First off I’d like to say that I am pro second amendment, a life member of the N.R.A., and former competitive shooter. I learned to shoot at age 7 or 8, I can’t remember which, it was a long time ago. I have no problem with teaching the proper handling of firearms at an early age. I think it should be a requirement in our schools curriculum.

That being said, I would like to address the recent tragedy that occurred at a shooting range in Arizona. A nine year old girl was being taught how to shoot an Uzi and accidentally killed her instructor. To put a “machine gun” in the hands of a nine year old, to me, is as stupid as stupid gets. What in the world were you thinking, obviously you weren’t thinking.

However this was an accident, caused by stupidity, but an accident none the less. It is no less stupid than the stupidity displayed by parents who insist on loading their children into their car from the driver’s side in oncoming traffic. Or the ones who text or yap on their cell phone while driving with their children in the car. The list goes on and on.

There are those who will say, “That’s different.” Well, no it’s not. The consequences are just as deadly.  “Oh we do it all the time and never had a problem.”

I’m sure that this little girl was not the first nine year old to use a fully automatic weapon on that gun range and they also never had a problem either, till that day. The expression, “an accident waiting to happen,” comes to mind.

Joe Bayona,
Amboy Guardian Staff