Please explain to me "My first gun."

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Jferr006

The article is about a 5 y/o that shot his sister, not 21 y/o gangbangers or overall gun control. If it's about overall gun control than just say so....

I thought it wa about a mother who lost a daughter because she was careless.

[sammyg2]

I didn't get my first gun until I was about 12.
Before that I had to use my grandfather's rifle to go off huntin in the desert.
After I finished all my chores of course ...........

[Jferr006]

Originally Posted by flipper35

I thought it wa about a mother who lost a daughter because she was careless.

That too.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Jferr006

Whether it s a gun marketed for 5 y/o's or adults it the parents' resonsibility to make sure guns are secured!

Have you seen some of the parents around here?!?!? BTW, this shooting happened not too far from here.

Everyone around here is armed to the teeth and the relationship between "armed to the teeth" and "responsible parents" is an inverse correlation.

[911boost]

Wait, I am confused.

Sounds to me like you have become soured on firearms or you at least make it sound like that when you mention selling your "assault rifle" and are attempting to create drama and push your beliefs with a thread like this.

The real issue I see here is poor parenting, nothing more.

My kids have shot firearms, they each have air guns, that are stored in the safe, locked away until we go camping or they are taken out to be used with proper adult supervison. My daughter also has her own compound bow. She knows how to use it safely and knows that it is not a toy.

How someone came blame a company for creating something that is actually useful because of the mistakes of the consumers has always baffled me....

Bill

[techweenie]

LOL. All the usual knee jerk responses.

I'm not one of those people who values the lives of children over adults. The whole point of the original post was that children as young as 4 are not an appropriate target for gun marketing.

The inevitable happens. And this is far from an isolated incident. At least three times in the past 6 weeks a small child has shot and killed another small child.

My problem is with 'gun nuts' that give access to guns to small children. It's bad enough when its carelessness and it's -- IMO -- worse when its a company's policy to put guns in the hands of 4, 5, 6 or 7 year olds.

Sure, there are kids who are mature at 8 or 9 or 10. There are plenty here who aren't mature in their 30s and 40s.

How many children do you know who are 4-7 years old who should be handling a weapon of any kind?

[Hads930]

My daughter has that rifle in pink and stainless, got it when she was 5. It's in the safe with the other firearms. Its not a toy and is handled as such. This has nothing to do with the gun or the age of the child, it has everything to do with morons being parents. We can regulate gun ownership but any idiot can have a child.

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by Hads930

My daughter has that rifle in pink and stainless, got it when she was 5. It's in the safe with the other firearms. Its not a toy and is handled as such. This has nothing to do with the gun or the age of the child, it has everything to do with morons being parents. We can regulate gun ownership but any idiot can have a child.

We're mostly in agreement on this, but I don't like a gun manufacturer targeting these marginal parents with advertising that encourages them to make stupid decisions on gun access.

Darwinism doesn't always punish the stupid, sometimes it's the person standing next to the stupid one.

[Rikao4]

Tech..I looked at the shooting list..
if they did something other than turning them loose...
many of those killings would not have occurred..
the other things needed..
a fast track real death penalty..
and mandatory jail times..
NY stop & frisk did an awesome job..
while Chi town ..
the killers talk about their rights being threatened..
and it's sheeple continue to be culled..
so the press will moan and groan about the little girl..
while Antoine with 2 deadly assault by age 17 is out tonight..
looking for some action..

Rika

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

Tech..I looked at the shooting list..
if they did something other than turning them loose...
many of those killings would not have occurred..
the other things needed..
a fast track real death penalty..
and mandatory jail times..
NY stop & frisk did an awesome job..
while Chi town ..
the killers talk about their rights being threatened..
and it's sheeple continue to be culled..
so the press will moan and groan about the little girl..
while Antoine with 2 deadly assault by age 17 is out tonight..
looking for some action..

Rika

Yes, agree with most of your points. But adults are responsible for their own actions. The legal system rarely puts anyone under 15 on trial as an adult. My problem is with arming children -- especially 4-7 year olds.

[BeyGon]

If "you" can teach children about sex, abortion, and how not to have babies why can't you teach them to safely shoot and not kill someone.

[Jferr006]

Originally Posted by IROC

Have you seen some of the parents around here?!?!? BTW, this shooting happened not too far from here.

Everyone around here is armed to the teeth and the relationship between "armed to the teeth" and "responsible parents" is an inverse correlation.

The amount of guns you have, or don't have, has no bearing on how responsible you are as a parent. I'm guessing all of us own other things that are dangers to kids if used unsupervised, used improperly or at all like someone already said. The responsibily still lies on the parent no matter what the object is, plastic bag or assult rifle.

[biosurfer1]

I'm sure there are kids out there who are more responsible, but after talking with/knowing some of the kids in my wife's second grade class, I would haul a$$ in the other direction if ANY of them was holding a weapon, designed for kids or not. If they don't understand a pencil isn't a toy, I dont trust them to know a pink gun isn't either.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

I'm sure there are kids out there who are more responsible, but after talking with/knowing some of the kids in my wife's second grade class, I would haul a$$ in the other direction if ANY of them was holding a weapon, designed for kids or not. If they don't understand a pencil isn't a toy, I dont trust them to know a pink gun isn't either.

true, those aren't the kids you should be teaching to shoot, wait a year or two for the slow ones, give them time.

[KevinTodd]

Parental negligence. Nothing more and nothing less. Tragic accident surely.

[JavaBrewer]

I'm curious to how you arrived at the conclusion that Crickett marketing of their pink rifle is targeting marginal parents? Second, kudos for selling your assault rifle - I can barely afford to shoot my semi-auto centerfire rifle - would hate to feed something fully automatic.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by BSiple

...The real issue I see here is poor parenting, nothing more.

...

I prefer to think of it as utter stupidity...I'm sure it was there before they became parents . I began shooting .22s when I was around 6-7, and had a shotgun before I was a teen, so I'm a "gun person" and have been all my life. I actually do have a problem with "cute", pink guns, and do fear some of the "gun fascination" that many have acquired in recent years.

ps: A guy I've known since college recently accidently shot himself with an unfamiliar handgun he'd received as compensation. He too had gotten caught up in the recent "gun mania" and he simply "had no clue". An intelligent, funny, 53 yr old attorney...dead. Guns aren't toys....I do not believe in making them "cute" (ESPECIALLY for kids), but everybody has their own opinon...YMMV

[GG Allin]

The 2 yo should have been packin'.

[Jferr006]

Originally Posted by techweenie

How many children do you know who are 4-7 years old who should be handling a weapon of any kind?

Who cares who they are marketed to. How many 4-7 y/o's are buying pink shotguns?...None, the parents are.

[Jeff Higgins]

What a tragedy. My sympathies to everyone involved.

Both of my sons received Chipmunk rifles on their sixth Christmases. They were, of course, locked up at all times we were not actually at the range. I think both learned a great deal of responsibility with them, having their own rifles in amongst adults at the range that demanded they behave appropriately with them. I believe it is part of what shaped the men they are today.

Of course, irresponsible parents are everywhere. We had a similar incident near here just last year. A toddler strapped into a child seat managed to get loose, grab his dad's .38 Special from the center console, and kill his seven year old sister. Mom and dad were in a rush on their way to a wedding, had stopped at a friend's shop for something, and had both gotten out of the mini van "just for a minute".

The negligent father should, of course, be punished severely, right? Right? Apparently not. At least not if he's a cop...

accidental shooting | The Today File | Seattle Times