From: Ernest Hua <hua@xenon.chromatic.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 14:46:40 +0800
To: frantz@netcom.com (Bill Frantz)
Subject: Re: Giving 6 year old kids Uzi's
In-Reply-To: <199607200649.XAA25479@netcom7.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <199607221825.LAA28544@server1.chromatic.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> >You might have had a different childhood, but when I (and most of my
> >friends) were 6 (or 12 or even 18), our primary concern was having fun,
>
> When I was in high school (age 14-18), I was on the high school rifle team.
> That means I carried a rifle into school at the beginning of the season
> and back home at the end of the season.  I should not be necessary to
> mention it, but I never shot anyone then, before, or since.

Look.  Let's be very clear about precisely what we're discussing.
We are talking about distributing a gun to every *@#!! kid walking
into school (ok, maybe we make them pay for it, but money ain't the
issue).

We are NOT talking about special training for every child, or giving
them only limited access.

The person to whom I originally responded to on this topic wanted to
give EVERY SINGLE CHILD a gun!

> > Incidentally, if you are interested, I DO have a child (almost 2 yrs),
> > and I certainly would not even contemplate letting him have a gun (no
>
> recommend teaching children about proper use of guns at a similar age,
> with tight supervision.

My point exactly.  YOU JUST DON'T HAND OUT A GUN AND SHOW HIM HOW TO
USE IT AND LET HIM LOOSE!

Now ... we're not talking about children having guns as exceptions; we're
talking about children having guns AS THE RULE.  And I severely object to
the notion that children, as a rule, can be blindly trusted to have good
judgement with deadly force.  (Not just guns, but anything from switch
blades to anti-tank missiles.)

Ern