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Tx4obama

(36,974 posts)
Wed May 1, 2013, 11:49 PM May 2013

Piers Morgan Clashes With Ben Ferguson Over Background Checks, Infants Getting Their Hands On Guns



VIDEO here: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/piers-morgan-clashes-with-ben-ferguson-over-background-checks-infants-getting-their-hands-on-guns/


Piers Morgan brought conservative radio host Ben Ferguson onto his show tonight to take on the civil liberties debate emerging in the wake of Boston, but it quickly turned into a battle over background checks. Morgan accused Ferguson of hypocrisy in saying suspicious individuals who buy fireworks ought to be reported to the police, but Ferguson insisted no law-abiding person would sell a gun to suspicious individuals in the first place. They also fought over whether there can be any effective legal remedy for infants being given guns by parents.

Morgan cited statistics showing less Americans support infringement of their civil liberties to fight terrorism after Boston than they did after previous terrorist attacks on the United States. Ferguson attributed this to a better understanding amongst the public of what technologies are appropriate to utilize in the name of fighting terrorism.

-snip-






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Piers Morgan Clashes With Ben Ferguson Over Background Checks, Infants Getting Their Hands On Guns (Original Post) Tx4obama May 2013 OP
"...five-year-old infant..."? Jenoch May 2013 #1
The boy was given a gun when he was 4 years old. Related article below Tx4obama May 2013 #2
Of course guns should be locked up Jenoch May 2013 #3
Focusing on the word "infant"... jjewell May 2013 #4
Words have meaning. Jenoch May 2013 #5
That "weak-sister" background check bill... jjewell May 2013 #6
The tragedy did not happen Jenoch May 2013 #7
Must be a difference in upbringing... jjewell May 2013 #8
No. You are completely wrong. Jenoch May 2013 #9
Please don't play stupid... jjewell May 2013 #10
Exactly how much harm Jenoch May 2013 #11
Why don't YOU... jjewell May 2013 #13
On anorher thread I described how Jenoch May 2013 #12
Number one, how... jjewell May 2013 #14
First, and this is not imlortant to the discussian, Jenoch May 2013 #15
First, neither does the age... jjewell May 2013 #16
As long as you are bringing it up, Jenoch May 2013 #17
I thought YOU said... jjewell May 2013 #18
Right back at you. Jenoch May 2013 #19
The point is, YOU brought up baptism... jjewell May 2013 #20
Again, I didn't bring it up in the religious context, but about age, INFANT. Jenoch May 2013 #21
Pointless distraction from the issue and question remains your game, I see... jjewell May 2013 #22
The issue is a 5-year old having Jenoch May 2013 #23
No. The issue is "gifting" a five year old with a deadly weapon in the first place. jjewell May 2013 #24
You are so focused Jenoch May 2013 #25
You are so focused on dodging the point.... jjewell May 2013 #26
Nah, I'm not going back to old posts. Jenoch May 2013 #27
Okay... jjewell May 2013 #28
Sure the guns are theirs. Jenoch May 2013 #29
Oh brother... here we go again... jjewell May 2013 #30
Wow, are you dense. Jenoch May 2013 #31
Calling me "obtuse" and "dense" gains you no credibility, and scores you no points... jjewell May 2013 #32
You are correct. Jenoch May 2013 #33
Very cool. Let the debate continue... jjewell May 2013 #34
1.) I probably should not have Jenoch May 2013 #35
Finally, a decent, cogent, conversational response from you, Jenoch... jjewell May 2013 #36
Actually, Jenoch May 2013 #37
Oh... I thought you said there is no point in continued debate on this matter... jjewell May 2013 #38
I agree that the gun being available Jenoch May 2013 #39
Of course the 2 year old wouldn't be dead if the gun... jjewell May 2013 #40
It is only Jenoch May 2013 #41
Being the paragon of virtue that you apparently are... jjewell May 2013 #42
What is insane Jenoch May 2013 #43
 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
3. Of course guns should be locked up
Thu May 2, 2013, 12:07 AM
May 2013

at all times in the home, with or without children present. But to inject hyperbole by referring to 4 or 5 year olds as infants is ridiculous.

jjewell

(618 posts)
4. Focusing on the word "infant"...
Thu May 2, 2013, 12:52 AM
May 2013

instead of the issue of a 5 year old being given a working .22 caliber rifle as a present, with which the 5 year old shoots and kills his 2 year old sister is even more ridiculous.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
5. Words have meaning.
Thu May 2, 2013, 01:51 AM
May 2013

That is why the last AWB failed. The fact that the 5 year old was given a .22 rifle is not why this tragendy happened. It happened because the gun was not locked up.

jjewell

(618 posts)
6. That "weak-sister" background check bill...
Thu May 2, 2013, 11:01 PM
May 2013

...failed in the Senate because Harry Reid failed to reform the filibuster on the first day of the current Senate session like he promised to do.
The bill had a 54-48 majority vote for passage, but since Reid did nothing to reform the filibuster rules, 60 votes were required.

Anything that does not get passed through the Senate due to Republican obstruction for the duration of this Senate session, I place squarely at the feet of Majority "Leader" Reid.

This tragedy happened because a 5 year old was given a lethal weapon as a present. Why should an appropriate gift to a kindergartener be locked away? Daisy Air Rifles and BB guns don't have enough killing power? Five year olds should only kill under supervision??

Jesus.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
7. The tragedy did not happen
Thu May 2, 2013, 11:22 PM
May 2013

because a five year old was 'given' a gun. (When my kids were that age, they owned nothing, my wife and I were the owners.)

The reason the tragedy occurred is because the gun was not unloaded and locked up.

By the way, air rifles and BB guns are also lethal and should be handled the same as weapons that fire rounds powered by gun powder.

jjewell

(618 posts)
8. Must be a difference in upbringing...
Fri May 3, 2013, 12:35 AM
May 2013

When I was 5 my folks didn't "give" me a fully operational, deadly weapon as a gift or present. (I had a 2 year old sister at the time also). As a 5 year old, what my folks did "give" me, (two wheel bike with training wheels, toy guns, Lincoln Logs and other assorted toys and games), didn't require being locked away from me whenever I wanted to "play with them", because they knew better than to give a fully functional .22 caliber rifle to a Kindergartener.

Even at 5 I was cognizant of what was mine, and what wasn't. If it was locked away, it wasn't mine...

This Kindergartner picked up his fully functional, .22 caliber rifle, not because it wasn't locked up, but because it was HIS. And then accidentally murdered his two year old sister...

My condolences to the family, but Jesus Christ! A deadly weapon given as a present to a 5 year old?? WTF???

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
9. No. You are completely wrong.
Fri May 3, 2013, 12:40 AM
May 2013

I recieved a savings bond at my baptism. That does not mean I could cash it in at age 5. The only reason this tragedy occurred is because the gun was not locked up. It did not matter one bit who 'owned' it.

jjewell

(618 posts)
10. Please don't play stupid...
Fri May 3, 2013, 12:59 AM
May 2013

Was there ever a potential of you possibly maiming or killing someone with your "savings bond" had you been able to cash it as a five year old? I'd venture to say that if maiming and death were a possible outcome of your baptismal gift of the "savings bond", you would not have received that gift.

Get real. Did your folks "flip a coin" to decide between giving you a fully functional .22 caliber weapon or a savings bond when you were 5? Are you shitting me?

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
11. Exactly how much harm
Fri May 3, 2013, 01:02 AM
May 2013

could that 5-year old have done with that .22 rifle if it had been properly locked up?

jjewell

(618 posts)
13. Why don't YOU...
Fri May 3, 2013, 01:25 AM
May 2013

...try answerng a few of my already asked questions first?

You started this conversation by playing semantics with the word "infant" which the OP used because that was in the title of the video he posted. As if "infant" or "pre-schooler" or "kindergartner" held some special significance in the context of the posted video.

Next you segue into your apparent position that it's just fine to present and declare to a 5 year old kindergartner that he has been gifted, presented, and is the proud owner of, a fully functional, lethal, .22 caliber weapon, as though a 5 year old (not being an "infant&quot is somehow responsible enough to receive ownership of a lethal firearm.

The question to YOU is, would this poor little boy's 2 year old sister be dead if his parents had decided to give their 5 year old a SAVINGS BOND instead of a deadly weapon??

Were YOU never 5 years old? Do YOU NOT recognize how stupid it is to give a 5 year old a goddamn REAL GUN and tell him it's HIS?

Jesus H Christ!

Locking it up is beside the point. He shouldn't have been "gifted" with it in the first place.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
12. On anorher thread I described how
Fri May 3, 2013, 01:14 AM
May 2013

my brother's infant sons were 'given' .22 rifles shortly after they were born. They remain locked up in a gun safe to this day. (The boys are 18, 21, and 23).

No, can't you read? I got the savings bond when I was baptized as an infant.

Wby do you refuse to believe that if a gun is propey secured, as in locked up, it cannot harm anyone? Are you really that dense?

Of course I do not believe that a 5 year old shouls have access to a loaded OR an unloaded gun. That's why we lock them up. It is a state law where I live that any home where any juvenile lives, all guns must be locked up with ammunition locked up separately. What part of that do you have a problem with?

jjewell

(618 posts)
14. Number one, how...
Fri May 3, 2013, 01:49 AM
May 2013

...the fuck would I know when you were baptized? In some religions, you are "Christened" shortly after birth, but aren't baptized until after Catechism or Confirmation. (Catholic, Lutheran). You never stated you were an infant.

Number two, Why do you refuse to concede that it is a monumentally stupid decision to hand a lethal weapon to a 5 year old and tell him, "this is YOUR gun"?

"Of course I do not believe that a 5 year old shouls have access to a loaded OR an unloaded gun. That's why we lock them up. It is a state law where I live that any home where any juvenile lives, all guns must be locked up with ammunition locked up separately. What part of that do you have a problem with?"

I have no problem with anything there except for the idea that a 5 year old is being presented with a lethal, .22 caliber rifle for HIS VERY OWN; that his parents or whoever "gifted" him with a scaled down but lethal .22 caliber Crickett model rifle, and that THAT monumental parental stupidity, in conjunction with the irresponsibility of a 5 year old, resulted in the accidental death of a 2 year old INFANT, the kindergartner's baby sister...

Very sad. The "Crickett" should NOT have been presented to a 5 year old in the first place. It should not have been in the house.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
15. First, and this is not imlortant to the discussian,
Fri May 3, 2013, 03:29 AM
May 2013

but since you brought is up, "Catechism or Confirmation" has nothing to do with five year old children.

Second, it is immateriall who 'OWNED' the .22.rifle. The five year old should not have had access to it outside of the rifle range and adult supervision. Why in the world do you have a problem with that?

jjewell

(618 posts)
16. First, neither does the age...
Sun May 5, 2013, 01:11 PM
May 2013

...one receives a baptismal gift, but YOU brought it up and claimed I couldn't read.

Second, Cenk Uygur explains my position on this perhaps better than I have so far...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017116635

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
17. As long as you are bringing it up,
Sun May 5, 2013, 01:17 PM
May 2013

Catholics and Lutherans ALWAYS baptize their children as infants. You don't seem to know the difference between baptism and communion.

jjewell

(618 posts)
18. I thought YOU said...
Sun May 5, 2013, 01:22 PM
May 2013

...religious practices had nothing to do with the issue. Way to stay on topic.

Wine or grape juice? Sprinkling or immersion? Take this crap to the Religion and Spirituality forum.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
19. Right back at you.
Sun May 5, 2013, 01:43 PM
May 2013

When I brought up baptism, it was not about religion. The point being made is that an infant was 'given' a savings bond. That does not mean the infant an go cash it in.

The child in this story shot his sister not because he 'owned' the gun. This tragedy occurred because the gun was not locked up.

jjewell

(618 posts)
20. The point is, YOU brought up baptism...
Sun May 5, 2013, 01:52 PM
May 2013

...which was a distraction/deflection from the issue, just as your earlier focus on the word "infant" was a distraction/deflection from the main point of the OP.

What difference could it possibly make as to when a child could cash a savings bond when the issue is a child being given a lethal weapon of his very own, with which he accidentally shoots and kills his 2 year old sister?

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
21. Again, I didn't bring it up in the religious context, but about age, INFANT.
Sun May 5, 2013, 02:01 PM
May 2013

Are you always this obtuse?

Again, it does not matter WHO OWNED THE GUN. If the gun were locked up as it should have been the girl would not have been shot. The ownership of the gun is immaterial.

jjewell

(618 posts)
22. Pointless distraction from the issue and question remains your game, I see...
Sun May 5, 2013, 02:30 PM
May 2013

I am not "obtuse". I understand. It's obviously easier for you to debate meaningless side issues like the definition of "infant", and religious practices of baptism, catechism, confirmation, and communion, than to address why you feel it's appropriate to give a lethal weapon to a 5 year old.

And contrary to YOUR opinion that it doesn't matter who owned the gun, I think it matters greatly. Think about this for a second, if you will:

Which is more likely?

a) A 5 year old picks up his Father's full sized .22 caliber rifle (which he doesn't realize is loaded) and accidentally kills his 2 year old sister with it...

b) A 5 year old picks up his very own, scaled to his size, .22 caliber rifle (which he doesn't realize is loaded) and accidentally kills his 2 year old sister with it...

I contend that a 5 year old is far more likely to pick up and play with his own scaled down rifle than to pick up and play with his Father's full sized model. Five year old's should not be given lethal weapons in the first place.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
23. The issue is a 5-year old having
Sun May 5, 2013, 03:58 PM
May 2013

access to a loaded gun. It does not matter who 'owns' the gun. If the 5 year old was given an AR-15 with a loaded 30-round magazine but the gun was always locked up, then nobody could be harrmed by it.

Why can't you understand that guns should be locked up?

jjewell

(618 posts)
24. No. The issue is "gifting" a five year old with a deadly weapon in the first place.
Sun May 5, 2013, 04:51 PM
May 2013

Why can't you understand that there shouldn't be 5 year old scaled, lethal weapon gifted to a kindergartner in the first place? It's a trifle late to say, "oops, the parents should have locked up the child's deadly weapon AFTER he's already used it to kill his two year old sister; their two year old daughter. It's like locking the gate after the bull has escaped.

No 5 year old should own a .22 caliber, bolt action rifle. The idea itself is insane.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
25. You are so focused
Sun May 5, 2013, 05:11 PM
May 2013

on who owned the gun. You seem to be saying it would have been a better situation if the .22 rifle in the corner was NOT owned by the child but was owned by an adult instead.

The ownership of that weapon had ZERO impact on it's improper use. It should have been locked up.

jjewell

(618 posts)
26. You are so focused on dodging the point....
Sun May 5, 2013, 05:30 PM
May 2013

that you fail to address the larger issue. I also notice an almost pathological attempt to deflect and refuse to engage and answer the questions I've raised. First it was semantics based on the use of the word "infant" in the OP. Next it was religious ceremonies and savings bonds. Now it's MY focus on keeping this discussion on topic.

Kindly respond to the issues I've already raised in my previous posts, or give it a break, and call it a day.

Thank you.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
27. Nah, I'm not going back to old posts.
Sun May 5, 2013, 05:45 PM
May 2013

If you wish to raise a question with me, go ahead.

You missed the point of the dangers of guns being available to 5 year olds.

By the way, not only are 5 year olds not infants, they are not even toddlers anymore.

jjewell

(618 posts)
28. Okay...
Sun May 5, 2013, 06:16 PM
May 2013

"Nah, I'm not going back to old posts."

I accept your concession. Good day.

"You missed the point of the dangers of guns being available to 5 year olds."

That's been my point all along, as well as the stupidity of the idea of presenting a 5 year old a lethal weapon as a present.

"By the way, not only are 5 year olds not infants, they are not even toddlers anymore."

Deflecting back to semantics once again? Pathetic.

By the way, remember - You said this:

"my brother's infant sons were 'given' .22 rifles shortly after they were born. They remain locked up in a gun safe to this day. (The boys are 18, 21, and 23)."

All three of your nephews are of military age and yet "their" guns remain locked up in a gun safe to this day? Hell, they could have cashed in their "savings bonds" by now.

And yet you still think it's okay to give a fully functional .22 caliber rifle to a 5 year old ?? Or were your nephew's .22 rifles not really given to them, and therefore not theirs, and something they could only "borrow" from time to time? Is that why they're still locked up to this day?

Are you really non-cognizant of a 5 year old's conception of "mine"?? What is the purpose of giving a 5 year old a full function rifle of his very own, and telling him he can't touch what you told him was HIS??

Jesus!

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
29. Sure the guns are theirs.
Sun May 5, 2013, 07:27 PM
May 2013

The eldest son graduated from college and had to move back home (not unusual), the middle son is in college, the youngest son is finishing high school. All of the guns in the family remain in the gun safe until they are taken out to go to the range or to go hunting. That's not a difficult concept to grasp for most people.

It doesn't matter who owned the gun in this tragedy.


"What is the purpose of giving a 5 year old a full function rifle of his very own, and telling him he can't touch what you told him was HIS??"

The purpose is to prevent tragedies like the one in the story upon which this thread is based.

When my brothers sons were 5 years old, they knew they owned a .22 rifle. They also knew where it was, in the gun safe.

jjewell

(618 posts)
30. Oh brother... here we go again...
Sun May 5, 2013, 08:23 PM
May 2013

"Sure the guns are theirs."

But, but... YOU said,"my brother's infant sons were 'given' .22 rifles shortly after they were born. They remain locked up in a gun safe to this day. (The boys are 18, 21, and 23)."

So by YOUR OWN WORDS the guns have been locked up in a gun safe since shortly after they were born. So how did they ever claim "OWNERSHIP" if THEIR POSSESSIONS HAVE BEEN LOCKED AWAY FOR THE LAST 23 YEARS?? As YOU noted in post #5 "WORDS HAVE MEANING". Do you now see how stupid it is to play semantic word games??

Are you really non-cognizant of a 5 year old's conception of "mine"??

"The purpose is to prevent tragedies like the one in the story upon which this thread is based."

So you really cannot comprehend the concept of closing the barn door after the livestock have escaped?? If there was NO 5 year old scaled .22 caliber, bolt action rifle in the house, there would be nothing to lock up, and no family mourning the death of a 2 year old girl at the hands of her 5 year old brother who accidentally shot her with his unknowingly loaded .22 rifle. In other words, No Tragedy To Prevent.

Do you think the 5 year old was as likely to pick up his Dad's full sized .22 caliber carbine and point it at his sister, or don't you??

At 5 years old your nephews knew they OWNED nothing. It was not THEIRS to use at THEIR leisure. It was not THEIRS do play with when they wished. I'll bet dollars to donuts THEIR bicycles and THEIR G.I. Joes weren't locked away until their parents told them they could play with them. A 5 year old understands the concept of "MINE" and "NOT MINE". This child was told the .22 Cricket was HIS. I very much doubt he would have picked up his Dad's carbine and killed his 2 year old sister with it.

I consider it Monumentally Stupid to present an actual, working firearm to a kindergartner and tell him it's HIS. Particularly a working firearm scaled to his size. Absolute dumbfuckery. Have you not heard of Mattel plastic bullet shooting guns and greenie stickem caps??

Jesus!

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
31. Wow, are you dense.
Sun May 5, 2013, 09:52 PM
May 2013

Of course those guns still belong to my nephews. Just because hey are locked up until they are safely used at the range or hunting does not change their ownership status. The size of the gun is immaterial. When those boys move into homes of their own, if it is within a reasonable distance, I bet they will choose to leave them in the safe until they have a gun safe of their own. They can get the guns whenever they wish to use them. We have a farm in northern Minnesota where most of the hunting and hunting and shooting is done.

If the gun is properly secured, it hurts nobody. How is it yoi cannot understand that?

Tell me this, are you a gun owner and/or a hunter?

jjewell

(618 posts)
32. Calling me "obtuse" and "dense" gains you no credibility, and scores you no points...
Sun May 5, 2013, 10:58 PM
May 2013

...in this discussion, so stick to the point and stay on topic. Thank you.

Here are some of the questions YOU'VE been asked by me, and have refused to address:

"The question to YOU is, would this poor little boy's 2 year old sister be dead if his parents had decided to give their 5 year old a SAVINGS BOND instead of a deadly weapon??"

"Were YOU never 5 years old? Do YOU NOT recognize how stupid it is to give a 5 year old a goddamn REAL GUN and tell him it's HIS?"

"Why do you refuse to concede that it is a monumentally stupid decision to hand a lethal weapon to a 5 year old and tell him, "this is YOUR gun"?"

"Which is more likely?

a) A 5 year old picks up his Father's full sized .22 caliber rifle (which he doesn't realize is loaded) and accidentally kills his 2 year old sister with it...

b) A 5 year old picks up his very own, scaled to his size, .22 caliber rifle (which he doesn't realize is loaded) and accidentally kills his 2 year old sister with it..."

"Why can't you understand that there shouldn't be 5 year old scaled, lethal weapon gifted to a kindergartner in the first place?"

"Are you really non-cognizant of a 5 year old's conception of "mine"?? "

"Do you think the 5 year old was as likely to pick up his Dad's full sized .22 caliber carbine and point it at his sister, or don't you??"

I consider it Monumentally Stupid to present an actual, working firearm to a kindergartner and tell him it's HIS. Particularly a working firearm scaled to his size. Absolute dumbfuckery. Asinine. Have you not heard of Mattel plastic bullet shooting guns and greenie stickem caps??

Daisy Air Rifles Company doesn't even recommend giving a BB rifle to a child UNDER 10 YEARS OLD, and then only under adult supervision, yet you're okay with telling a 5 year old that a toy-sized, .22 caliber, bolt action rifle is HIS?

In 60 years I have NEVER met a 5 year old child who didn't understand the concept of "MINE" and "NOT MINE". Most of the fights 5 year olds get into revolve around the issue of "MINE" versus "NOT MINE".

(Cenk voice) OF COOURRRRSE it the responsibility of the adults in the household to ensure that all firearms in the house are secured, but it's a trifle late to say, "oops, the parents should have locked up the child's deadly weapon AFTER he's already used it to kill his two year old sister; their two year old daughter. A 5 year old should not be under the impression that he owns a deadly weapon in the first place. Would you let a 5 year old play with a bomb because the fuse was supposedly in the kitchen cabinet? And then just say "oops" when it turns out the fuse was in the bomb and the 5 year old blows up himself and the neighborhood??

I assume in this case the .22 rifle was "normally" locked away, and somebody fucked up. The point is, it was an UNNECESSARY fuck up; there was no reason for the 5 year old to think he owned a fully functional, .22 caliber, bolt action rifle in the FIRST GODDAMN PLACE. The toy-sized gun should not have been in the house in the first place. A .22 caliber is an absolutely inappropriate gift for a 5 year old.

If the gun is NOT properly secured, a 2 year old dies. Or do you not yet recognize that even adults make mistakes? Once again, I do not believe that the 5 year old would have picked up his Father's full-sized carbine and killed his baby sister. Do YOU? He picked up the .22 bolt action because it was HIS.

And to answer your question, unlike the discourtesy you've shown in not answering mine, yes I have owned several rifles over the years, and more than a few handguns (revolver and semi-automatic). All were sold over a decade ago. And I fish occasionally, but I do not hunt.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
33. You are correct.
Sun May 5, 2013, 11:28 PM
May 2013

I should not have resorted to name calling. In my defense, that is frustration and not intentional antagonization.

Maybe, There might be other unsecured guns in the house. She might fall off the swing set.

Yes I was once 5 years old. No, I do not recognize that it is stupid to give a 5 year old a gun as long as it is locked up until it is safely used with supervision.

C. Neither because the gun is locked up.


The ownership of the .22 is immaterial. It should have been locked up.

Yes, 5 year old children understand the concept of ‘mine’.

No, because the full-sized .22 would also have been locked up and the boy would only have access to it under strict supervision.

No, I am not familiar with that Mattel product.

What you do not seem to understand is that the entire premise of my argument here is that all guns, whether designed for adults or children, should always be locked up. I do not assume that this family regularly locked up their guns, frankly, I would be somewhat surprised to learn that they usually did lock up their guns.

I grew up in a house with guns. They were locked up, even in the 1960s. We knew not to mess with the guns. We were taught at an early age not to touch the guns without our father present.


FYI, I didn't address anything else in your post because it was ludicrous, especially the nonsensical bomb analogy.

jjewell

(618 posts)
34. Very cool. Let the debate continue...
Mon May 6, 2013, 12:33 AM
May 2013


1.) So you feel the 2 year old was already doomed, because something else, like Dad's unsecured carbine, or her swing set was gonna kill her anyway? Instead of what actually got her killed? Okay. Good to know. Damn...

2.) You have an interesting concept of "giving" with which I am not familiar. In my life, particularly at that age, what was given to me was MINE. If I abused it, broke it or lost it was of no consequence to my parents. It would NOT be fixed or replaced because it was MINE and MY responsibility. By the same token, I was never given something and told it was MINE with the restrictions you imply.

3.) Poor dodge. I asked a simple binary question regarding which was most likely. There was no "C" option to the likely outcomes of the binary question, so your answer is deemed "non responsive".

4.) It has been repeatedly explained to you why the "ownership" of the .22 is definitely "material" to the issue of why a two year old girl is dead. It wasn't locked up, was it? YOU contend that the 2 year old is dead because A loaded weapon was accessible to the 5 year old. I contend that the two year old is dead because the 5 year old's OWN LOADED WEAPON was accessible to the five year old. A MATERIAL DIFFERENCE. I further contend that the 5 year old would NOT have picked up his father's unsecured, full-sized carbine and pointed it at and accidentally shot his baby sister. Yes it should have been secured, but the 5 year old picked it up because it was HIS. And it's insane to give a 5 year old a .22 caliber, bolt action rifle, and tell him it's HIS.

5.) I'm a product of the late 50's early 60's myself. My father owned a pistol and a rifle which I rarely saw and never touched. But he wasn't so insane as to give me a real, live, fully functional .22 caliber bolt action rifle when I was in kindergarten. Daisy doesn't even recommend giving an under TEN year old a BB rifle, let alone a fully functional .22 caliber, bolt action rifle.

6.) Sorry you missed out on the Mattel late 50's early 60's line of "Shootin Shell" pistols and rifles. They were very cool. Basically they were rifles and pistols that had plastic bullets that were spring loaded into cartridges, and fired like a real gun. For added realism, there were peel off round green caps you could stick to the back of the cartridge to make a firing sound when you pulled the trigger. Big fun when I was 6-7 years old.

Check this out:


Finally, I do not understand why you do not assume that this family regularly locked up their guns, and this tragedy was the result of a tragic oversight. My point being, accidents like this DO happen, and their likelihood is compounded when there is a child-sized lethal weapon in the house, as this case obviously points out.
 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
35. 1.) I probably should not have
Mon May 6, 2013, 01:27 AM
May 2013

added the flippant remark about the swing set. I do not believe in fate.

2.) I was given lots of stuff that was ‘mine’ and I could possess and play with it as a child. I also remember being reprimanded if I broke a new toy. Guns are not toys. They should never be given to children as if they are toys to possess in one’s bedroom or any other room of the house. Giving a child a toy to ‘own’ and a gun are not the same thing, not even in the same universe.

3.) If that is the way you choose to approach the subject, that is your choice. I choose to keep all of the guns on my home locked up in the gun safe and I encourage others to do the same.

4.) The 5 year old picked up the .22 rifle because he could. If the gun was locked up he would not have been able to pick it up. It is immaterial who ‘owned’ the .22 because it never should have been in the corner with a round in the chamber.

5.) I’m more of a late 60s early 70s child. I was a teen in the late 70s. There were guns on the basement walls as early as I can remember. I never actually was given a bb gun. My older brothers got them and I didn’t because I was too young. When I was old enough, I simply used the bb guns that were already in our house. I admit I used the without supervision and in unsafe ways. My brothers’ boys did not have that same opportunity. They shot bb guns and .22s under adult supervision. (My daughters did not show any interest in guns. If they had, they would have been supervised in a similar manner.)

6.) I didn’t even get a ‘pop’ gun as a child. Being the youngest boy was not always conducive to getting the ‘big boy’ toys. I got the stuff that my brothers were no longer interested in. They got bow and arrows, bb guns, etc. hell, they got air mattresses and I got a beach ball. I guess they thought I would float away on an air mattress. (I grew up on the shore of a lake in rural Minnesota.)

Where we seem to differ is the ‘giving’ of a .22 rifle to a child. I don’t remember going shooting until I was about 7 years old. My oldest brother was 12 and in gun safety training to get his gun safety certificate that is required to go hunting for anyone age 12 or older (or born after 1979). He went to the range as part of the training and my other brother and I got to tag along. While I did not get a .22 at age 5 I did get my own pump 12 gauge shotgun for my 12th birthday. It never occurred to me that although I owned that shotgun I could shoot it whenever I pleased. The judgement of a 5 year old should be trusted even less. That is why the .22 never should have been accessible to the child. It should have been locked up.

You say the child never should have been given the gun. I say the child never should have access to the gun without supervision. There is no point in continued debate on this matter between us.

jjewell

(618 posts)
36. Finally, a decent, cogent, conversational response from you, Jenoch...
Mon May 6, 2013, 02:29 AM
May 2013

Congratulations.

I maintain that the primary reason the two year old is dead is because the five year old saw and picked up HIS OWN, child-sized unsecured, loaded .22 caliber bolt action rifle and accidentally shot his baby sister.

I further maintain that the five year old would NOT have picked up his FATHER'S full-sized, unsecured, loaded .22 caliber bolt action rifle, and accidentally shot his baby sister.

I reject, out of hand, the notion that the five year old would have shot his baby sister with any unsecured weapon available.

I fully agree that any deadly weapon should be secured in the home from accidental misuse and discharge. I also recognize that "shit happens" and that sometimes via carelessness or oversight, this may not happen.

You are correct that our difference revolves around the idea of "gifting" a five year old with a fully functional, .22 caliber, bolt action rifle. I find it interesting that even YOU never handled a firearm before the age of 7, while your brother, 5 years your senior, had obviously handled firearms well before he went to the gun safety program you speak of. If he first handled a firearm at 7 years old as was YOUR experience, YOU were 2 years old at the time. It seems that even your parents felt that 5 years old was too young to handle a firearm.

You are correct in the assertion that there is no point in continued debate on this matter between us. I am amenable to agreeing to disagree.

Peace.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
37. Actually,
Mon May 6, 2013, 03:36 AM
May 2013

you are wrong yet again.

This child shot and killed his sibling only because the gun was available to him. Had the gun been locked away as it should have been, the tragedy would have been averted.

jjewell

(618 posts)
38. Oh... I thought you said there is no point in continued debate on this matter...
Mon May 6, 2013, 03:57 AM
May 2013

No matter...

Actually, as previously stated, the two year old was killed because the 5 year old's gun was available to him. The 5 year old had prior experience (he got the gun when he was 4). He knew better, and would NOT have picked up his father's gun had it been the one available to him in the corner.

I can do this as long as you can Jenoch.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
39. I agree that the gun being available
Mon May 6, 2013, 10:17 AM
May 2013

is the reason the tragedy occurred.

Neither you nor anyone else knows what the boy or may have done if a different gun had been a available, unless of course you have information that has not been in the media or you know the child personally, or possibly if you are a psychic, although I do not believe in that sort of thing.

(I replied that last time because you attempted to out words in my mouth instead of making your own point.)

jjewell

(618 posts)
40. Of course the 2 year old wouldn't be dead if the gun...
Mon May 6, 2013, 10:53 AM
May 2013

had been locked up. The 2 year old wouldn't be dead if the gun had never been purchased. The two year old wouldn't be dead if the 5 year old had never been born. The two year old would't be dead if she had been in another room at the time. The two year old wouldn't be dead if she had been at Grandma's house. I could go on, but I think you get my drift. Your point is pointless.

"If if's and buts were candy and nuts, what a Merry Christmas it might have been..."

The point is, IT WAS THE FIVE YEAR OLD'S GUN THAT WASN'T LOCKED UP. The point is IT IS INSANE TO GIFT A FIVE YEAR OLD WITH A .22 CALIBER BOLT ACTION RIFLE.

You don't know that the 5 year old would have picked up any loose weapon in the house and shot his baby sister with it. I don't believe the 5 year old is a murderer who was looking for any weapon available to snuff his baby sister. The boy accidentally shot and killed his baby sister while playing with HIS OWN RIFLE. There shouldn't have been a HIS OWN RIFLE to begin with.

(I put no words in your mouth, and I've been making the same point repeatedly.)

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
41. It is only
Mon May 6, 2013, 11:22 AM
May 2013

'insane' to give a five year old a .22 rifle if it is not locked up. My nephews are evidence of that.

jjewell

(618 posts)
42. Being the paragon of virtue that you apparently are...
Mon May 6, 2013, 11:37 AM
May 2013

and being incapable of human error as you obviously are, I will concede that it is possibly not insane in YOUR particular case to give a five year old a .22 caliber bolt action rifle, since, given your infallibility, the possibility of the type of accident we're discussing does not exist.

"There is an exception to every rule..."

However, the rule for mere mortals should be, "Don't gift a FIVE YEAR OLD with a .22 Caliber Bolt Action Rifle. It is Insane"

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
43. What is insane
Mon May 6, 2013, 11:45 AM
May 2013

is owning a gun and storing it locked up.

If you continue to respond, you probably should shorten your posts because I have only been scanning them and not really reading them completely.

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