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Nothing to See Here, Just a GOP Politician Leaving a Loaded 9-mm Glock in the Bathroom of the Colorado State Capitol (www.vanityfair.com)

submitted 5 months ago by ZeroCool@slrpnk.net to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 55 points 5 months ago

At least he didn't do a backflip and shoot into a crowd of people, right?

I think if the pro gun crowd wants to get people on their side they need to be harder on gun carriers who are irresponsible. Leaving a loaded gun anywhere should be anathema.

[-] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 25 points 5 months ago

a LOT of gun owners hate these types of dipshits. Leaving a gun out like that should be a fine or felony.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago

Not enough apparently

[-] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago

Right? I have family that are pro-gun, and I'm almost certain they would be royally pissed about someone being this irresponsible with their weapon.

[-] Cosmicomical@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

But nobody ever hears them complaining. Why?

[-] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 4 points 5 months ago

At the fucking minimum they should lose their right to own guns.

[-] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 41 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Holy shit, this is terrifying. For the entire run time of an episode of Rick and Morty, there was a space where there was a loaded, unattended gun in the state capitol that literally anyone in the building might've happened to find, pick up, and do whatever they want with it.

How can this not be an immediate wake-up call that stricter gun control legislation is necessary? This is Colorado, not Texas, I really hope most of the voters here, even ones that lean conservative, aren't so far gone that they can't see how crazy of a situation this is. Maybe that's naive but I really hope it's not.

[-] frustratedphagocytosis@kbin.social 27 points 5 months ago

In Texas this happens so often we get training on what to do if we find an unsupervised gun in a bathroom at the state owned hospital where I work. We're also not legally allowed to prevent people from carrying weapons in the whole hospital because guns > patients.

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Dystopian...

[-] sanpedropeddler@sh.itjust.works 31 points 5 months ago

I leave my deadly weapons in public bathrooms all the time and no one writes articles about me.

[-] MrFunnyMoustache@lemmy.ml 21 points 5 months ago

Biological weapons don't count unless the flush mechanism fails.

[-] Bonesince1997@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

That's just nasty 😉

[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 15 points 5 months ago

“I take firearm safety very seriously” exactly as expected of any politician. Liar.

[-] neo@feddit.de 14 points 5 months ago

I know that movie! But I think that happened in an Italian restaurant.

[-] greenfish@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

If he brings his gun in the bathroom does he ever sanitize it? 🤔

[-] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 1 points 5 months ago

He kisses it and loves it and wishes he could marry it. Is that enough?

[-] ScottThePoolBoy@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

I'm pretty positive there is a security screening of everyone that enters that building and if you get a weapon past them, you are still breaking the law. I don't believe you can legally carry a gun in that building, if you aren't law enforcement. I may be totally wrong, but I'm confused as to how they didnt get charged with anything.

[+] DABDA@lemm.ee -40 points 5 months ago

Was it extra dangerous because it was a Glock pistol and not Sig Sauer? Would it have been less an issue if it was .380 Auto or .45 ACP instead of 9mm?

"Nothing to See Here, Just a GOP Politician...

leaving their silver Toyota Corolla with gas in the tank parked illegally
wearing a tailored business suit and carrying a leather briefcase while shoplifting
drinking a cold Budweiser beer in an aluminum can in a school parking lot

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 24 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Was it extra dangerous because it was a Glock pistol and not Sig Sauer? Would it have been less an issue if it was .380 Auto or .45 ACP instead of 9mm?

Lemmy when every minor detail isn't contained within the headline:
The StAtE oF MoDeRn JoUrNaLiSm Is AbYsMaL!!!1!

Lemmy when the headline contains relevant detail:
WhY ArE ThEsE JoUrNaLiStS bEiNg So SpEcIfIc?!?1?

[+] DABDA@lemm.ee -19 points 5 months ago

I just don't feel like the make and caliber of the pistol was more pertinent than the name of the politician to highlight in the headline.

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 21 points 5 months ago

If that's what you meant you would have said that. But you didn't. You're clearly upset that vanity fair had the nerve to mention the specific gun. Otherwise you wouldn't have praddled off three other examples to highlight your point. Nice attempt at saving face though.

[+] DABDA@lemm.ee -11 points 5 months ago

Not worried about saving face, my reply was more a rebuttal to yours re: "Lemmy when every minor detail isn't included" etc. I would think the perpetrator's name would be more important than the caliber and manufacturer of the firearm; e.g. "GOP Politician Don Wilson Leaves a Loaded Pistol in the Bathroom" imparts more key information than the one used - and even the fact is was loaded isn't surprising since it being left in the bathroom implies it is used for self-defense and would likely be loaded. There is the possibility that it was some prop used for demonstration that was accidentally left there which would (hopefully) be unloaded so it's not a strictly extraneous detail to include so that alone I don't take issue with.

My issue is just specifying it was Glock and 9mm in the headline was simply because of the public's familiarity with the words but not what they mean necessarily [the most popular handgun in the most popular caliber] and was intended to make the scenario sound even more scary. I used the three examples to point out that they would likely report the other scenarios as simply 'left vehicle parked illegally', omit the clothing and briefcase composition regarding the shoplifting, and not specify the brand of beer or its unsurprising temperature and form factor in the parking lot drinking.

Sure, get specific in the body to accurately describe the facts, but the headline isn't meaningfully changed by omitting those points so I don't think they were needed.

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yes, as I originally said, everyone on Lemmy thinks they know how to do journalist's jobs better than they do and it's beyond old at this point. I'm just going to go ahead and block you now as your lengthy off-topic complaints about journalistic practices have added nothing relevant to the discussion of the actual story.

[-] DABDA@lemm.ee 0 points 5 months ago

I'm glad we were able to discuss this productively and that our comments were voted on based on their quality and not level of agreement.

Surely if we all continue to make brash emotional responses to the concerns around firearm safety instead of effective ones we'll get this menace solved any day now.

[-] halferect@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Journalism isn't some altruistic job, what gets clicks is what matters. A politician leaving a loaded glock 9mm gets clicks, Don wilson leaving a pistol in a bathroom means nothing to me so I won't care and won't click. As long as the content in the article is good I just don't think it's important what the headline is

[+] yesman@lemmy.world -88 points 5 months ago

When you daily-carry, the weapon becomes just like a key-ring, phone, or wallet. Why do you think so many people bring their gun to the airport? Because they fucking forgot they had the thing.

Expecting someone to be ever-vigilant and ever-responsible is not the product of critical thinking.

[-] just2look@lemm.ee 65 points 5 months ago

I’ve carried a firearm for both the military and personally. And even with ADHD do you want to know how many times I left it unattended on accident? Zero times. If you treat a gun like your keys or wallet then you shouldn’t be carrying it.

[-] mark3748@sh.itjust.works 20 points 5 months ago

If you treat a gun like your keys or wallet then you shouldn’t be carrying it.

I don’t leave my keys or wallet unattended. Is that something people do?

[-] just2look@lemm.ee 17 points 5 months ago

Haha I certainly don’t, but I’m less concerned about a small child or a careless adult killing someone with my keys. So I don’t treat them the same way I treat a tool whose sole purpose is violence.

[-] 3laws@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

whose sole purpose is violence.

Let's get real. Its whole purpose is death, nothing lesser nothing else. Sure, you maybe able to stop immediate danger and call it a day with good aim and perfect situation awareness but no gun owner has one to tickle and softly kiss people.

[-] idiomaddict@feddit.de 2 points 5 months ago

constantly

[-] ZeroCool@slrpnk.net 56 points 5 months ago

Typical "responsible gun owner" hot take, folks.

[-] ABCDE@lemmy.world 42 points 5 months ago

Why do you think so many people bring their gun to the airport?

Is it... Because they're fucking morons?

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 34 points 5 months ago

Same can be said for driving a car. No one can be ever vigilant. Sometimes you run over some kids. It happens. /s

[-] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 28 points 5 months ago

This is some serious selfawarewolves content. Sooo close to understanding the idea.

[-] rockSlayer@lemmy.world 24 points 5 months ago

You should always be aware of where your firearm is. I own firearms, but they're located at my dad's house locked and in his safe. If he needs to move them out of the house for any reason, he texts me about it. Carrying a firearm is a major responsibility and you must always be vigilant to where your firearm is and where it's pointed. There are no excuses.

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago

Expecting someone to always be responsible with a firearm is absolute bare minimum. If you can't do that, you shouldn't have one.

[-] paraphrand@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago

Expecting someone to be ever-vigilant and ever-responsible is not the product of critical thinking.

It’s a fucking gun!

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago

But I can't be expected to know where it is at all times! What if I get exceedingly drunk? Or have a massive bowel movement? Or am incredibly fucking stupid? Really this is your fault for trusting me with it.

[-] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 18 points 5 months ago

That's some quality satire.

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 15 points 5 months ago

Did you forget the /s ?

[-] HuddaBudda@kbin.social 6 points 5 months ago

Expecting someone to be ever-vigilant and ever-responsible is not the product of critical thinking.
reply

I love this take because it is absolutely correct. No one can be ever-responsible and ever-vigilant at all times 24/7.

Yet we sell these weapons to counter a theoretical attack that can happen at any time.

At that point, why is the answer to a lack of critical thinking and responsibility, except more absence of critical thinking and responsibility?

[-] Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 5 months ago

When you daily-carry, the weapon becomes just like a key-ring, phone, or wallet. ... Expecting someone to be ever-vigilant and ever-responsible is not the product of critical thinking.

If you can't handle your daily-carry responsibly, you shouldn't have a daily-carry at all. That's the long and short of it.

[-] BallsandBayonets@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

I've never left my phone, keys, or wallet in a public bathroom either, and those can't kill anyone (unless you use the phone to read your comment, which causes death by proximity to stupid).

this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2024

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