# Congressman shoots up at reception in his honor!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 7, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820 "2002-08-07T18:57:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/1 "2002-08-07T18:57:04Z")

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[Pistol Fires at Event for Representative Barr](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=684&ncid=703&e=7&u=/ap/20020807/ap_on_el_ho/congressman_pistol_2)

> [@](#):
>
> ATLANTA (AP) - An antique .38-caliber pistol accidentally discharged as it was being handled by Rep. Bob Barr ( news, bio, voting record) during a reception in his honor. The bullet hit a glass door, and no one was hurt.
> 
> Georgia lobbyist Bruce Widener said Tuesday that he had removed the magazine from his 1908 Colt but did not clear the chamber before handing the weapon to Barr, a board member of the National Rifle Association.
> 
> Widener said “one of us hit the trigger” just as he gave Barr the gun

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**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/2 "2002-08-07T19:11:18Z")

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To paraphrase the N.R.A. “there are already enough gun laws on the books, what is needed is strict enforcement of those laws”

ummmm, wreckless endagerment anyone? With the added penalty of the “comitted with a firearm” provision? We need to get these nuts off the street.

if guns are outlawed, only outlaw’s children will be accidently shot

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**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/3 "2002-08-07T19:27:16Z")

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**"Nobody was in any danger. We were handling it safely, except that it was loaded," said Widener, an independent lobbyist**

I have been cracking up since I read this.

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**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/4 "2002-08-07T19:38:24Z")

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I opened this thread thinking, “Marion Barry’s a congressman now?”.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/5 "2002-08-07T20:18:35Z")

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His opponent now calls him “a loose cannon”? Bwhaaahaa!

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**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressman-shoots-up-at-reception-in-his-honor/122820/6 "2002-08-07T20:18:47Z")

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I did not find it [funny](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=129604)