18 November 2008
Gun Blanks Are Not Safe
Posted by admin under: safety .
At the last camporee I had the pleasure of being involved in a skit with a couple of other Boy Scout leaders. Part of the skit involved blanks being fired off. However, before the skit was performed, and after the Boy Scouts had been cleared well back from the performance area, my cohort, Doug, demonstrated that blanks are not free of danger. Using a soda can filled with water, he fired, point-blank, at the can exploding a huge hole through it. He explained that the gun still discharges a large explosion of superheated gases and wanted the boys to understand that while blanks can be used in performances they are still to be treated carefully because they can kill. We then went on with the skit and got big laughs. It was lots of fun and we plan to do it again this year. Not surprisingly, Doug is a member of the NRA and a certified range master. In Boy Scouts we want the boys to have fun and we control the circumstances so they can do so in complete safety.
Somehow, an Eagle Scout in Utah who was working on his school’s production of the musical “Oklahoma” was killed by a gun loaded with a blank cartridge. Officials are investigating how it could have happened according to Jason Bergreen and Mark Havnes of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Craig Hammer, the Washington County School District’s executive director for secondary education, said Monday that the .38 caliber pistol that killed Tucker Thayer was offered to the school’s drama instructor by the parent of a student in the play. Hammer said that the parent didn’t tell authorities the gun was real.
…
Several hours before the play was to start, Tucker removed the gun from a locked cabinet and it somehow discharged, said St. George police Sgt. James Van Fleet. The gun was loaded with a blank that struck Tucker in the head. He died Saturday about 10 p.m.
Guns can be a very enjoyable experience and I love target shooting. One of the strengths of the Boy Scouts of America is that it wants to educate our kids about the dangers of firearms and what you need to know in order to enjoy them safely. You wouldn’t turn your kid loose on a circular saw without proper training and supervision, either. I’m glad the boys in my troop and district are receiving proper training so they can stay safe. It’s a horrible tragedy that young Mr. Thayer has lost his life due to a lack of proper oversight.
- Girl Scouts Shooting Program
- Local Tragedy
- How Much Does a Statue Run, Nowadays?
- Tequesta’s Tanah Keeta Open to Debate
- Pair of Boy Scout Deaths
