Okay, guys – can we talk?

I’m in a few different gun groups across several social media platforms. For the most part, they’re informative and I love going in to see what people are talking about, asking advice on, or just generally sharing. It helps me to gauge what I’m writing on Bearing Arms and to learn more in my own journey into the fray of firearms, so to speak.

However, a very disturbing, very alarming trend popped up in one group yesterday. As most of you know, I was raised in rural Wisconsin by an NRA-supporting, gun-toting, hunting, Second Amendment defending father who taught me the four rules of gun safety very early on.

I’ve taught these same four rules to my own children and shared them with countless numbers of readers, listeners, fans, kids who visit my house, women in the checkout line at the grocery store, random bystanders, and basically anyone who has even the slightest interest in hearing anything I have to say. I do this because I firmly believe that if everyone, and I mean everyone, was taught and followed to these four basic rules, we could avoid many unnecessary shootings, if not all of them.

Anyone disagree with me so far?

Okay, then. Yesterday, three ridiculous pictures were posted in said Facebook group in quick secession and I almost lost my damn mind!

Um… why? FINGER. TRIGGER. NO.

Then this one was posted:

Oh dear Lord, what the fresh hell is this?! Who does that?!?!

But wait, it gets worse…

F.M.L. I don’t even know where to start. Can you tell how fast this idiot is going? Is he across the center line? WHY IS HIS FINGER ON THE DAMN TRIGGER?!?!?!

Okay, bottom line: social media is not the place to show off your dumbassery when it comes to firearms.

PERIOD.

When you see pictures like this, please share the four rules of gun safety with the person and encourage them to not only take part in a firearms instruction course, but to also make sure they are posting responsible gun pics on social media as well.

We don’t need to give the grabbers any more reasons to hate us or push to restrict our rights.