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.

  • corsicanguppy
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    9 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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      9 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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        9 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.