The Liberal Dumbasses vs. THE “PROP” GUN!

Last edited 2 years ago by USMC0351Grunt
Wild Bill

Perish the thought.

Deplorable Bill

You forgot; The firearm is ALWAYS loaded until you, personally, have confirmed it is or is not unloaded. Never point your firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy. Confirm your backstop in case the bullet passes through your target. The cast failed all three of these do nots. When/if the NRA starts doing what they advertise then and only then will I consider being a member again. “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” When they can fight for the 2A… Read more »

Wass

Behind this tragedy, and similar ones, is a serious disconnect in perception as to what is and isn’t a “prop gun”. True prop guns simulate real firearms in appearance and mechanics, but are designed to either fire specialized blank rounds or create sounds like real guns. True prop guns do not fire bullets (although standing close to them could be dangerous), nor can they be loaded with live ammunition. The ATF&E do not define them as firearms. By contrast, real guns fire live ammunition, but they can be, in most cases, be loaded with blank ammo. Therein, lies the trouble.… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Wass
nrringlee

Let’ not use the term ‘accident’ when negligence is the key contributing factor. Negligence. Negligent shooting. Ignoring the Cardinal Rules of Firearms Safety equals Negligence.

Wild Bill

Actually negligence is a legal conclusion for which compensation can be claimed. There is a four part analysis: Duty, Breach of that duty, Legal Cause, and Damage.
Ignoring the cardinal rules of shooting safety would go a long way toward proving a breach of duty if those rules were standardized and codified in state law.
I prefer accidental because it implies lack of intent and does not play into the hands of the trial lawyers.

Bill

I’m not sure how every form of negligence that can harm people or property could ever be codified into state law. Thus, the concept of negligence, in my understanding, remains a broad one. And, as for the rules of gun safety, are there four, or are there hundreds? It would be odd to try and put all gun safety rules into state law!

Wild Bill

Well, I agree, that is why judges came up with the “Negligence Analysis” First the plaintiff’s attorney must prove that their is a duty of some kind. Then that the defendant breached that duty, somehow. Next the cause of the injury must be the “proximate or legal cause.” of the injury, and finally there must be actual measurable damage. That is the analysis generally, but each state has tweeked it a bit, so I can not speak for each jurisdiction. As to the rules of gun safety the NRA used to have ten. COL. Cooper thought up and promulgated four… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Wild Bill
swmft

Harlod ,can you really be lefty? not knowing rules of safety says a lot. and to carry you have to KNOW the disposition of your weapon ALL guns are loaded that is how they are treated safe handling means never pointing a gun at something you do not want to destroy

Wild Bill

This just in: “Naturally Immune People at Little Risk of Reinfection, Severe Disease From COVID-19: Study BY ZACHARY STIEBER   November 27, 2021  People who recovered from COVID-19 are at little risk of contracting the disease again, according to a study published this week. Researchers in Qatar examined a cohort of over 353,000 people using national databases that contain information about patients with polymerase-chain-reaction-confirmed infections. The studied population contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, between Feb. 28, 2020, and April 28, 2021. Reinfections were counted if a person tested positive at least 90 days after their first infection. After excluding approximately… Read more »

Wild Bill

Sounds exactly like what I had.

Wild Bill

The vaccinations had not been invented, yet. Then all this information about the bad side effects, then the lock downs and mandatory unconstitutional orders … so I decided against it.
If the government wants to force it, then something is terrible wrong.
Society is going to need us, the unvaccinated, to sew the nation back together.

Last edited 2 years ago by Wild Bill
Russn8r

“Where’s your pouty mouth pic, Harold?”
-Wayne LaPew

STRIKE GROUP REAGAN!

LOL