<p>
[quote]
The next time you hear about another boy being shot dead by playing with a friend (or by himself) with a handgun that his parents thought was securely tucked away, just fleetingly remember it did not have to be. His equally precocious, curious, mischievous Canadian counterpart will still be alive.
[/quote]
Actually, this happened in my town which is located in the People's Republic of New Jersey. A 11 year old boy "accidentally" shot his 12 year old friend in the head with an antique gun. We have fairly strict gun control laws here in New Jersey, but these words on paper didn't seem to prevent this event.</p>
<p>None the less, strict gun control does not prevent crime. Fewer criminals and stupid people prevent crime. In the event that I described above, both boys won the "darwin awards". The 11 year old boy won a darwin award because he committed a crime that he will have to live with the rest of his life. The 12 year old boy who got shot won a darwin award because if you see that your friend doesn't know how to handle a firearm safely, it is in your best interest to leave and if you don't, you will suffer the consequences. Of course there will always be some people that say, "These were just kids, they wouldn't know any better." What child does not know that playing with firearms can potentially cause very serious injury? The children who do not "know" probably have never seen a violent movie in their lives. It is far worse to not know the consequences of one's actions than to be subjected to some violent material.</p>