S/O of all sorts of thoughts on various threads (Gun related)

[DawnM]

Does a person with a gun in the house need to reveal that to a person visiting?

 

Does it matter the circumstances?

 

Rifles for hunting, but all locked and unloaded?

Revolver, unloaded and locked up?

Loaded gun locked up?

Unloaded locked up?

 

 

I have had a depressed teen so this really bothers me.

 

We were at a home recently where the dad came home, lifted up his shirt, took his gun out of the holster (I didn't even know they had one!) and laid it on the table, loaded, and walked away to go take his shower.

 

I was floored and honestly angry.  My son was there, they know he struggles with depression, and although his therapist has never felt he was suicidal, I worry.

 

 

[DawnM]

On the other hand, we have great friends who hunt and keep theirs all locked up and the bullets separate, that doesn't bother me nearly as much.

[SparklyUnicorn]

This is a really tough question.  Locally there was a story of two teens playing with a dad's gun and one was accidentally shot (and died). The parents of the child that died were ok with the fact the family had a gun, but felt they should have told them.  I don't see what difference that would have made.  Unless the parents would have said the kid can't go there?  I suppose they could have warned him ahead of time to not play with guns? 

 

So yeah I don't know.

 

 

[Elizabeth86]

Its just assumed in our circle of family and frie ds there will be a gun in their house. We would never expect them to tell us, we know. I dont think there is 1 person in our family and friends that doesnt have at least 1 gun.Likely they will have one strapped on them at any give. time. Thats just how it is here. normal.

[Tap]

Nope.  Their home. Their rights. 

 

In the situation with your son, it is not the homeowners responsibility to keep him from harming himself with properly secured weapons.  Otherwise a homeowner would be expected to put away or disclose all the chemicals, medications, knives, potential hanging ropes/belts, or what ever someone could use to kill oneself with.  In a home a visitor is expected to stay in the areas there are invited into.  They are not expected to wander and get into peoples closets, cabinets, safes, etc.  

 

It was't smart of him to lay a loaded gun down in a common area of the home, and maybe you will choose to not visit again due to that.  But,  I do not think a homeowner has any reason to disclose a properly secured gun in their own home to a casual visitor. 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Tap

[MEmama]

Yes. They are obligated.

 

Guns are an absolute deal breaker for me.

I would absolutely not go into a home with a gun or hang out with someone who carries one.

 

Nope nope nope.

[VaKim]

I'm not sure I know anybody who doesn't have guns in their house around here.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Nope.  Their home. Their rights. 

 

In the situation with your son, it is not the homeowners responsibility to keep him from harming himself with properly secured weapons.  Other wise a homeowner would be expected to put away or disclose all the chemicals, medications, knives, potential hanging ropes/belts, or what ever someone could use to kill oneself with.  In a home a visitor is expected to stay in the areas there are invited into.  They are not expected to wander and get into peoples closets, cabinets, safes, etc.  

 

It was't smart of him to lay a loaded gun down in a common area of the home, and maybe you will choose to not visit again due to that.  But,  I do not think a homeowner has any reason to disclose a properly secured gun in their own home to a casual visitor. 

 

Here there are no laws about properly secured weapons.  So telling someone or not telling someone...does not matter.

 

If some kid climbed my fence and drowned in my baby pool I'd have my arse dragged through legal mud.  If one's kid shoots someone with your gun because they were playing around (and it was easy to get), meh...so what.  One's rights as a gun owner are more important. 

 

I find this pretty astounding. 

[FaithManor]

I think that if they are locked away in a gun safe, then no. I do have a safe in my home and while I do not have a gun in it, we do have a survival knife there and have never felt it appropriate to say, "Before this visit begins you should know that I have a military grade, can cut through the fuselage of an airplane, knife locked away in my safe."

 

But if one has an unsecured, lethal weapon, I think they should disclose it, or for goodness sakes, go lock it up before their guest arrives.

 

My father in law insisted on keeping his meds - some of which would have been lethal to young children - down on the bottom shelf of a rolling cart in this kitchen! We had three boys five and under at the time, many of his pills looked like candy - skittles and such - and he refused to put them up because that was inconvenient to him. He was a real jerk about it. Safety first, so we left and drove back home - fourteen hrs. The children never went back. He died four years later never getting to see them again, and he was fine with that because no one was going to tell him he had to keep his meds anywhere but where he liked them. Sigh...

 

That said, while I think gun owners should keep their weapons securely locked up when having visitors, I do not think it is something the guest can dictate. I would simply not go back there with my son again. If asked why, then I would politely state why and see what the response is. Some may want him back and offer to keep everything under lock and key, not carry, etc. Others not so much.

[MommyLiberty5013]

Does a person with a gun in the house need to reveal that to a person visiting?

 

Does it matter the circumstances?

 

Rifles for hunting, but all locked and unloaded?

Revolver, unloaded and locked up?

Loaded gun locked up?

Unloaded locked up?

 

 

I have had a depressed teen so this really bothers me.

 

We were at a home recently where the dad came home, lifted up his shirt, took his gun out of the holster (I didn't even know they had one!) and laid it on the table, loaded, and walked away to go take his shower.

 

I was floored and honestly angry. My son was there, they know he struggles with depression, and although his therapist has never felt he was suicidal, I worry.

I do not think gun owners have a responsibility to disclose in public (re: CC), or out with friends. In the home, their own home, if people are over for a casual dinner, no don't have to disclose. If they're over night guests, maybe. But then, if they are locked up, likely no reason to tell because who is going to see or know?

 

This dad taking off his gun and leaving the room, was against every fiber of gun safety. I would consider his behavior a horrible outlier to how many gun owners are. Seriously, what the heck???

[DawnM]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

 

 

[DawnM]

I do not think gun owners have a responsibility to disclose in public (re: CC), or out with friends. In the home, their own home, if people are over for a casual dinner, no don't have to disclose. If they're over night guests, maybe. But then, if they are locked up, likely no reason to tell because who is going to see or know?

 

This dad taking off his gun and leaving the room, was against every fiber of gun safety. I would consider his behavior a horrible outlier to how many gun owners are. Seriously, what the heck???

 

Ok, see, this is where I agree....if it is locked, unloaded, etc....I don't really have an issue with it nearly as much.  But yeah, completely unsafe.

Edited July 21, 2017 by DawnM

[SparklyUnicorn]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

 

Yeah really, remind me not to move there.  :laugh:

 

Nobody in my family owns a gun.  But whether or not others do, I wouldn't know.  They haven't told me, and I haven't seen one.

[Riverland]

No, gun owners do not have an obligation to automatically disclose this to visitors. If you, the visitor, want to know, then ask.

Edited July 21, 2017 by SummerDays

[TravelingChris]

We have never told anyone. We never had loaded guns though and while we had children in the house, for almost all that time, we had only one gun and it was locked away. We don't have children anymore. We also don't have children visiting. I have dangerous medications out and I don't expect visitors to suddenly take medicines from my pill sorting box either. Nor do I expect visitors to be digging in our closets, etc. I have never asked if anyone had a gun when my children visited. I just taught gun safety from an early age. Now we did forbid our teen to go to a house where not only was there an aggressive pitbull but the owner had been cleaning a gun while it was loaded and ended up shooting one of his teens accidently (non fatal, not really serious wounding). That showed me that they did not have good safety practices. I was already not really okay with the parents even before this because they had apparently been all gungho about homeschooling and then just as suddenly decided to be gungho about sending your kids to public school to be the salt and the light (Christian influence in public school) and basically looking down on us when we didn't feel that our daughters should have their educations sacrificed for some nebulous missionary influence in the schools.

[Guest]

When one visits one is obligated to supervise one's dc. For me,that means I do not take dc to homes with untrained unrestrained dogs, since I can't protect more than one dc at a time. The eldery often keep medicine and needles accessible. I also avoid homes with teens and preteens whose parents allow untrained gun use...had I not been supervising my dc on one occasion, they would have been shot by a teen who does not follow the safety rule of securing one's range and did not have the training to refrain from pointng a loaded weapon at people. You must protect you and keep your family safe. Do what you must, don't blindly trust.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Heigh Ho

[nixpix5]

That was incredibly negligent of him to do. I would have been furious.

 

I have grown up with every family member owning guns. It just isn't something I give much thought too as most people I know take gun safety seriously. I wouldn't expect someone to tell me they have a gun. I haven't met anyone in real life who didn't have a place the gun was locked up though.

[Lanny]

We were at a home recently where the dad came home, lifted up his shirt, took his gun out of the holster (I didn't even know they had one!) and laid it on the table, loaded, and walked away to go take his shower.

 

That behavior was absolutely not responsible. He should not have done that.

 

People in the USA with Concealed Carry Permits are probably the most honest people in the USA. Police officers commit 6 times more crimes than people with a CCP in the USA.  Per 1000 or 10000 or whatever sample they looked at.

 

Regarding the question about "unloaded" weapons.  When I was a boy, I was taught that there is no such thing. Many people are killed or injured by "unloaded" weapons.

 

The man should NOT have left his weapon on the table and gone off to take his shower. That was totally irresponsible IMO.

[mom2scouts]

When I had a gun in my house, it was always locked and in a place not easily accessible to visitors. I don't feel an obligation to tell people what I have in my house, but if someone asked I would tell them and assure them that it will be locked. 

[Tap]

Yes. They are obligated.

 

Guns are an absolute deal breaker for me.

I would absolutely not go into a home with a gun or hang out with someone who carries one.

 

Nope nope nope.

30 to 40% of homes tell pollsters they have a gun in the house.  

 

I always assume people own guns. In our area, even if people aren't hunters themselves, they could have inherited guns from family members and just keep them for sentimental reasons. 

[lllll]

nm

Edited July 25, 2017 by tentwelve

[Selkie]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

 

I'm in the rural midwest and most people here have guns for hunting, target shooting, and protection. It would never occur to me to tell someone that we have guns or to ask anyone if they have guns. I would just assume that they had them.

 

Everyone I know takes gun safety very seriously, though, and would not leave a gun sitting out. I have never seen someone do that, ever.

 

Interestingly enough, though the rate of gun ownership is high here, gun-related crimes are virtually non-existent. The only exception to that is in the nearest small city, where gang-related shootings have become a very common occurrence in recent years.   

[Anne in CA]

I'm not sure I know anybody who doesn't have guns in their house around here.

That's the way it is here, and the way it was where I was growing up. I am simply not afraid of guns. I am cautious of them. Right now we have a loaded gun on dh's nightstand. The safety is on and I am not worried about it. 

 

If my dd was suicidal, I would make him lock it in the safe, but I am more worried about our personal safety than that. 

[SKL]

I don't think they have to reveal if it's locked up safely.  It should be locked up safely or in the direct supervision of an authorized [trained, responsible] user.

[Carrie12345]

We assume everyone has guns, since most people here do.

 

We make no assumptions about their security. Our area just lost a preschooler a few weeks back to an unsecured gun.

[Guinevere]

No, they don't have to tell, but they do have to be extra vigilant. Dh carries fairly regularly, but it is always physically on him, or locked up. There's no other way to be a responsible gum owner, imo.

 

We consider it safer that people don't know if we have guns or don't have guns. They are always inaccessible, and hidden. I prefer that children are completely unaware of their existence in our home.

[Guinevere]

Also, dh doesn't carry when we have guests.

[DawnM]

That's the way it is here, and the way it was where I was growing up. I am simply not afraid of guns. I am cautious of them. Right now we have a loaded gun on dh's nightstand. The safety is on and I am not worried about it. 

 

If my dd was suicidal, I would make him lock it in the safe, but I am more worried about our personal safety than that. 

 

You are worried about your personal safety?  Do you live in a  bad area or have you been threatened? 

 

[QueenCat]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

 

When we lived in TN and AL, most people had guns. Usually for hunting but some also for personal protection. In MD, I didn't know anyone with guns so if they had them, it was not brought up. In VA and GA, it was less of a given; some with, some without. Sometimes you knew, sometimes you didn't. Honestly, as long as they're locked up and children don't know the code or have access to the key, it doesn't really matter to me.

[maize]

A gun properly locked up would not worry me and I would not feel a need to know.

 

A loaded gun left on a table would make me very upset.

Edited July 21, 2017 by maize

[Pam in CT]

Interesting question, particularly side-by-side with the other thread about whether there is an "obligation" to disclose transgender status to someone who might be "affected" by it.

 

Pondering.

[EmilyGF]

This is a question asked at well child check ups - does your child spend time at a home with a gun? If so, is it locked up?

 

This isn't really an issue given the crowd I run with, but could have been in various other places we lived.

 

Emily

[TheReader]

Well, I'm in Texas, where most people have guns. In fact, I remember when my oldest was in cub scouts and they visited the police station....the officers asked the boys how many had their own hunting knifes/pocket knifes, and nearly all of these 7 and 8 yr old boys answered yes. They asked them how many had their own hunting rifle, and about half of these boys answered yes. That was eye-opening to me, even a native Texan. But anyway, that's the culture here....perhaps less so in the town where I currently live, as it's one of the most culturally diverse cities/suburbs in Texas (I think our county is the most culturally/racially diverse county in the state), with a lot more folks who are not native Texans than those who are. 

 

That said, I'm in the "I'll tell people if they ask, but I don't volunteer the information." It just doesn't cross my mind. We teach our own kids gun safety, and our boys have zero curiosity about guns, know guns are a tool to be handled with adult supervision, period, only, ever, and in general ignore the weapons in our home. We don't currently have an actual gun safe, but all of the weapons are kept unloaded, and behind closed doors (which can and would be locked if we had young visitors coming over), with the ammo kept in a locked safe, for which the kids do not know the combination. 

 

Most people our boys interact with, though, also grew up around guns, understand gun safety, and respect the fact that our bedroom (and therefore also the closet) is off limits, and like I said, I'd lock the closet if we had guests who were either young, not familiar with guns, or otherwise gave me reason to feel that was a better choice. 

 

(I should note: we just in the past 2 weeks took possession of our hunting rifles, as they were being stored by a relative when we were in Brazil and we just now got them back; this is the only reason we haven't bought a gun safe yet, as the hand gun fits in our regular safe. It is on the list to get a proper gun safe now that the rifles are back in our home, and again, the ammo IS kept locked up separately from the rifles). 

 

(I should also note: if a guest ever asked, and was uncomfortable, I would gladly comply with any requests by the parent to further ensure safety. There are 3 doors that can be locked between the main house and where the guns are stored; I would volunteer to lock all 3 if a parent wanted, and assure them that the ammo is further separately locked as well).

[TheReader]

Interesting question, particularly side-by-side with the other thread about whether there is an "obligation" to disclose transgender status to someone who might be "affected" by it.

 

Pondering.

 

I haven't posted in that thread, but I'm in the same "it's up to the owner of the information to decide when to tell, and if it's a deal breaker for someone, it's up to them to ask" sort of feeling on that issue, too. 

 

I also think that information (at least in the case of biological parts not matching gender, such as pre-surgery) affects a romantic partner more than does the existence of a gun in my home affect a visitor who will never come in contact with said gun. Now, if someone were considering moving in, staying the night and sleeping in my room, house sitting or pet sitting, or otherwise would be likely to come into contact with the gun.....then definitely it would be on me to inform them. 

[Twolittleboys]

Interesting question. I have actually never thought about it but basically I would say there is no need to say anything as long as the guns are safely stored/locked. And if they are not stored / locked you shouldn't let atrangers/acquaintances walk around there in the first place.

 

As long as the weapons are safely kept, I don't really care. It isn't any of my business. If they are not, there is so much that can go wrong: visiting children/teenagers, people wanting to be funny whatever.

 

For me (and I have no clue about guns) this is not a question of disclosure but of basic safety.

[Saddlemomma]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

 

Rural northern ME.  Prior to that, rural VT on a mountain.  We like the privacy and independence of the boonies, but it comes with it's drawbacks as well.

 

Where we live, it would take over 20 minutes for police to reach us in an emergency.  I can't ask a perpetrator to just wait because it will take the police a while to arrive.  Because we are so rural, with too few law enforcement officers for such a large area, Meth is a real problem here. It's easier to cook up & distribute without being observed or found.

 

Just a few months ago, DH called the state police because he found a discarded soda bottle along one side of one of our fields that had a crystalline residue inside.  We couldn't touch it because we had to make sure it wasn't meth residue. Thankfully it wasn't, but the DEA agent said we were smart to check and thanked us.

 

For the last year, I've been serving on the Grand Jury for our county. 95% of our crime is meth related, including domestic violence (due to meth addiction).  This means that break-ins for the ingredients or prescription drugs are a real concern.  Since jury duty, I've learned of several robberies and assaults right in our town due to drugs. People on meth are CRAZY.

 

That's just one reason to have guns here.  The other is dealing with the nature of our area.  

• Woodchucks eating our garden produce (which we rely on for the coming year) are dispatched quickly (unless our dog gets to them first).
• We have had to dispose of rabid animals in the past. (Kind of funny story about that one. One of our closest neighbors on the mountain in VT were extreme anti-gun people and had disdain for those who had them. Well, one day they had a rabid skunk terrorizing/attacking them & their horse. They knew we had them because they could hear us practice off and on, as our land was contiguous to theirs. That day, as we were returning home from work, the wife frantically flagged us down in our SUV on the way home.  She begged us to get our guns and kill the thing. She was hysterical. We found it wandering unsteadily not to far up the road and took care of it.  I think they were the only people on our mountain without a gun of any kind.  They loved to tell us how they hated guns and how evil they were, but couldn't wait for us to use one to protect them.)
• Foxes stealing chickens, ducks, and trying to attack our cat have come to swift ends.  
• Slaughtering our pigs is easier with a gun.  
• Every few years we get a cycle of extremely sick, unhealthy foxes & coyotes infested with mange and kennel cough traveling through our fields. If they are sickly (and you can definitely tell) they are culled by us.
• DH supplements our meat with copious rabbits and geese during hunting season.

That's why people like us, who live where we do, have guns.  They are a necessary tool to live where we do, the way we want to and without all the PIA rules, regulations, fees, and potential nosy/problem neighbors of the suburbs. Additionally, Even with the meth problems, our crime rate is still much lower than most other areas.

[catz]

I would find the situation in the OP very upsetting and we probably wouldn't go to that house any more. 

 

I personally think irresponsible gun owners should have their permits and weapons taken away and be liable for anything that happen  involving their unsecured weapon.  I think there was an incident shared here where some older woman left her loaded weapon in the women's restroom in a public place where there was a day care?  That should be grounds to lose your weapons and permit(s) IMO.   Securing weapons protects the owner of the weapon as well. 

 

ETA - I have no issue with secured weapons in safes, etc. 

Edited July 21, 2017 by WoolySocks

[displace]

Where do you people live where everyone you know has a gun?

I don't know if everyone I know has a gun, but I strongly suspect it based on the population: very high military percentage (I guess 20% or higher), in a conservative state that has upheld "stand your ground" laws, with casual conversations heard about guns, self defense, common advertising of concealed weapon classes, etc.

 

My kids don't spend a lot of time in people's homes (mostly we meet up with kids at parks or coop or wherever). I'm not certain when DS gets older how I'll vet families. My own parents own guns but they aren't there without me. I think it's safer to ask every family about gun ownership but I suspect this is next to impossible with teenagers.

 

No great answers.

[Guinevere]

I don't know if everyone I know has a gun, but I strongly suspect it based on the population: very high military percentage (I guess 20% or higher), in a conservative state that has upheld "stand your ground" laws, with casual conversations heard about guns, self defense, common advertising of concealed weapon classes, etc.

 

My kids don't spend a lot of time in people's homes (mostly we meet up with kids at parks or coop or wherever). I'm not certain when DS gets older how I'll vet families. My own parents own guns but they aren't there without me. I think it's safer to ask every family about gun ownership but I suspect this is next to impossible with teenagers.

 

No great answers.

I usually have a strong feeling about who can watch my kids. I've often decided within moments of meeting them, and it's eerie how often I've made the right call. Twice, I've later found out about safety issues (one involving a gun!) and twice, abuse. I think it is hard to know, but, be observant, listen to your gut, and teach your child well. As mine get older, I find myself allowing many more opportunities than I thought I would, because I don't have to put my trust in a stranger or adult I don't know well. I can put my trust in my child.

[goldberry]

No, gun owners do not have an obligation to automatically disclose this to visitors. If you, the visitor, wants to know, then ask.

 

When DD was younger, I absolutely asked anywhere she would be longer than a few minutes.  My niece and her husband I knew had guns, and I asked about their storage and safety procedures.  Definitely babysitters were asked.  I didn't continue to ask once she was older, but we didn't have any real reason to either.

 

But what the OP described, I would consider that an entirely unsafe situation.

[Carol in Cal.]

 

 

For the last year, I've been serving on the Grand Jury for our county. 95% of our crime is meth related, including domestic violence (due to meth addiction).  This means that break-ins for the ingredients or prescription drugs are a real concern.  Since jury duty, I've learned of several robberies and assaults right in our town due to drugs. People on meth are CRAZY.

 

A month ago in a sleepy mountain 'cabins' town near here, a cabin was burned to the ground and the one next door almost destroyed due to a random seeming fire, when the owners were not there.

 

Half an hour later a meth head staggered into a nearby campground wearing gloves on his feet, accosted several youngish children, and then went into a camping trailer not his own and fell asleep.  He was arrested there, and later it was discovered that he had entered the garage of one of the cabins that burned down, lit a fire in a barbeque that was pulled inside while the owners were absent, and set the place on fire that way.

 

He was completely out of it.  The arrest pictures show the proverbial 'eyes as big as saucers'.  

 

Dude was 52, lest you think this is a teenage drug problem.  

[goldberry]

Interesting question. I have actually never thought about it but basically I would say there is no need to say anything as long as the guns are safely stored/locked. And if they are not stored / locked you shouldn't let atrangers/acquaintances walk around there in the first place.

 

 

 

Yeah, I don't see anyone who is that careless with guns being that thoughtful in other ways.  They would hardly announce, "Hey, I don't follow common sense safety with my gun, so you should be careful!"  People that do that typically don't think there is anything wrong with it.  If I saw that, it is likely I would not consider that house a safe place for our family, and I would not have any problem telling them that was the issue.

 

I agree with a PP who said that people not securing their weapons (leaving them out in a public place, etc) should be subject to penalties.

[catz]

I didn't really answer the question about disclosure in either thread.  I think info should be disclosed when it might affect someone.  In the case of a trans person and meeting up for coffee or a movie, I don't think it need be disclosed immediately, but if the relationship progresses then yes, disclosure is important.  I married at 29 and had plenty of casual dates over many years where I never got to the point of intimacy or disclosing personal information. 

 

In the case of a weapon, if a weapon is secured in a safe, I don't think disclosure is necessary.  If guns are going to be out and especially loaded, I appreciate disclosure.

 

In either case, lack of disclosure in a timely manner can and will affect and possibly end relationships. 

[Saddlemomma]

A month ago in a sleepy mountain 'cabins' town near here, a cabin was burned to the ground and the one next door almost destroyed due to a random seeming fire, when the owners were not there.

 

Half an hour later a meth head staggered into a nearby campground wearing gloves on his feet, accosted several youngish children, and then went into a camping trailer not his own and fell asleep.  He was arrested there, and later it was discovered that he had entered the garage of one of the cabins that burned down, lit a fire in a barbeque that was pulled inside while the owners were absent, and set the place on fire that way.

 

He was completely out of it.  The arrest pictures show the proverbial 'eyes as big as saucers'.  

 

Dude was 52, lest you think this is a teenage drug problem.  

 

Definitely not just teens.  All ages, sexes, and all walks of life are involved.  What I have found particularly interesting though is that in about 75% of the cases I've heard, the perps have been born in the '80s.  However, we've heard about those in their 60s as well. The ones that really upset me are those cooking meth with toddlers right in the house with them.  Shaking meth during the production stage is extremely dangerous and known to spontaneously explode.  Many have been severely burned and lost limbs.

[ealp2009]

Does a person with a gun in the house need to reveal that to a person visiting?

 

Does it matter the circumstances?

 

Rifles for hunting, but all locked and unloaded?

Revolver, unloaded and locked up?

Loaded gun locked up?

Unloaded locked up?

 

 

I have had a depressed teen so this really bothers me.

 

We were at a home recently where the dad came home, lifted up his shirt, took his gun out of the holster (I didn't even know they had one!) and laid it on the table, loaded, and walked away to go take his shower.

 

I was floored and honestly angry. My son was there, they know he struggles with depression, and although his therapist has never felt he was suicidal, I worry.

I don't know that they have an obligation to reveal it but pulling it out and putting a loaded gun on the table is really odd behavior especially with guests or children. It is not behavior I would feel comfortable with.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Word Nerd]

Where I live you can safely assume that there is a gun in the home no matter whose house you are visiting, and a fair number of people you meet every day are carrying.

[Pam in CT]

re comparability of presence of a firearm, and transgender status (as in other thread)

I think that two people interacting with each other in a romantic relationship is a completely different situation than the presence of an inaccessible inanimate object in the home.

 

 

No two interactions are identical, for sure.  There are always differences.

 

 

In the OP, the gun was loaded and on the kitchen table, in the presence of a person known to the family to be struggling with mental illness.  So, in that particular case, there is no need to disclose: it's right there.

 

If it were loaded and on the table but in the adjacent room, where a person suffering with mental illness or a small child could come across it, but would not necessarily?  Or loaded in, say, a closet where a child innocently playing hide-and-seek might come across it (this actually happened to one of my children, which doubtless colors my perspective).

 

Is there an obligation to disclose, or is incumbent on the person who cares to ask?  What if asking is embarrassing?

 

 

 

I'm struggling because my instincts tilt differently on the two examples -- but I do think the root principle is similar.

 

 

[City Mouse]

I think the person visiting needs to ask if that is a concern. I don't tell every person who enters my house that we have guns, but my DH is a police officer so I would assume that that they should know we have guns.

 

As long as the home owner is honest when asked about guns, I don't see any problem.

[ktgrok]

Here there are no laws about properly secured weapons.  So telling someone or not telling someone...does not matter.

 

If some kid climbed my fence and drowned in my baby pool I'd have my arse dragged through legal mud.  If one's kid shoots someone with your gun because they were playing around (and it was easy to get), meh...so what.  One's rights as a gun owner are more important. 

 

I find this pretty astounding. 

 

Where I live there definitely are laws about it. It must be secured in a way that there is no access to minors.

 

As it should be. 

[lllll]

nm 

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by tentwelve