Survey: More than Half of US Veterans Who Own Guns Store Them Unsafely

[salmon creek gary]

Sez who, you might ask? Ah, drilling down in the Military.Com article, I can see it was a so-called "nationally representative survey" as reported in The Journal of Affective Disorders. Well, shuckens, they didn't poll me or the stat would've been worse, at least by their definition of "unsafely".

OK, truthfully now - I'd have just told 'em where to put their survey. So who did they poll? Do you suppose they only got answers from - wait for it now - folks with affective disorders?

And where did that alarming headline come from, anyway? It could actually have been written, "More gun-owning veterans are now storing their firearms safely", since the article actually states that the most recent survey shows improvement compared to stats from 2015 when the survey was last conducted. Yeah, I agree; the reported 2% improvement isn't much to crow about. In fact, if (as the article states) "the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have invested heavily in recent years to encourage safe storage practices", then maybe that was misguided spending.

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[SonicBlue03]

Safe storage is arbitrary. In their minds it means behind five different vault doors with cameras and sirens to keep children that live nowhere near the firearm away. They're disingenuous at best, malevolent at worst.

 

[lucusloc]

Yeah, "safely" is a relative term. What is safe in one situation is not so safe in another. What one defines as "safe" will be different from person to person as well.

For example, most "safe storage" laws dictate that all that is necessary is a sheet metal box in a garage. Those are child's play to get into, often only requiring a stout flat head screwdriver to overcome. A plywood lined closet with a solid core door offers more security, but would not count as "safe storage" by any law as it is not a dedicated "gun storage device."

And then you have the whole question of ready access. Some guns are for defensive use, so locking them up is antithetical to the idea of "safety" being sought by the owner. Forcing them to lock them up is making them less safe, at least as far as they have defined their need for safety.

 

[Knobgoblin]

In other news , 9 out of 10 drivers currently on the road should take the bus.

 

[nammac]

In other news , 9 out of 10 drivers currently on the road should take the bus.

Especially true here in Oregon…

 

[Koda]

I didnt catch anything about a safe storage law in the OP article...
What is the controversy here by encouraging people to secure their guns safely?

 

[nammac]

They're assuming the respondents are being honest in their responses. Like any polling, it's only as good as the quality of the data…. Stupid fish…. A.K.A Dumb bass…

 

[monkeybutler]

Sez who, you might ask? Ah, drilling down in the Military.Com article, I can see it was a so-called "nationally representative survey" as reported in The Journal of Affective Disorders. Well, shuckens, they didn't poll me or the stat would've been worse, at least by their definition of "unsafely".

OK, truthfully now - I'd have just told 'em where to put their survey. So who did they poll? Do you suppose they only got answers from - wait for it now - folks with affective disorders?

And where did that alarming headline come from, anyway? It could actually have been written, "More gun-owning veterans are now storing their firearms safely", since the article actually states that the most recent survey shows improvement compared to stats from 2015 when the survey was last conducted. Yeah, I agree; the reported 2% improvement isn't much to crow about. In fact, if (as the article states) "the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have invested heavily in recent years to encourage safe storage practices", then maybe that was misguided spending.

The journal article is thin and sloppy. Sad state of affairs that it is published. Though I do not doubt some of the figures they cite.

So… 60 year old men are not uptight about how they store their guns? Who gives a sh|t?

 

[monkeybutler]

They're assuming the respondents are being honest in their responses. Like any polling, it's only as good as the quality of the data…. Stupid fish…. A.K.A Dumb bass…

If anything that would result in an over-reporting of safe storage practices.

 

[lucusloc]

I didnt catch anything about a safe storage law in the OP article...
What is the controversy here by encouraging people to secure their guns safely?

That is not the controversy. The controversy is assuming there is only one way to store them safely, and that if you do not store them that way then they are "unsafe."

 

[monkeybutler]

I didnt catch anything about a safe storage law in the OP article...
What is the controversy here by encouraging people to secure their guns safely?

I would expect the concern is that the article would further prompt the idea among antis that "OMG there are lots of loose guns" which might be teleported to the local elementary school for some horible event.

always gotta think about the children when kneejerking. SallyStruthers.gif.

 

[msgriff]

Laying the groundwork, and justifying current practices, of the VA confiscating firearms from veterans without due process.

 

[Knobgoblin]

 

[Knobgoblin]

 

[monkeybutler]

Meathead don't want that no more.

 

[MTpockets]

Bring back Safe Stacking Suggestions...

Photo Credit ~ Interwebs

 

[Knobgoblin]

Meathead don't want that no more.

Curling iron was like " okay, if you think this will make a difference Chinderella".

 

[Koda]

That is not the controversy. The controversy is assuming there is only one way to store them safely, and that if you do not store them that way then they are "unsafe."

So now we are assuming things?
I didn't see any antigun bias in the article. I saw a focus on Vetrans struggling with depression, drugs, and mental health issues and the response was a safe storage campaign.

Not a safe storage law.

 

[msgriff]

So now we are assuming things?
I didn't see any antigun bias in the article. I saw a focus on Vetrans struggling with depression, drugs, and mental health issues and the response was a safe storage campaign.

Not a safe storage law.

How does "safe storage" prevent the owner of the firearm from committing suicide or unlawful acts? Are they not the ones with the key to the safe?

 

[Savage Jav]

When you ive alone they are all safe negligent of condition.