I'm an active 3 gun shooter and have shot some more rigorous invitation only "tactical" matches. I consider myself to be a safe shooter/competitor - it's not that I'm super skilled or super confident, I just always take a moment to remind myself what each sitation requires in order to remain safe. I do not let the "need for speed" become my driving factor - I can clear a jam in a heartbeat, but when equipment breaks or something really out of the ordinary happens I back off and slow down. I have observed this same behavior in top shooters (I'm aspiring, but not there yet).
My regular group of shooters is also very safety oriented, as are most competitive shooters. Rarely do you find a Highpower, IPSC, PPC, Bullseye or other type of competitive shooter that is not continuously focused on safety.
On the other hand some "gun guys", you know the type - they talk the talk, but their gun handling skills and safety just isn't there. A pleasant day at the range becomes suddenly very stressful when you have to continuously watch the guy next to you to ensure he's not pointing his muzzle in your direction or shooting a rocks down range, etc.
The liberal crowd keeps driving for more gun control, personally I'd like to see gun safety/handling taught in middle/high school.
Thoughts?
Ryan