Firearms go with American culture like stars go with stripes. Synonymous with Thomas Jefferson signing the declaration of independence, it’s how the West was won, and if it ever loses, guns wont be far away.
Two days ago, at a gun fair in Massachusetts, an 8-year-old boy shot himself in the head with an Uzi machinegun, under adult supervision. His father and older brother watched the tragedy happen. Police said: “As the boy fired the Uzi, "the front end of the weapon went up with the backfire and he ended up receiving a round in his head,"
Let us stop a minute: What is a child doing with an Uzi? And what happened to good old-fashioned fun fairs?
Massachusetts’ law, states children can fire a weapon if supervised by a certified instructor and accompanied by a legal guardian.
Again. What is a young boy doing with a bloody Uzi? In the same state, the law still declares that men ‘must carry a rifle to church on Sunday’ - 99.9% wont do this, because there is knowing the law, and then knowing when you’re a total moron.
I put no blame on the child. If I was 8 years old and got offered an Uzi to fire, (I’d enquire what it was first), but would happily swap it for my spudgun, even though I had previously swapped a perfectly good Captain Planet figurine for it.
Am I blaming the boy’s family? Out of nativity and tragedy, no. It’s the Gun Fair who take the vent of my over-the-pond anger, who advertise: "It's all legal & fun — No permits or licenses required!” Most quirky American laws only remain to hold on to what little history the country has, and the longer it keeps them; the more idiots will let tragedies happen. Sure, if crazed fanatics plan assassinations or school massacres, they won’t drop arms, but at least by changing a few little laws, people are a little bit safer.
While researching state law, I found that ‘shooting ranges may not set up targets that resemble human beings. If I changed the law – every target would resemble Thomas Jefferson. It seems all isn’t fair in love and war.
Joe Ellison
