Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

ScienceChic
Topic Author
Mountain Champion

02 May 2013 13:32 #1 by ScienceChic

Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother was created by ScienceChic

Sorry, I couldn't leave this article go unmentioned. This is atrocious and unacceptable and attitudes need to change that this kind of thing can just "happen" and too bad for everyone involved - there needs to be responsibility and accountability. I feel for the parents' pain, but they deserve it for being so wantonly negligent and should be prosecuted for that.

Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother’s rifle. Neglect? Hell yes.
by J. Stephen O’Brien

Read that headline again. It doesn’t say, “killed by five-year-old.” That’s so common these days that it almost doesn’t warrant a mention in the local weekly. People leave loaded guns lying around, five-year-olds find them, point them at someone, go “BANG” and pull the trigger, and there’s someone dead or badly wounded. Happens all the time. Hardly worth mentioning.

And that’s what little Christian Sparks did when he ripped a bullet into Caroline Sparks’ chest. He killed her dead as a stump. Was it his fault? Hell no. He’s five. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been five. Remember what that was like? Foot yeast was smarter.

And what of ‘ol Chris and Stephanie Sparks, the mommy and daddy, who should have been watching out for the young’uns? “We don’t see that there was neglect on anyone’s part,” said Trooper Bill Gregory of the Kentucky State Police. So, just another tragic accident. Unavoidable. No one’s fault.

Bull. Fucking. Shit.

Let me count the ways in which there was neglect, here.

"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill

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Rick
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 13:49 #2 by Rick

Replied by Rick on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

Perhaps a new law banning stupid people from having kids would be appropriate? When my kids were small, I made a point of keeping dangerous stuff away from my kids including electronics near the tub, razor blades, toxic chemicals, poisonous snakes, knives, matches, lighters, scetchy neighbors, heavy objects, stairs... oh ya, guns too.

But anti-gun folks will use stories like this to make a point. The real point is that you can't legislate stupid, and so far, we can't stop morons from reproducing. These people have lost the right to ever own another gun, but that doesn't translate to anyone else.

The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.

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FredHayek
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 14:22 #3 by FredHayek

Replied by FredHayek on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

I grew up with guns around the house in unlocked cabinets but we didn't have car seats either.
You could pass safe storage laws like some states already do, but I am betting these kind of parents wouldn't follow safe storage laws either, or wouldn't even know we have laws like that.

Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.

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chickaree
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 14:35 #4 by chickaree

Replied by chickaree on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

THe poor little girl didn't deserve it, nor did her brother. Now he has to live with the guilt of having killed his sister. I can't believe those idiot parents aren't being charged with neglect.

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Rick
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 14:42 #5 by Rick

Replied by Rick on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

chickaree wrote: THe poor little girl didn't deserve it, nor did her brother. Now he has to live with the guilt of having killed his sister. I can't believe those idiot parents aren't being charged with neglect.

They should be made an example of, but it would probably hurt the boy who doesn't deserve to suffer anymore. Maybe he has some responsible grand parents who could raise him in a safer place.

The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.

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archer
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 14:59 #6 by archer

Replied by archer on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

Kids shooting kids by accident, kids drowning in backyard pools, toddlers wandering off..... All can be prevented by good parenting.

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FredHayek
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 15:22 #7 by FredHayek

Replied by FredHayek on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

archer wrote: Kids shooting kids by accident, kids drowning in backyard pools, toddlers wandering off..... All can be prevented by good parenting.

I don't agree. I think these accidents can be reduced with good parenting but some kid will always show poor judgement no matter how good the parenting is and vice versa.

Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.

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bailey bud
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 15:28 #8 by bailey bud

Replied by bailey bud on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

This could have happened with almost anything -

I have power tools that could kill were they in the wrong hands.
I'm sure there's incidents where kids play in cars, and someone gets hurt/killed.
A gun is no different.

What we have here is irresponsible storage, as well as the lack of supervision.

Here's the thing, though ---- I think losing a kid to an accident is a life worth of punishment by itself.

The loss can easily cause a divorce, and will likely traumatize the older kid for the rest of their life.

I don't see much sense in punishing anyone any further.

I'd simply insist the family not posses any firearms from here on out.

Firearm manufacturers try to avoid accidents like this by providing gun locks.

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archer
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 15:59 #9 by archer

Replied by archer on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

FredHayek wrote:
archer wrote: Kids shooting kids by accident, kids drowning in backyard pools, toddlers wandering off..... All can be prevented by good parenting.

I don't agree. I think these accidents can be reduced with good parenting but some kid will always show poor judgement no matter how good the parenting is and vice versa.

If you are speaking of older children, maybe.....but with very young children....like this child at 5.....as a parent you can't let faith in the child's good judgement keep you from doing your job as a parent......which includes prevention and education.

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chickaree
Mountain Legend

02 May 2013 16:18 #10 by chickaree

Replied by chickaree on topic Two-year-old Caroline Sparks killed by five-year-old brother

I'm sorry, but it is criminally irresponsible to give a 5 year old his own rifle. I would argue that it is similiarly negligent to manufacture and sell guns targeted to small children. This is just craziness.

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