RossValoryRocks wrote:Enigma869 wrote:Amazing to me that ANY parent thinks it's a good idea for an 8 year old child to be handling an UZI. You would think that his dad, of all people (who is an ER Doctor) would have enough sense not to sanction such a foolish and irresponsible activity!
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO92824/John from Boston
I have been handling and firing firearms since I was aged 6. While a tragedy, it could have happened to anyone. An Uzi doesn't have that much recoil because of how it is designed.
I was also taught to use firearms from a young age, and my Dad had the same rule he had with guns that he had with sail-boats - somethings you can't do yet, not because I don't think you are responsible enough, or skilled enough, but you just aren't damn
big enough yet. Don't have the body mass to safely balance the catamaran when the wind picks up, then you aren't sailing without me on the ride-line. Don't have the upper body strength to hold the rifle steady for five minutes? Then you can't load it, let alone fire it unless I'm holding it too. I was 7 when Dad started teaching me to handle a rifle but it wasn't until I was twelve before I had enough body mass to convince him I could handle the recoil and let me shoot without him physically helping me. And that included shooting from the ground.
No WAY would I let a teenager, let alone a child, pick up an Uzi, not without some concrete evidence they knew a hell of a lot more than the basics of firearms handling. If the law requires a qualified instructor to be monitoring the kid, what the hell was the kid's Dad doing helping him? Shouldn't have happened - and I personally
really don't like the idea of trying out firearms being sold as a fun family day out. Fucking HUGE responsibility, with enormous repercussions if it goes wrong, not something to put on par with rollercoaster rides and fairy floss.