A Michigan man whose 2-year-old daughter shot herself in the head with his revolver last week pleaded not guilty after becoming the first person charged under the state’s new law requiring safe storage of guns.

Michael Tolbert, 44, of Flint, was arraigned Monday on nine felony charges including single counts of first-degree child abuse and violation of Michigan’s gun storage law, said John Potbury, Genesee County’s deputy chief assistant prosecuting attorney.

Tolbert’s daughter remained hospitalized Wednesday in critical condition from the Feb. 14 shooting, Potbury said. The youngster shot herself the day after Michigan’s new safe storage gun law took effect.

  • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    I do not understand how a parent can be so irresponsible as to leave a gun easily accessible in a house with children. Kids are really really resourceful. Its bit like keeping a hyper intelligent racoon inside with a drive to kill itself through curiosity. Guy definitely deserves charges

    • EdibleFriend@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Because a gun lock is liberal and gay and if you use one you basically are announcing to the world you just bought Beyoncé tickets.

    • EssentialCoffee@midwest.social
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      8 months ago

      It doesn’t take much to understand it. He’s from Flint. If you know the area, there’s a lot of reciprocal violence. He has previous offenses. It’s hard to get out. He probably knows plenty of people who’ve had loaded guns around their kids and nothing ever happened.

      Yes, he deserves the charges, but like, this isn’t some gentrified place. As a society, we really aren’t helping folks in depressed urban areas to get better lives either.

    • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
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      8 months ago

      I do not understand how a parent can be so irresponsible as to keep a weapon designed only to maim or kill in their house with their children.

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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        8 months ago

        The farther you get from America, the more woefully absurd it sounds. But, right in the middle of America, it’s a very different place.

        And at this point in time, gun fetishism has gone meta-static and is afflicting many different states.

        And it’s not the possession of guns alone: I’ve seen the exposé where Switzerland’s gun culture is compared, and questions are asked about how they can have one gun per adult and still suffer an almost non-existent rate of accidents and murders. A lot of it resembles the 1950s where kids would be part of a school .22 target rifle team, store their guns and ammo on the premises and still no one got hurt.

        I really think it’s the worship of guns, where Meal Team 6 tries to emulate cowboys of old, and fails on every level.

        • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          Honestly I just think it’s irresponsible people. No proof but I have a hunch that Americans tend to be more laid-back with things like firearms than people in Switzerland might be. We used to be more careful but we got far too comfortable with them.

          • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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            8 months ago

            I’m American and I can confirm. All the people I know who are really into guns treat them like toys. They may spout off the “3 rules” but it pretty much stops there. The whole attitude they have is just gross to me and so different from how I was raised to treat firearms.

      • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        I mean you can make the same argument about items like a bow and arrow, crossbows, and swords. There are valid reasons to have weapons in the house however they should be locked up so that they aren’t accessible normally.

          • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Target practice. Inherited heirlooms. Defense while camping. People find them cool. People keep guns for the same reason people keep swords. I understand that it is a tool designed for killing but at the end of the day it is still a tool. Don’t get me wrong I’m still all for gun control but I do understand why people would want to keep a gun in their home. You don’t have to agree with it but you shouldn’t punish people who responsibly own firearms.

            • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
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              8 months ago

              That’s the problem. I don’t think it’s possible to be responsible and own a firearm.

              I wouldn’t keep a tiger in my house. I don’t care if dad bequeathed it to me, or I totally have a lock on the door, or it’s ok, I’ve done a tiger training course. Why invite the risk? Because I really fucking like tigers? Fuck everyone else, I like tigers.

              • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                Okay that’s interesting thought. See the difference in your example is that a tiger is a sentient being but you have no control over. If I got bequeathed a tiger I probably surrender that too. A gun is a tool which is easily contained. What’s the difference between keeping a firearm and a sword or a bow and arrow when there are also tools initially designed to kill/maime?

                • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
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                  8 months ago

                  The control in both these examples comes from the human. Who should be smart enough not to keep weapons or tigers in a house. That decision is available to everyone. Unless your intention is to maim or kill. Then it makes sense.

                  • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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                    8 months ago

                    I see your mind is made up on this topic. You also haven’t addressed anything I have said. Good talk.

                  • SupraMario@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    This is just flat out dumb, none of my firearms have ever been used for violence. They’re in a safe, and not loaded, and all my ammo is in another part of the house. Just because you can’t fathom how it’s possible to be safe with something that’s dangerous, doesn’t mean they’re automatically dangerous by themselves. Do you lock up your kitchen knives? Or make sure your matches are separate from the box they come in?

                  • EtherWhack@lemmy.world
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                    8 months ago

                    So, no disinfectants (chemicals intended to kill, just really small things) either?

                    How about pets? A cat’s teeth and claws were designed to kill, as are a dog’s fangs …err canines

                  • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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                    8 months ago

                    Do you mean geographically or are you asking for examples?

                    Either way it really has nothing to do with the question of why someone would keep a gun in their home. There are people in the suburbs who hunt and there are suburbs that you can’t rely on police for protection. I grew up in one where home invasions and robberies were common.

      • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        I wouldn’t focus on his plea. He’s likely doing this on the advice of his lawyer to secure plea deal. Initial charges always very harsh and this is a pretty common tactic in American court. It’s like companies who won’t say “you’re sorry” because it opens them up to liability.

    • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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      8 months ago

      First of all, I agree with you that guns should be locked up if there’s going to be kids/morons around them. I want to add that there’s also a responsibility if you have both guns and children in your house that you should be teaching the children not to touch them (this is probably a good idea even if you don’t have guns and live in the USA). DO NOT TOUCH THE GUNS was drilled into me and my siblings for longer than I can remember. My grandfather kept a rack of long guns in the back bedroom of their house where we would sometimes play as kids and none of use ever even looked at them for more than a few seconds without somebody being like “don’t touch those”. I do consider that to be irresponsible as fuck but my point is education would certainly help prevent injuries if a kid did happen to get access to a gun.

      • adhdplantdev@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        I mean I completely agree with you and that is definitely a rule in my house however if a parent can’t be bothered to lock up their gun I’m not entirely sure they’re going to bother teaching their kid not to touch the gun.

        • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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          8 months ago

          Yeah, unfortunately the common trends with gun violence are morons, criminals, and crazy people. All of which are a much bigger problem to solve.