General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Justice for Tamir Rice! 12 year old shot and killed for a BB gun. [View all]TorchTheWitch
(11,065 posts)First, any gun that fires any kind of projectile is not classified as a toy. Therefore, it is not required to have the bright orange tip. No toy guns made outside of the country are allowed in the country if they do not have the bright orange tip. The obvious problem here is that any projectile firing gun that by law is not classified as a toy whether or not it fires bullets should never be thought of as a toy nor handled as a toy.
Manufactures of toy guns classified as toys have no problem making them with the bright orange tip whether foreign or domestic since their business is to sell actual toy guns that do not fire any kind of projectile and for which they do a very tidy business. If they want to sell any kind of gun that fires some kind of projectile other than bullets they aren't required to have the orange tip nor are they required to make it look like a toy in any other way because it isn't classified as a toy. So of course they have an interest in making such guns look like authentic bullet firing guns since that is what makes them so popular thus more sales.
Second, anyone allowing their child to walk about in public with a gun that appears to all the world as a bullet firing gun whether it is one or not that does not have the bright orange tip is a fucking idiot putting their child in danger and possibly causing real fear among the public.
Third, anyone allowing their child to have a projectile firing gun whether it fires bullets or something else that does not have the orange tip without teaching the child to handle it appropriately and always under adult supervision is an idiot. As far as I'm concerned buying such a gun for their child is idiocy all by itself since children can't be trusted to understand the importance of appropriately handling such a gun nor why.
As for the police, they are required to assume that a gun that appears to be a bullet firing gun is one whether it is one or not. The risk of not doing so is far too great since there is no way to know if it is real or not and that it COULD be real. A gun that appears to be a bullet firing gun in the hands of a child is more of a danger because children can't be expected to know or understand how and why to appropriately handle it nor the importance of following police orders immediately.
Who is most at fault in this incident is the parents of this child that bought them a gun that appeared to all the world as a real bullet firing gun yet did not keep it away from the child to ensure that it only be used by the child under adult supervision and in such an area that would not arouse fear in the public nor did they teach the child to handle it appropriately or the child was too young and immature to understand any such teaching.
The events occurred as they did because a young child had a gun that appeared to be a real bullet firing gun and who was allowed to handle it alone and out in public when they obviously either weren't taught to handle it appropriately and why or the child was too young to understand any such teaching added to the child being allowed to have the gun without adult supervision.
Children far younger than this one have killed with real bullet firing guns either because they didn't know how to handle one appropriately or why and because one was available to them with or without supervision and some have also shot real bullet firing guns at people on purpose. Therefore, it is never safe to assume that a bullet firing gun in the hands of a child is not a danger. Cripes, everyone with a functioning brain knows that a gun in the hands of a child is a danger and why guns in homes with children in them need to be securely locked away from their being able to get their hands on them. There are more than enough deaths of children or adults by children who were able to get their hands on a real bullet firing gun to get that though to people yet all the time people still are so careless with their real bullet firing guns around children and react in surprise when a tragic shooting by a child occurs.
I'm of the opinion that any sort of projectile firing gun should never be allowed in the hands of a young child with or without supervision. Children should be taught that guns are dangerous, and that shooting them or pointing them at anyone isn't FUN. I don't see a problem with teaching children to hunt as long as they are adult supervised and that anything killed is for eating but that killing an animal for food is not FUN but a necessity of life. Killing even an animal should never be considered FUN.
I think that it is abundantly apparent that guns that are not classified as toys but don't fire real bullets that look for all the world as real in the hands of children or idiots that don't understand how that gun will be viewed by the public and the police is a major problem. And we already have a major problem when it comes to real bullet firing guns that get into the hands of children or adults with no appreciation of handling or using them appropriately.
When guns are made readily available to children by careless and stupid adults and that gun is used by a child who shoots someone accidentally or on purpose whether they kill them or not there should be major penalties to the gun owner that includes jail time instead of treating it as a tragic accident for which compassion only is given. Cripes, when a child is struck and killed by a car because said child ran into the street after a lost ball and the vehicle driver is subject to criminal charges, why the hell are people who leave guns out for children to get a hold of not also facing criminal charges when a child gets one in their hands and shoots someone including their own selves?
I think the OP is stupid as it once again puts all blame on the police even accusing them of lying about the incident. Any dope should understand that no one - especially the police - has or SHOULD have the luxury of assuming that a gun in anyones' hands that looks for all the world as a real gun is a toy or non-bullet firing gun. The risk that hoping it is a non-bullet firing gun is obviously far too great. A civilian is free to take that risk if they want, but a police officer cannot and SHOULD not.