“Don’t let red-state identity politics derail you, JPod. I’m not from the East. I’ve hunted my whole life. All of my friends have also hunted all of their lives. There is NO excuse, period, for ANY hunting accident. I think, as you mentioned, that hunters need to be mindful of their public image. This doesn’t help, and any attempt to explain it away as common, routine or inevitable will only hurt our image with the public.”

“There have to be some of us “country folk” who agree with you. I do.

Growing up in rural Nebraska, I was into the Junior NRA and Boy Scouts big-time – emphasis on gun safety was paramount. (However, I lost interest in hunting itself – my eyesight isn’t very good (glasses have to be perfectly clean) and I like my sleep.)

As much as I admire the VP, what happened was STUPID and reckless, whatever the details happen to be.”

“A relative accidentally shot his own son in a similar hunting accident – but in the face – resulting in permanent loss of sight in one eye and more than 50% loss in the other eye. So, sorry – like any accident – it CAN be a big deal!!”