Authorities won't pursue charges in connection with an October accident at a park shooting range.Why? Why in the world would they NOT press charges? The adult who was supervising the 5-year-old should be in jail along with the person responsible for the range.
Eight-year-old David William Young was shot in the head after he allegedly crossed the firing line at Black Hawk County Park while a 5-year-old sibling was practicing with a .22-caliber rifle under adult supervision Oct. 29.
Capt. Rick Abben with the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office said his office investigated the incident and forwarded its findings to the county attorney's office, which opted not to prosecute the matter.
But, you know what it is? Gun negligence is not taken seriously. Even when people are seriously hurt, wherever possible they write these incidents off as simple accidents, pretending that no one is responsible. Accidents can happen to anyone, right?
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Because accidents are treated in a manner different from negligence or intentional acts. When will you get that? This is the law. Until the law is changed, this is how it will be.
ReplyDeleteGun "accidents" are ALWAYS the result of violating one or more of the 4 Rules of Gun Safety. They are ALWAYS preventable and they should ALWAYS be punished. You're right, the law allows them not to be. Does that make you happy?
DeleteI'm not vindictive, especially when rates of accidental death from gunfire are so low--around 600 a year. That's compared to 100,000,000 gun owners.
DeleteNo it is not compared to 100 M anything any more than it's compared to 400 B stars in the galaxy.
DeleteWhy do you keep mentioning the stars in the galaxy? That has no relevance to gun deaths. The number of gun owners is relevant. The fact that you can't see the difference shows your inability to reason well.
Delete"Gun negligence is not taken seriously."
ReplyDeleteYou lose credibility here. You don't even take the negligence of your own coblogger seriously.
I looked up the Black Hawk Park Shooting Range. It doesn't look like there is an assigned RSO on the range, but they may have just not said that. Other parks I've shot at did not have an assigned RSO either. The adult supervising the 5 year old was doing just that; concentrating on the 5 year old. The story did not say who was supposed to be supervising the 8 year old. As far as I can tell, this was an accident. Tragic, certainly, but an accident.
ReplyDeleteJim, you're the perfect example of taking gun misuse too lightly. You guys love to write these preventable incidents off as "accidents."
DeleteWell, heck, why would they possibly press charges against the gun owner who let the 5-year old shoot the gun? I mean, a 5-year old is perfectly old enough to make life-and-death decisions with a lethal weapon, right?
ReplyDeletehttp://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2012/05/where-is-safest-place-to-avoid-gun.html
There is no such thing as an "accident" with a gun, as if it were an act of nature or something. There is only irresponsibility on the part of the gun owner. Period.
We know that you don't want children to be taught how to shoot. In your fantasy world, that would mean a loss of knowledge and ultimately no more guns. But here's a fact to shake your delusion: I learned about guns and shooting as an adult. The knowledge is widely available.
DeleteThat being said, training one's children with guns is a good idea. It gives them skills and can teach them responsibility, while also giving them the chance to defend themselves, if that becomes necessary.
A lot like Tae Kwon Do, eh?
This is a totally avoidable accident. Sorry Greg, I don't care how you were raised. Five year olds should not be brought to firing ranges. I have a 5 year old grandson. It is unimaginable to me that he would go shoot guns at a gun range. In fact, it's just plain stupid, dangerous and irresponsible. No one was supervising the 8 year old? Also totally irresponsible, stupid and dangerous. Someone should be charged for this senseless shooting of a child. Do you care at all, Greg, that a young child was shot needlessly because of careless gun owners? What is the matter with you? It's not at all like Tae Kwon Do. Who dies in a Tae Kwon Do accident? Training with a gun is training to kill. Training for Tae Kwon Do is training for exercise and self defense, perhaps but I doubt that little kids look at it that way. For them it's a sport but it won't kill anyone.
DeleteI used the Tae Kwon Do reference because the man from Oregon is known for participating in martial arts. Note, martial arts, in other words, the arts of fighting. Now people can blither on about how it's just for exercise, but the skill involved is a violent one.
DeleteHey, Greg, you go ahead and let me know any examples of little kids accidentally killing themselves or another little kid at their dojo. Can't think of one? That's 'cause it never happens, unlike at shooting ranges.
Delete"Hey, Greg, you go ahead and let me know any examples of little kids accidentally killing themselves or another little kid at their dojo. Can't think of one? That's 'cause it never happens, unlike at shooting ranges."
DeleteNever say never...
http://www.siasat.com/english/news/school-girl-dies-while-practising-karate
Oregonian, my point is that martial arts of any kind are a violent skill. I have no problem with that. You do, when it involves firearms. Apparently, swords and blows from hands and feet are acceptably violent to you.
DeleteThat's a really dopey example, Greg. I see you had to resort to an article FROM INDIA, from April of LAST YEAR, and a respiratory ailment may have contributed to her death. Don't you even read the article you link to? Or are you really that dense?
DeleteOnce again, you have no proof for your assertions. You just spout off without thinking, in order to push your extremism.
Oregonian, to whom are you speaking? Did you notice that the comment you're responding to was written by Anonymous? I post comments under my own name.
DeleteI note that you did not reply to my comment. Again, we see that you have no objection to violent skills, so long as they don't involve firearms.