Every year about 900 hunters are killed or injured in hunting accident. Dick Cheney, our Vice President just shot his Texas friend of thirty years in the neck and face. Cheney is an experienced hunter and proved that a hunter must continually be on guard to prevent accidents. Cheney suffered great sorrow because of the accident as you would if you shot your friend or even a stranger.

Many Americans know about guns and their hazards. In the west, boys own guns at a very young age. Some girls learn about guns too. They know guns are dangerous.

Many learn about guns in the military. They learn rifle range rules to keep from shooting the target monitors and each other. Most states have gun laws that require that youngsters take a gun class before they are allowed to hunt. That is a good idea.

There is a good set of firearm safety rules at http://www.uoregon.edu/~joe/firearms-safety.html. READ THEM!

Here are my rules: The Taylor Jones Rules for Hunting

1. Keep your firearm in good condition. That means to clean it and oil it after use and to check it occasionally while it is in storage. Remove any excess oil when you decide to use the firearm.

2. Store your firearm in a locked cabinet. Since you just cleaned it, it should not be loaded. Check to see if it is loaded. If it is, unload it.

3. Make sure the lock on your gun cabinet is of high quality and that it can not be picked or pried open. Keep the key on your key ring in your possession or in a secure place that others can not find. Remember that children are very clever and if they want to get into your gun cabinet, they will if you don