Editor's Column: Rush for guns not safe idea

For those of you who missed it, an interesting report appeared this past week on “20/20” titled, “If I Only Had a Gun.”

The show featured experiments and expert analysis related to the debate over whether or not people should protect themselves by owning guns. Recently, there’s been quite a rush to go out and get guns, but it seems that this isn’t the smartest idea for many people.

Those who want to do so, the show pointed out, are not as prepared as they might think.

Many people claim they have a right to self-defense. But, can they handle a gun accurately, the show proposed? And would they even hit their target under a stressful situation, such as a real-life home invasion? What’s the chance they’ll hit or kill someone innocent instead?

Those who were tested on the show, even those with experience, failed miserably under the show’s planned “stressful” situations.

The show also focused on accidents. It touched on children finding guns in homes. You would be surprised how many children know exactly where parents hide their guns, the show pointed out. Many parents believe their children have no idea, when in fact, they do.

A hidden camera experiment of different people hired to clean out a garage showed that curiosity sure does kill the cat. When a gun was hidden among the clutter, most of the hired “workers” didn’t leave the gun alone. Some even peered down the barrel!

According to 20/20, 18- to 22-year-olds die of accidental shootings more than any other age group. Take Damon Weaver, 10, who is fast approaching that age group. Damon, who appeared on the show, is an aspiring reporter who wants to know what President Barack Obama will do to help out his town, which is suffering from gun violence. In the past year, he said, 14 people were killed in his neighborhood through gun violence.

Also on the show, 20/20 sent the brother of a murdered Virginia Tech student to a gun show to see how easy it would be to purchase multiple guns with no background check.

Omar Samaha's sister, Reema, was killed in the Virginia Tech shootings two years ago.

And, it turns out, it was pretty easy to purchase those guns without a valid check.

How about the mentally unstable mother in Florida who recently shot her son at a gun range, and then killed herself? You never know who you are handing a gun. Do we really want to give a gun to just anyone?

While it’s great to want to protect yourself, guns are no joke. People’s lives are at stake. Think smart.

Tracy Bell is managing editor for the Stafford County Sun. Reach her at info@staffordcountysun.com.