re: Nice to see the Political Talk board is reading the OB

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Whether I leave a wallet, phone, laptop, fishing pole or firearm in my vehicle and its stolen the victim shouldn't be condemned for leaving the items in a manner that it could be accessed by a criminal, in the same regard that a person who is raped shouldn't condemned for wearing clothes that suggest that he/she should be raped.

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It's not about condemnation. Feminists use the same argument about why women have no "responsibility" when it comes to rape. I agree that they don't bear fault for being the victim of a violent crime, but that's a different discussion from general self-responsibility. We don't want to reach a point where we're telling people "don't worry about avoiding bad areas" or "don't feel like you need to go out in groups or tell people where you're going" because that is too close to "blaming" someone for rape. Have to keep the concepts separate, IMO.

It's a touchy line, I've got no interest in crapping on folks who get things stolen, but given the nature of people who break into cars, and the relative insecurity of cars for storing valuable items, I just think it unwise for most people to leave firearms in vehicles as a matter of habit. I think owning and carrying a gun comes with heightened obligations to ensure something you can use safely doesn't fall into the hands of someone who may not use it safely or use it for ill will. We have to draw the line somewhere, and I think frequently leaving a gun in a vehicle is where I'd draw mine.