I am a fan of a good burger. I am also a fan of firearms.
Firearms are not toys. They are tools or weapons that have a purpose.
That said, why would you combine the two? Especially with children! I suppose one could have a good barbecue at a shooting event, but would you let your nine year old shoot an Uzi?
At an Arizona range, a firearms instructor was reportedly shot and killed by nine year old with an Uzi.
Are you serious? Who had the bright idea to give a weapon like an Uzi to a child and say have it? It has been reported that the firearms instructor was shot in the head. In addition, the news reports that I read stated that the instructor was following protocol.
Really? While it is sad that the man died, I would be horrified to be the child. Imagine the pain this child will have to live with knowing that she fired the fatal shot that killed a man?
I can only hope that the parents feel remorse. I know I would, but then I would be hard pressed to let me child shoot an Uzi. Now, some will imply that I mean any child should be able to shoot. There are ways to teach shooting sports to children safely. None that I know of involve automatic weapons.
This child will need to undergo long term counseling to help her learn how to live with what happened.
If we want to continue to have the right to bear arms in this country, we need to practice gun control. Most nine year old children that I know don’t have the muscle control to manage a submachine gun.
Responsible gun control is a right. The key word is Responsible.
There is a video of her shooting, it doesn’t show the instructor being shot, but I won’t show it here, because I don’t think it is is good for the nine year old. She will have a difficult enough time in life.
I don’t have firearms in my house. The reason is Responsible. With David’s mental health the way it is, it is something we just choose not to risk. Doesn’t mean he can’t access firearms if he wants to badly enough, but why make it more accessible than absolutely necessary.
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I like a good debate, but will delete comments that I find rude and insensitive. It is possible to have a conversation about this topic without being rude. ~ Carl
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I hate guns. Always have. I don’t like the damage they do so quickly. I hate the fear I have of them. I’ve never owned one and would never want one in my household. I get ‘to each his own’ but it scares me that so many parents are careless and children every year die unnecessarily. Young ones too. Doesn’t matter which parent was to blame. Or, like your example, if it was all ‘protocol’ and just a freak accident. Sad that this child will live the rest of his life knowing he killed someone.
I think depending on where you live, the need for a firearm could increase. However the one you choose and the age of your kids along with the the security measures you go through to keep everyone safe all factor in as well. If I had a gun in my home and the clips was locked in one box while the actual non loaded gun was locked in another, along with bullets locked in a third and the keys hidden I am sure it would be enough to out my mind at ease. When dealing with an older child especially one with severe mental illness, I think that if they are smart enough to find your keys then you should not have a gun in the home no matter what level of protection you need. I also feel the having a baseball bet or a sharp knife is just as dangerous so in most cases, teaching and giving your child the best outlined safety course as possible may be a good way to stay safe.