 While hunting, it appears that Vice President Dick Cheney broke the Number One Rule of the sport: Be sure that you know what you are shooting at before you fire a gun. Cheney wounded his hunting partner Harry Whittington in the face, neck and chest because he did not see Whittington as the Vice President fired upon what he thought was a covey of quail. Hunting safety experts that were interviewed in the aftermath of the shooting indicated that Whittington should have announced himself before approaching the Vice President's position. However, they did note that the shooter always is responsible for knowing his surroundings and avoiding hitting other people with gunfire. Mark Birkhauser, President-elect of the International Hunter Education Foundation, in remarking on the importance of knowing what is around you before you shoot a gun, stressed that once you pull the trigger on the gun, you cannot bring the shot back. |
