Reminder: You Are Human

[Thunder71]

It never ceases to amaze me how people go through life thinking they are void of making a mistake with a firearm because 'their safety is between their ears'.

Folks, that's the problem.

Humans, regardless of profession, upbringing, or background, make mistakes.

I read comments all the time about 'but he was a cop, how could he forget his gun on top of his car' or 'I grew up with guns and never had anything like that happen to me'.

Well, none of us are immune to brain farts folks... and I don't think it hurts to have a little reminder now and then to help push you into remembering safety first, never assume, double checking isn't for wimps and newbies, it's for those who prefer one less hole in their body.

Stay safe, and please don't rely on your number 1 safety... it too can fail.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Ionracas]

Good post.

I can think of a couple of times in my firefighting days where I forgot to plug my regulator in to my mask, resulting in breif choking and suffocation. Fortunatley both times were in training. The first I laughed it off. The second time, I was so focused on checking a probie that I didnt check myself and he was too new that I dont hold him responsible for not checking me. To my cheifs dissapointment, the second time around led to an early retirement. Not so much over making that mistake but because my mind at the time was overcrowded with personal conflicts.

I 100% agree with what you have said. We all make mistakes but what we learn from them and how we adress the potential of future mistakes is what matters.

[ccw9mm]

... safety first, never assume, double checking isn't for wimps and newbies, it's for those who prefer one less hole in their body.

Yup. There's good reason for overlapping, layered defenses and procedures. With respect to safety, it can quite simply be the difference between life and death. One less hole ... always.

[RevolvingMag]

I am not human, and you can't prove it otherwise.

That is one of the things that bothers me most- 'I don't like safeties'. That's not good. While, yes, a child could turn off the safety of most any gun- even by accident- isn't it better to have that extra line of protection?

Glocks are great, but my 1911 is safer.

Seriously, though, let's all just take that extra second to make sure you know exactly where your gun is, and whether or not it's loaded before 'playing' with it; at the least it will save you a headache, at the best it will save someone's life. As a gun owner, and a person who carries a gun, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure it doesn't injure/kill anyone who 'doesn't deserve it'.

[WHEC724]

Good reminder, Thunder.

I got on my boy the other day for cleaning his rifle with a box of ammo on the table. One of my house rules is that ammo must be locked up or in a different room when cleaning a firearm.

I believe in rules that overlap rules when it comes to firearm safety.

[Thunder71]

I'm glad this is being well received, heck - if someone started a similar thread every day I'd read it. I'd rather read a reminder about safety than one about someone shooting a hole in a wall, or worse.

Thanks also for sharing guys, both in this thread and others where you're man enough to own up to mistakes, I think it speaks volumes and may save a life one day.

[Ram Rod]

Enlightening post for some.

Me? Sometimes I don't like being part of human if that makes sense. I'm no smarter than anyone even though I go out of my way to avoid mistakes. Simple mistakes can become life long ordeals. I've always been an experience beats an education believer. However....no matter what goes right in this world......humans were responsible. When something goes wrong....somebody else was responsible (or irresponsible as the case may be). The team aspect is not possible for many reasons.

[dV8r]

Humans are by nature creatures of habit. We can take advantage of this by training.
In fact it has been observed that LEO's who train placing their spent cartridges or empty magazines in a container will, during a live fire fight look for said container. This can be detramental. To use these 'habits' to our advantage train with safety first and you will be less likely to be 'human' and make that grave mistake.

As proof, I have been trained to always lower the seat. :)

[CLASS3NH]

Great Post.
We ALL need a little reminder that we're human, and we all make mistakes. One thing to remember is that the brain sends the message to the rest of the body, and the true first safety is always the one between our ears.

[CLASS3NH]

Humans are by nature creatures of habit. We can take advantage of this by training.
As proof, I have been trained always lower the seat. :)

Gotta love it!!!

[blitzburgh]

Nice thread. I'm a firm believer in 'one can never be too safe'. As humans, we sometimes happen to think we're too experienced, too all-knowing, etc. and think certain things can't happen to us.

Accidents are called accidents for a reason..

[glockman10mm]

In my house, the women are trained to put the lid down:)

[glockman10mm]

Double post deleted