Real guns should not be made to look like toys. Small children are unable to make the distinction. It is the responsibility of adults to draw a clear line. By the same token, making a rip saw with a spongebob theme would also be irresponsible. Do not make dangerous things look tantalizing to children ON PURPOSE. That falls so far down on the stupid scale I don't even have words for it. I would be fascinated to hear your defense on how this would be a good thing in any universe.
chickaree wrote: 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.
Agreed. I think it speaks volumes that the company that markets these guns to kids first removed the pictures they had of infants and kids holding guns, then took their whole website down - if what you are doing is something that causes you to hide your company's products, then you know that you are complicit in doing something wrong. There's a reason that there are laws governing content that can be targeted toward kids (and it's because too many companies have no moral guidelines when chasing that bottom line), I'm stunned that this was allowed. And that parents think it's okay to buy them for kids that young on top of that, and then don't even responsibly store them after that.
I see sense in punishing them further - because we have historically had the attitude that the parents are "going to suffer enough" at the loss of the child - like the article says: bullshit. We need every other parent in America who buys guns for their kids to know that not only can they lose a child, but to do so in this manner means you give up your freedom and lose your other children too so they start paying attention and changing their irresponsible behavior - put the fear of God or whomever in 'em so they stop fucking around, we are far too lax. These parents need to be made an example of, and they've demonstrated that they don't have the sense to raise a child safely, much less own a gun.
The problem with regulating reproduction is that we can't possibly decide who would make a quality parent or not until they become parents and demonstrate with their actions, but we can have laws that punish those who aren't and cause physical, emotional, and mental harm to their kids, and enforce those laws.
"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
chickaree wrote: Real guns should not be made to look like toys. Small children are unable to make the distinction. It is the responsibility of adults to draw a clear line. By the same token, making a rip saw with a spongebob theme would also be irresponsible. Do not make dangerous things look tantalizing to children ON PURPOSE. That falls so far down on the stupid scale I don't even have words for it. I would be fascinated to hear your defense on how this would be a good thing in any universe.
Can you show an example? I'm aware that toy manufacterers make toy guns to look like real guns (with an orange barrel tip) but I was unaware of gun manufacturers making guns that look like toys. Maybe you're talking about guns in different colors, like pink? If so, I don't think a black gun is any safer than a pink one if an irresponsible parent was to leave one laying around loaded. My kids played with everything from dirt to cardboard boxes... anything not tied down or stored out of reach.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
A grand jury may, ultimately,decide this case.....it is being reported that the parents KNEW the gun was standing in a corner of
the living room(?) BUT they did NOT know that the gun was loaded with one in the chamber.....SOUNDS LIKE NEGLIGENCE to me..... :faint:
I’ve been on the Crickett Web site (have a look at how they market to children), and as best I can tell, all the rifles they sell are single-shot, bolt-action weapons. This means that it’s very, very easy to tell if these weapons are unloaded, just by opening the bolt. So, we now know that there was a .22 rifle, up against the wall, where either child could get it, with the bolt closed.
So there's no excuse there...
"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
chickaree wrote: 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.
Would you say the same thing about the battery powered cars that are bought for children, or pint sized motorcycles with real engines that only a child would be able to ride? How about bicycles or skateboards? Trampolines? Tetherballs? Baseball bats?
There is absolutely nothing negligent about manufacturing a rifle that is designed to fit small hands. There is nothing irresponsible about teaching a 5 year old to shoot a rifle that has been specifically designed to be used by children. It's not something I would do, I'd start them out with a good old fashioned Daisy BB gun myself at that age, but there is nothing at all that is criminally irresponsible about teaching a 5 year old to shoot the real thing or negligent about manufacturing a rifle specifically designed to be used by children. It is actually safer for the child to use a rifle designed for their small frame than it would be for them to use one designed for an adult.
Leaving the gun in the corner of the room with a round in the chamber is a horse of a different color altogether. And I agree with those who are saying that something more needs to be done than tell those parents that it's a darn shame that their daughter was accidentally killed by her older brother.
I don't think manufacturing guns in bright, toylike colors to sell to children is reasonable or prudent. I have no objection to teaching children to use guns, in an age appropriate manner. I have yet to meet a five year old that I think is ready to own his own .22. I know it is all the fashion for those of us on the right to be adamantly against any and all regulation of gun manufacturers (thanks to the NRA) but this is simply ridiculous. Guns are serious tools. They should look like that.
