Toddler dies after accidentally shooting himself with grandfather's gun

[mimi85]

87. A couple of stories

Our daughter was born in July, 1968, which was sadly enough the year both RJK and MLK were assassinated. I was almost exactly 8 months pregnant. My husband and I rented a small house next to my parent's. My dad came over the day after RFK was killed and wanted to know if my husband I would go target shooting with him. I. Totally. Flipped.
Seriously, I made one of Lawrence O'Donnell's rants seem tame. My dad just didn't "get it." He was a loving, caring father, always kept his guns locked up - they were hunting rifles and he not a "gun nut" at all. But with all the turmoils of the time, this was the last straw. Needless to say, my husband (45 years this New Year's Eve) didn't go.

Another one. One of my brother-in-laws is a card carrying GOPer. I have no doubt he must belong to the NRA. We haven't seen him or my husband's family in years - just nothing in common. No other big deal reason. We used to gather at his house with all the cousins, brothers and sisters every Xmas Eve, mainly to see my husband's Mom - a wonderful woman, I still miss her.
Anyway, my BIL had a locked gun safe with a sign on the outside of it that said "Don't touch, no ebonics spoken here." My first grandchild, born when I was 35, is biracial and just seeing that totally pissed me off. Since it was a family gathering, I never said anything about it. Wrong time. But my husband and I haven't forgotten it. Once my MIL passed away, we never went over there again.

My grandfather and uncle both committed suicide with guns. Sure, if they were determined, they would have killed themselves anyway, but it just added to my hatred of guns. Ha, I wouldn't even let my daughter have a squirt gun! Perhaps carrying it too far, but that's just the way I feel.

Sorry about the super long post.