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Joe.

Joe,

Does this story make you want tot stop driving? (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Joe, I agree with your point of view. I have the same reaction as you. And yes, we should stop doing anything that causes death. I often find the human race to be warped when it comes to protecting our rights at all cost. Bernie

A father (a physician) put a live machine gun into the hands of his son. His son didn't have the upper body strength to control the live fire, and he shot himself.

Generally, people only become responsible when given responsibility. One or more people who were given responsibility acted irresponsibly and a horrible price was paid. Who is responsible (?) ..... no one is admitting fault, everyone is being blamed, and all are pointing fingers elsewhere. THAT/THOSE act(s) of not accepting responsibility, once having accepted it, is equally reprehensible. 

It's not the National Park Service's fault for allowing Cub Scouts to start a campfire that ultimately burns-down a forrest. The Westfield Sportsman's Club begrudgingly provided an opportunity for an outside group Police/ ParaMilitary Weapons Training Group to provide a supervised machine gun exhibition, as they have without incident for several years passed. 

So, where does fault lie? Club? Training Group? Instructors (there were two, one on each side of the boy)? Father? Boy? Second Amendment? You pick ONE. No one else seems to be able to.

Gary
Member
Westfield Sportsman's Club
( and yes, I voted for not allowing the exhibition)

I read the story about the death of an 8 year boy using a machine gun with his parent and instructor present. It is a sad story. I feel both the parent and the instructor should receive jail time. This wasn't an accident. It was beyond stupidy or irresponsible-it was well into criminal negligence. Anyone with a modicum of common sense would NEVER let a person who is totally unfamiliar with the pulling of a trigger and the reaction which follows-do this. These people make it bad for everyone else.

Amazing. The man's child is killed in a stupid accident and it is suggested he get 'jail time' for punishment. 
Really want to 'punish' the dad some more?? HOW???? 
He will live his life in a prison of guilt, what more would be worse??

This unfortunate incident hits us all in multiple and different ways as shown by the range of comments.
The tragic death of an innocent child rings all of our bells. 
As (I assume) responsible and relatively experienced gun owners who enjoy our chosen interest we have a tendency to be a bit defensive about it because of a history of adverse opinion in this country.   We react strongly to what appears to be a an incident of tragic gross stupidity in part because we understand that it will just mean another fresh load of grist for the mills of those who neither understand or share our interest (or who choose to use it to further their own political agendas).

Most states have a rather complex series of laws that offer escalating degrees of culpability/punishment when a humen life is lost.  One can only hope that the legal authorities will evaluate the event and assign the proper level of responsibility free of political pressure.   Sadly by then it will be "old news" and the profit and politically driven news media will fail to report it as they did when it was a hot sensational story.

Stevens52
To compare the tragic death of a boy to electricity is just plain stupid. Grow up. Events that put a machine gun in the hands of a private citizen have no place in our society. Machine guns should be for military and police use only. I will always defend the constitution, and did so 1965-1966. Just in case any of you think I live in an anti gun state, I own a ranch in the great state of Montana, where my great grandparents homesteaded. At this stage of life I try to only associate with reasonably intelligent people, so I am done with this thread.  Bernie