Doing Dumb Things

The 9-year-old who accidentally killed the instructor who was teaching her how to shoot an UZI raises an important question: “Should we be teaching our kids to shoot automatic weapons?” And, “Should we make laws to prevent it?” Which brings up another question: “Are 9-year-old children responsible enough to be able to shoot such guns?” I have always been in favor of teaching kids about guns, stressing safety and responsible handling of a gun. The very first attempted school shooting was scotched when the would-be shooter was ventilated by bullets from many guns in the hands of the children, who then (in the 1800s) all had guns and took them to school without a problem because they were taught about shooting and regularly used them to help provide food for the table). But teaching a 9-year-old to handle an UZI? Not smart. They’re way too young at that age to handle such a gun. Teach them about gun safety (including safety in handling ALL guns, including an Uzi) and allow them to shoot lesser guns under tight supervision, yes. But a gun like an Uzi is a bit much for them to handle at that age, and that instructor, and his boss, were remiss in allowing it. This killing gives anti-gun fools way too much information they can use against us. (LA Times)