--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My wife has been killed by a machine…" description: "\"“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2665662.jpg" --- # My wife has been killed by a machine which should never… ![“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of all human wishes come true at once, at a distance: that something die.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2665662.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2665662.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/172/kurt-vonnegut-41_computers_my-wife-has-been-killed-by-a-machine-whi_2665662.jpg) > ““My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of all human wishes come true at once, at a distance: that something die.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Firearms turn distant wishes into instant death, highlighting their lethal ease. **In simple terms:** Guns make killing easy from afar. Key Takeaway Advocate for gun safety. Themes violence technology ethics Mood somber critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - personal safety - media coverage - education Key Concepts weaponry human desire social impact Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives reduce reliance on guns? - How does distance affect moral perception? A Different Perspective Complex causes of gun violence go beyond technology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Firearm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firearm/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Wishes come true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishes-come-true/) ## Related quotes > [“My wife has been killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. 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"Hate to do this, Bill," he said of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-dabbed-at-his-tuxedo-with-a-damp-rag-and-the-fungi-came-away/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Hot lead can be almost as effective coming from a linotype as from a firearm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/hot-lead-can-be-almost-as-effective-coming-from-a-linotype-as-from-a/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [The presence of a firearm makes us all safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/the-presence-of-a-firearm-makes-us-all-safer/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [“When a police officer is pointing a gun at you, pulling your pants up is a proven way of getting you legally killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/when-a-police-officer-is-pointing-a-gun-at-you-pulling-your-pants-up/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I just want to repeat that there's nothing that we've proposed that would make it harder for you to purchase a firearm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-just-want-to-repeat-that-there-s-nothing-that-we-ve-proposed-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [... protection of life is NOT a legitimate use for a firearm in this country sir! Not! That is expressly ruled out!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-rock/protection-of-life-is-not-a-legitimate-use-for-a-firearm-in-this/) [Allan Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-rock/) > [“there’s a certain lack of respect for physics and biology when you ignore the power of a firearm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/there-s-a-certain-lack-of-respect-for-physics-and-biology-when-you/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [“T = Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. A = Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. B = Be certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-behr/t-treat-every-firearm-as-if-it-is-loaded-a-always-point-the-muzzle-in/) [Gary Behr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-behr/) > [“The statement 'I thought he was reaching for a gun' is a police officers license to kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-statement-i-thought-he-was-reaching-for-a-gun-is-a-police/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Carrying a loaded firearm is the gateway crime to committing a murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-mccarthy/carrying-a-loaded-firearm-is-the-gateway-crime-to-committing-a-murder/) Garry McCarthy > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. 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