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posted by n1 on Friday August 29 2014, @08:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the but-not-with-an-uzi dept.

The accidental death of an instructor at an Arizona shooting range, killed while teaching a 9-year-old girl to fire a fully automatic Uzi, has touched off a debate among those who enjoy and teach the use of firearms: What’s the proper way to teach children about guns? The key, is training says gun instructor Butch Jensen. A gun is a tool, and like any tool — be it a circular saw or a kitchen knife — requires proper instruction. “It was clear that she was a beginner, and you don’t start a beginner in that type of firearm,” says Jensen, who watched a widely circulated video of the fatal lesson. “If you want to learn how to run Indy cars, you don’t start at Indy.” Blake Carrington, who serves in the Air Force, has taught his 10-year-old daughter to shoot a .22 rifle. “I personally would never give my child a fully automatic weapon,” says Carrington. “I feel terrible for that little girl having to live with that.”

Shooting instructors said in interviews that in some cases, a 9-year-old may be able to handle an Uzi, even though it has a tricky recoil and can fire hundreds of rounds per minute. The child would have to weigh enough to handle the recoil and have some experience with guns. The parent and instructor would have to jointly determine that the child is mature and skilled enough to operate the firearm safely. Tom, who practiced with an M1 Garand Rifle, says he shoots for sport and to exercise his 2nd Amendment rights. “I don’t think you should keep kids away from firearms. This shouldn’t keep people from taking their kids to the range.” Still, Tom says he could not fathom why adults allowed the 9-year-old girl to shoot an Uzi. “I don’t know what they were thinking. My personal opinion is someone under 15 years of age playing with a submachine weapon is not a good idea.”

 
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  • (Score: 1) by dpp on Saturday August 30 2014, @07:15PM

    by dpp (3579) on Saturday August 30 2014, @07:15PM (#87633)

    " Even if you don't own a gun, want a gun, or even think you will never be within 30 feet of a gun you should know how to handle a gun in a safe manner."
    Question:
        Why?
    If someone is not ever going to pick up a gun, why do they need to know how to handle one?
    The coming apocalypse? The violent over-throw of the government that's looming? Wrestling the gun for the murderous home invader and shooting them?

    I grew up around/using guns, father was hunter. I was taught to fire a gun when I was young. Similar to you, started with a .22 rifle. And I just don't understand why everyone should learn how to operate a gun.
    How many people will ever actually need to, or be able to, shoot someone?