5 year old given rifle as gift, kills 2 year old sister

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Candlelight, May 1, 2013.

  1. Candlelight

    Candlelight Admiral Admiral

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    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/8622792/Boy-5-kills-sister-with-his-gun

    The 'specifically makes guns for children' part is the most disturbing piece of news print I've read all year.
     
  2. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

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    OMG! Beyond that, I'm speechless.
     
  3. Winged Victory

    Winged Victory Captain Captain

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  4. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    Parents should have gotten the dumb kid a water gun instead.
     
  5. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    I have no problem with making guns for kids. I learned to shoot as a young child, as did my siblings, and my in-laws. Building guns that fit a child's shorter arms is fine. A kid who grows up shooting and learning proper safety practices will be safe as an adult as well. I've seen plenty of adults (go find pictures of some of our politicians crusading against guns for some examples) who were downright scary with a gun because they had no idea how to handle one because they were never taught. It's easier to teach a child than an adult.

    The problem here isn't the existence of such a gun; the problem is giving a 5-year old their own gun. Even more of a problem is the fact that the gun was sitting in the corner with a bullet in it. There are two major problems right there and that's what these parents should be brought up on charges for. If a parent buys a gun for their kid, it is absolutely incumbent upon them to store the gun properly and never have it anywhere the kid can get access to it without adult supervision and the kid absolutely must be taught and be able to demonstrate proper safety practices before the gun is ever loaded.
     
  6. StarMan

    StarMan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    This is in it's own special category of idiocy.
     
  7. Kirby

    Kirby Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yep. What moronic parents; If you have guns in the house they need to be put away where kids can't easily get to them. A 'lil kids' gun is still a gun, and while it's cute and small it can, and has, ended a life due to improper handling.

    The parents need to be brought up on charges, and my prayers go out to this little guy who has to go through life aware of what happened.
     
  8. Data Holmes

    Data Holmes Admiral Admiral

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    Indeed. Very well put.

    water "guns" teach kids way more bad habits than real guns, and make children much more dangerious when presented a real firearm.
     
  9. horatio83

    horatio83 Commodore Commodore

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    Yeah, kids who play with bullets will become great citizens whereas those play with water (oh my god, with water, no way !!!) will end horribly. :rolleyes:
     
  10. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    This, exactly.
     
  11. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    How 'bout this for a rule: if you're too young for Space Mountain, you shouldn't shoot a gun, period.

    And yes, prosecute the parents.
     
  12. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

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    The first time I ever fired a gun was at Boy Scout camp when I was 12 years old. That was the age at which you graduated from air rifles (BB guns) to real firearms for target shooting, and it seems a reasonable age to me. But giving a gun to a five-year-old? That's just sheer lunacy.

    Oh, and I haven't had much to do with guns since. I'm a lousy shot.
     
  13. Kestra

    Kestra Admiral Premium Member

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    There's no age requirement for Space Mountain, just a height one.
     
  14. Tosk

    Tosk Admiral Admiral

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    I think they should make pornography especially for children. You'd have to supervize them with it of course, but it would help them understand sexuality better for later in life. Kids who grow up without pronography will be much more dangerous when it comes time for sexual relations.
     
  15. gturner

    gturner Admiral

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    Kids guns have been around as long as guns have. In Appalachia many kids got their first gun at age six, almost invariably a junior .22 rifle. The average age for getting a personal rifle was 11 or 12, though. I was probably seven or eight before I started shooting a beautiful Remington 512 (a tube fed bolt action which are now hard to find, though the 511 seems common enough).

    This kind of tragedy happened on occasion (Chuck Yeager accidentally killed his baby sister), but it is very uncommon. However, modern indulgent permissive parenting and giving children tools of lethal force don't mix very well.
     
  16. T J

    T J Commodore Commodore

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    What kinda nut gives a weapon to a 5 year old...? And for that matter how does a parent or anyone not make sure there is not a damned bullet in it? Parents should have to take a test to have kids I swear! This is beyond sad.
     
  17. Data Holmes

    Data Holmes Admiral Admiral

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    Let them watch Red Shoe Diaries. Hell, just give them the early 90's Showtime, Cinemax, Discovery Channel and The Learning channel. That was a very informative group of sources.:techman:
     
  18. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

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    It was Chuck Yeager's older brother Roy who killed their little sister.
     
  19. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    The kid isn't dumb, the kid is a kid. Blame the parents.
     
  20. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    Yeah, these idiots are responsible for the death of their kid and for whatever this boy has to go through for the rest of his life. The kid should be placed with a sane family so he can hopefully grow up to cope with this.

    Nobody under the age of 13 should be using a gun and nobody under the age of 18 should be able to own a gun. Neither should anybody with an IQ of "Idiot."