Fallout from the recent accident involving an NFA weapon.

[Hoplophile]

This just goes to show that the other side isn't above using the death of a child as leverage for their political agenda. Also, being 19, I can imagine how this law would affect me, were it passed!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/28/uzi_recoils_questions_echo?mode=PF

Uzi recoils, questions echo
Boy's death spurs hard look at laws for guns, children

By David Abel, Globe Staff | October 28, 2008

WESTFIELD - As his father raised his camera, an 8-year-old boy aimed an Uzi at a pumpkin set up at a shooting event. Before his father could focus, the third-grader from Connecticut squeezed the trigger, and the high-powered weapon recoiled and fatally shot the boy in the head.

The death of Christopher Bizilj at the Westfield Sportsman's Club Sunday has raised questions about how someone so young could be allowed to shoot an automatic weapon, which can fire hundreds of rounds in a minute...

...COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL REMOVED...

 

[ilbob]

This is what happens when you allow an unsafe action to occur.

 

[DeathByCactus]

First off I don't believe anyone should be able to fire a weapon that is full auto unless they are over 18, I think the ban unless 21 is a little extreme. Second off, I am still amazed someone would let an 8 year old fire a F/A Uzi.

 

[Hoplophile]

DeathByCactus: Who are you to tell people what they may allow their kids to do? What if your friend had a gay son? Would you insist that the son wasn't allowed to be gay until he was eighteen?

The parent made a bad decision. Banning parents from making decisions isn't going to solve anything.

 

[Andy-Y]

Wow, when I was 18 I was firing an M240G in training all the time, guess they should raise the age to join the Army too!

 

[RaisedByWolves]

"Who are you to tell people what they may allow their kids to do?"




Agreed!



As long as the father now goes to jail.



.

 

[knockonit]

Yep lets make that age 21, then when another fella or gal gets hurt, lets make it 18, then when another fella or gal gets hurt lets just take them away.
Only idiots advocate taking rights away.
hey just my opinion.
accidents happen, this one probably shouldnt' but its not like there is rash of younguns in America getting mowed down,
Now maybe in Africa, Iraq, then maybe we oughta restrict the youngun's over there, to not handle or utilize a weapon, real sure you'll get their attention with that one.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

This is what happens when you allow an unsafe action involving guns to occur.

To be plain, thousands of kids die every year in $30 inflatable pools, but no one says jack ####. Unsafe stuff happens every second, many times resulting in death. Guns are one of the only things that people react to.

 

[Hk91-762mm]

If dad bought the kid a bike that was too big for him to ride safely and he went doen the driveway the first time -right into traffic --Would
A-legislators want to ban any kid from riding a bike untill they are 18??
B- any THR posters want to see the dad in jail!????
Bad things happen ==learn from them dont call for more regulations--God knows how many regulations we have to deal with --You cant legislate intellegence and You cant stop all accidents ....Yesterday an aquantiance was killed in a hunting accident --I bet the PETA heads are calling for an end to hunting --!
I was teaching an 80lb asian 11yo girl to shoot a 44 magnum[only pistol we had that day] I told her IT jumps alot hold tight it wont hurt you---Bang X6 That was fun More bullets please ! and she hit the target too!
Andy---you beat me to it --I was going to post about 18yos shooting MGs and driving tanks !

 

[lonegunman]

The idiotic cry for more laws is a typical knee jerk reaction of an anti-gun idiot politician.

In Washington state a decade ago the libs cried for a law to make firearms training mandatory for all gunowners and to make it a felony to let your license lapse. Why? To save the children of course.

I asked a simple question of the lefties at a rally. What is a child? They got mad as hell and screamed that "EVERYONE IS SOMEBODY'S CHILD!!!" The were forced to admit they included people up to the age of 21 and in some cases 24 to get the numbers they needed.

Nevermind a 24Y/O can fly an Apache into combat or a 21y/o can lead a squad into battle.

That being said, giving an 8y/o boy an Uzi is pretty much the stupidest thing I have ever heard done at a range in quite a while. This should have been a simple thing to say no to for even the lousiest parent in the world.


The amount of misery this will cause gun owners in general, the millions of dollars in lawsuits, the loss of a child for that family, the probable loss of a great shooting facility when they shut the place down and the end of organized machinegun shoots in that region are all likely results of this mess.


When the smoke clears, this guy will sue everyone for his mistake. The dad killed that kid with lousy parenting. The police chief who ran that company is screwed. The range is screwed and their insurance company will flee ASAP after this. They will be lucky to survive as a club. If they ever organize another shoot in the state, every loser reporter will decend on the facility that agrees to this and this crap will get whipped into a frenzy again.

With the most anti-gun group of socialists in the history of America about to come to power we don't have to guess what is coming next. This accident will be front and center in the next ban scare.

 

[JohnKSa]

State Representative Michael Costello, the Newburyport Democrat who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said yesterday that he plans to draft a bill that would ban anyone younger than age 21 from firing an automatic weapon.

Yeah, that's what is wrong with this country today...

Too many minors firing automatic weapons.

Why do something about the economy--let's pass some laws that affect almost NO one.

 

[1911Gunslinger]

Last week a 17 year old girl here lost control of her car....I guess that we should ban anyone under 21 from driving too?

The "trained professional" should have either helped hold the gun or only loaded 2-3 rounds in the mag.

We really need to ban those guns....they kill tooo many peole. Hell lets ban knives, cars, motorcycles, swimming pools, baseball bats, trampolines, planes, boats, alcoholic beverages,cigarettes, sweets, red meat, eggs....after all millions have been killed by those things!!!

 

[GW]

Put dad in jail??
How absurd.
This was a terrible accident but in no way homicide.
Geez Maybe dad isn't suffering enough

 

[Kind of Blued]

State Representative Michael Costello, the Newburyport Democrat who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said yesterday that he plans to draft a bill that would ban anyone younger than age 21 from firing an automatic weapon.

So an 18-year-old shooting a 128lb. Browning M2 (that is NOT going to move) at a paper target on a 1000 yd. range should be illegal? It's ok for the same kid, to shoot the same gun in defense of one's country, overseas in war, at human beings?

Is it ok for a 70lb., 21-year-old bullimic girl that can't do a push-up to shoot an Uzi? What about a 220lb. 20-year old male that can benchpress a Buick? That should obviously be illegal, right?

Gun laws are painfully stupid. Painfully stupid people making gun laws is even worse.

 

[Logan5]

I wonder what this Bob Greenleaf's agenda is? He's making some wild and inflammatory statements for someone on the club's board, deciding who should be charged with what, and babbling about sideways recoil killing tens of people.

As I read it, a boy is dead, and no one knows exactly what went wrong. The two competing theories in the article seem to be "guns are bad" and "freak accident". I can't understand it myself, hopefully more facts are forthcoming.

 

[RonE]

I predicted that the legislators would not let this accident (opportunity) get past them. It is sad that they can promote their anti gun agenda because of an accident.

I predict that the proposed ban against anyone under 21 firing an automatic weapon will be changed to under 18 and semi auto instead of auto and will include rifles, pistols and shotguns.

 

[skwab]

This was definitely a senseless tragedy brought on by carelessness in it's most extreme case - but why does there have to be a law? I agree those involved should be punished, and let's not forget that a father lost his son to his stupidity, so you probablly can't punish him more than he already is - but we don't need legislation. More kids have been killed on trampolines in the last year than with automatic firearms, yet there aren't laws stating you can't jump on a trampoline until you are 21. Crazy.

 

[woodybrighton]

it was monumental stupidity not sure the Dad is at fault if he didn't know jack about FA weapons then he'd rely on the people running the range.
they screwed the pooch handed the anti gunners a massive goal with sprinkles on

can't blame the anti gunners for using for them it its like looking at an enemy convoy of fuel tankers and you've got a brand new Barrett and a case of those incendiary rounds

 

[jad0110]

To be plain, thousands of kids die every year in $30 inflatable pools, but no one says jack ####. Unsafe stuff happens every second, many times resulting in death. Guns are one of the only things that people react to.

Exactly. When my son was born we received a book titled Caring for Your baby and Young Child by the American Academy of Pediatrics. To paraphrase the AAP's position, apparently a 3 foot high fence is sufficient for keeping kids out of a pool, but my 600 pound steel gunsafe is inadequate (therefore there position is that most guns should be banned) :banghead: . I guess they think toddlers know how to properly use a plasma torch.

I wonder if the goobers at the AAP have ever seen a 3 year old climb a tree - they are like monkeys!

 

[JR47]

There are 300 million people in America today. Out of that figure, ONE child has had a fatal accident with an NFA weapon. That's 0.00000033% of the population. The entire, all ages, population. If we're concerned at that level of happenstance, why aren't we legislating medical errors into felonies? They are the leading cause of death after automotive, and slips, trips, and falls.

 

[armoredman]

RonE, I REALLY hope you're wrong, but I can see that being the "compromise" bill...

 

[MD_Willington]

State Representative Michael Costello, the Newburyport Democrat who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said yesterday that he plans to draft a bill that would ban anyone younger than age 21 from firing an automatic weapon.

So the Age of recruitment is going to be 21 and not 18 now I guess....

 

[RaisedByWolves]

In regards to my earlier comment about jailing daddio (I wish this board had a quote function.....) The phrase Child endangerment comes to mind.




Years ago people weren't smart enough to place their kids in car seats, the feds made it a law!



People weren't smart enough to know their kids would fall into the pool and drown, Now there are laws in most areas where if you have a pool, you must have a fence.



In most states if you leave your guns lying around and your kid kills himself or someone Else you will be charged.




The point of what I'm saying is that if you dont think for yourself, the govt will think for you and pass a law that you dont want. I dont think I'm putting to big of an idea out there for most people to grasp.


Dont put kids in dangerous situations and all will be better off.



Handing an 8yr old a loaded, full auto micro UZI = putting him in a dangerous situation as has been so sadly demonstrated. The father made the decision, paid the cost of operating and the final result lies firmly on his shoulders, IMO.



Either digest that or the government will force you to.




My parents would have said HELL NO!!!, if I asked for this and I made it through childhood bruised,
and scarred, but alive with their guidance.



Thanks Mom and Dad!

 

[woodybrighton]

exactly right stupid should and does hurt.
Though if the dad was told the micro uzi does'nt have a lot of recoil and junior should be able to handle it Then I would claim he was going by what an "expert" told him. Anyone who's been around fa weapons would know that statement was rubbish. but ask me the difference
between a mustang and a corvette and 'd just give you a blank expression

 

[Zoogster]

Give me a break, someone did something foolish.

That it can turn into legislation is just because people here believe that is logical.
Thousands of kids drowned in pools all the time. Yet nobody has banned anyone under 18 from swimming.
Backyard pools do not require a lifeguard to be used.


Don't argue with the logic by using it.
It is stupid. The conclusion is stupid, and anyone proposing such a solution is in some sort of fantasy land.

If someone said pools would require all swimmers be over 18-21 because one parent in many years allowed thier child to drowned everyone would recognize it for what it was.