[fabsroman]

Rocky,

You could care less about the guy that got hit because it is not you and you make a portion of your living at gun shows. Most people have trouble putting themselves in the other person's shoes. Like I said in the thread "Maybe I'm Thinking Wrong," we all like to say that we will take the noble approach (i.e., step in front of the bullet that is headed for a family member, push the little girl crossing the street out of the 19 wheeler's way even though we know we are going to get hit and die). I believe in the actions speak louder than words statement. Nobody ever grows up saying he wants to be a criminal or a thief, and we likewise go through life thinking that we will always do the right thing. However, we are not in this guy's shoes. What if he is a construction worker and he is out of work for 3 months while his leg heals. During that time, he loses his job and he loses the house he, his wife, and his three kids live in because it is foreclosed on for non-payment?

Ultimately, the guy that fired the gun was negligent and the shop owner was negligent. The guy that fired the gun didn't adhere to a couple of safety rules 1) muzzle control 2) treat every gun as if it is loaded 3) check the chamber of any gun when it is handed to you and 4) never pull the trigger unless all of the above have been done. The shop, through its owner or employee, assuming it is incorporated, was negligent in handing a loaded gun to this guy because they should have checked the chamber first.

Now, a plaintiff's attorney will most likely sue the shop and the gun show, you know why, because he doesn't want to take the house of the poor bastard that pulled the trigger. We know that the shop and the gun show are more likely to have insurance to cover this sort of thing versus the poor guy that merely pulled the trigger.

Nothing is as easy as it seems, and sometimes there is no win-win situation.