Guns don't kill children, it's their 8 year-old brothers

[pscot]

A 6-year-old boy who investigators say was shot in the head by his older brother has died.

Jacob L. Banks died about 8:44 p.m. Thursday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office.

Detectives believe Jacob's 8-year-old brother shot him with a .45-caliber pistol Tuesday morning at their home near Shelton while their mother was napping on a couch in the living room.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/425029_boy13.html

[armueller2001]

1. And your point is..

What exactly?

We should ban guns because of these irresponsible parents?

Unrec for a waste of electrons.

[pscot]

5. I understand I'm wasting my tme

But I don't do it very often

[cleanhippie]

24. You are only wasting your time if you do not have a point and a valid solution

to discuss rationally. SO up to this point, you are wasting your time, but you can turn that right around by letting us know what the point of your OP was and how you would prevent such a tragedy in the future.

[msongs]

2. kids have a 2nd amndment RKBA too ya know nt

[SteveM]

17. Any sources? Citations? What does you state say about this?

[Euromutt]

3. And the lesson for today is...

...that if you lock something away to prevent unauthorized access (be it firearms, medications, household chemicals, whatever), it defeats the purpose to then leave the corresponding key in a place where unauthorized persons can get hold of it and unlock the container.

[Zoeisright]

4. So how many is this?

Are we over a million accidental gun deaths in this country yet? Such a tragic consequence of stupidity.

[X_Digger]

9. It'd take a loooong time to reach a million..

There are about 650 accidental gun deaths each year, and it's dropping-

1999 - 824
2003 - 730
2007 - 613

http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_sy.html

[SteveM]

18. Well, how many? You brought it up; give us the numbers. Any at all?

[Travis_0004]

6. I agree that irresponsible people with guns kill people.

However the following things kill more kids a year than guns:

Cars
Bathtubs
Alcohol
Pools

If you truly cared about the saftey of kids, we need a 'cars' section, where we fight to ban cars. Isn't it worth banning them if it saves even one life?

[armueller2001]

7. But guns are different

Because they're scawwy..

[east texas lib]

8. Vewwy scawwy...nt

:scared:

[pscot]

11. Guns are different

beause their primary function is to kill. That 8 year-old used the gun for its designed purpose.

[X_Digger]

12. Please, chime in here..

I'd love to get your input- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x292384

[Pavulon]

13. The shit that leaks out of your ears from

being shot in the face by accident or smashed at an intersection by a drunk is the same color...

[cowman]

14. Bullshit

they're primary function is to propel a projectile out of the barrel at high speed, it's up to the shooter what it's used for.

[pscot]

20. You could make a similar argument about land mines

but no one would take it seriously.

[Euromutt]

15. Well, we'd better disarm the police, then

After all, if the designed purpose of those guns they carry is to kill, it follows they must go around randomly shooting people constantly. I'm surprised nobody's noticed the bodies piling up.

[pscot]

22. Since you all have managed to arm the gang bangers,

neo-nazis, white-supremicists and every other stripe of anti-social lunatic, that probably wouldn't work out. But i'm as nervous about the cops as I am aout anyone else who walks around with a pistol on his hip.

[Euromutt]

23. That went right over your head, didn't it?

Even accepting that the "primary function" of a firearm "is to kill," it does not follow that the purpose of having a firearm is to randomly shoot anyone and everyone you can. Most police officers go their entire careers without ever shooting anyone.

Also, I don't who you mean by "you all" but I have personally never sold a firearm to a gang member or white supremacist. I might add that I immigrated from a country with far more restrictive gun laws (the Netherlands), where organized criminals and lone assassins alike nevertheless seem to have little difficulty acquiring firearms when they want them.

[SteveM]

19. Please explain the significance of "...their primary function is to kill..."

What does this mean? If what you say is true, how does that affect social policy? Is there an inherent "evil" associated with your contention? Should other weapons (certain knives) be treated in a similar way? Do you see a difference between self-defense deaths which may result from gun (or other weapons), deaths by hunting, deaths as a result from thug behavior, etc.? In short, why should anyone be concerned with guns "...because their primary function is to kill?"

[aikoaiko]

21. Its a tragic death that came about from access to things the child shouldn't have had access to.

It would be just as tragic if the death happened from play in a pool, or with alcohol or medicine, or a car.

[benEzra]

10. And bicycles. (n/t)

[proteus_lives]

16. And?

Beyond the tragedy of an accident, what's your point?