And We Were Worrying About Background Checks?

A baby and his rifle

Five-year old Kristian Sparks was playing around with his Cricket rifle, a weapon that shoots actual bullets the other day, and shot his two-year old sister, Caroline, full in the chest. A wound that eventually led to the death of the baby girl.

The little boy was given his rifle when he was four years old. The rifle is of a kind that is actually made for children, having the label "My first rifle."

I have never heard of such a thing.

But when you read this article, you find yourself in a very strange world where no one is very surprised that a boy that age owns a gun. Heck, even Ralphie was in 5th grade, and the gun he got from his father for Christmas only shot BBs.

And he almost shot his eye out.

Apparently while Kristian's mother was in the next room in their mobile home, Kristian pulled the rifle's trigger while it was pointed at his sister, and it went off. The story is that no one knew it was loaded.

I guess my point in all of this is this. Here we are getting all worked up about a few US senators not allowing a bill on universal background checks for potential gun buyers to come up for a vote all the while people make guns for little children to use, and other people buy them for their children.

But I think the quote of the day comes from Cumberland County Judge John Phelps who was heavily quoted in the article. Of the tragic events, he said "This was a total shock. This was totally unexpected."

Because seemingly in answer to Phelps' statement Louisville child advocate Sharon Rengers, said "we're going to offer a 4-year-old a gun and expect something good from that?"