# Should we prevent children from killing themselves? \[8 y.o. w/Uzi incident question\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 28, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877 "2008-10-28T01:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877/61 "2008-11-04T14:05:32Z")
> [@whorfin](#): > > I don’t have a problem with it. The object is to shoot little balls of paint at people-I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that people can understand there’s a difference. Nah, I prety much use it as training to kill people. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877/62 "2008-11-04T14:57:11Z")
Why is it that when a kid is killed with a gun, it immediately kicks off a round of hand-wringing about whether guns should be banned, but when a kid drowns in a backyard swimming pool, it doesn’t? FAR more children drown in backyard pools than are killed by guns in any given year. It’s not even close. Why do we not consider banning private trampolines? Do you have any idea how many injuries and deaths they cause in a given year? And it seems like there are headlines at least a couple of times a year here in Alberta regarding a kid killed driving a quad ATV. Guns seem unique in this respect. Even though the accidental death rate is lower than that of other commonly owned yet optional things, only guns seem to trigger these demands for bans and regulation every time there is an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877/63 "2008-12-06T05:04:15Z")
Update: [Police chief, two others indicted after boy killed by Uzi](http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE4B37XC20081204): > [@](#): > > Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury, owner of COP Firearms & Training that co-sponsored the event, faces another four counts of furnishing a machine gun to someone under age 18. > > The grand jury also indicted the sportsman’s club where the expo was held and two men who supplied the Uzi that killed the boy. > [@](#): > > Under Massachusetts law, children can fire a weapon if they are supervised by a licensed instructor and have consent from a parent or legal guardian. But the law bars the furnishing of machine guns to minors regardless of whether parents consent, said Bennett. Any wagers on the likelyhood of conviction? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877/64 "2008-12-06T05:13:36Z")
> [@truthbot](#): > > Dad was reaching for his camera to presumably get some shots of his boy firing the weapon when the accident occured. Did he get the shot? Daniel [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-prevent-children-from-killing-themselves-8-y-o-w-uzi-incident-question/469877.md?page=3)