A couple weeks ago I was criticized by one reader for posting a photograph of a young girl brandishing her gun in her bedroom; the locale was said to be inappropriate and emotionally charged. I trust this image of an Israeli child playing with a grenade launcher outdoors will be more acceptable.
Photo credit Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images.
No, it's totally unacceptable. Neither of the children have eye and ear protection on.
ReplyDeleteNeither of them actually firing the weapon, but in principle, I agree with you that protection suited to activity is always a wise approach, and would be wearing both should the guns be live (but as mentioned below, neither picture shows that situation)
DeleteFinger not on the trigger of the grenade launcher, no magazine in the rifle, some kind of trigger lock on it? (the yellow cable)
ReplyDeleteCharging handle is pulled back too, so the bolt might not even be in the rifle (can't tell with the magazine cover closed).
DeleteAnd even with weapon charged and finger on the trigger, he's still not firing, right? Where's the problem then? Oh look, he just fired. OK... But now he's not firing anymore, right? That was just once, where's the problem then?
DeleteIs that a firing range at Santa's Village?
ReplyDeleteIf I recall correctly, you were criticized by a few more than just a single reader.
ReplyDeleteThen again, you deleted all the comments, so I can't really confirm that.
Maybe you just need to go to a blog more to your personal liking? His blog, he gets to post whatever he wants and delete all the comments he wants. Heck he can even run with scissors, eat worms or make funny faces.
DeleteQuite correct, Bob. Some readers here misunderstand the "Minnesotastan" designation and think that is my name. In fact Minnesotastan is a small Russian Republic located between Dagestan and Tatarstan. Minnesotastan is a autocratic totalitarian dictatorship, in which I listen to all advice and then do whatever the heck I want. The borders are open, but I find that strangers who wander in and don't like the climate tend to drift away after a while. It all works out in a way that allows each of us to maintain some semblance of sanity.
DeleteMy point is that responding to valid criticism by ceasing all discussion completely is not what most people would call a mature act.
DeleteYes, you can delete whatever you want. The question is should you?
It makes me ill to see children with guns. I had a .22 rifle when I was 11, almost 12. We lived in the country in Wisconsin. I used it only for target shooting. My father said that since I was such a good shot, I should justify what he was spending on bullets by killing animals eating the produce in our garden and fruit trees. I aimed at a bird's neck, hit it. The head flew in one direction and the body in another. I put away the gun and never touched another gun in my life. The reality of killing something so sickened me I couldn't even go back to target shooting.
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience, only mine was a squirrel.
DeleteMore from The Guardian Images of the Week.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/05/photos-of-the-week-5-3-5-9/100732/#img12
I think you are referring my comment as "criticizing" you.
ReplyDeleteMy criticism was directed at the Guardian who wrote it and I thought you were posting it for a discussion of the issue and wherever it may reasonably lead. I was critical of the practice of loading the any gun debate with crafted, charged imagery and rhetoric. I actually have a lot of respect for you and your blog. You typically are able to stay relatively neutral and fact-driven in regards to discussions and issues. If I recall correctly (I can't check because the comments are deleted), my comment was simply saying that the children were likely photographed that way to push the agenda rather than to accurately convey a reality. As such, it is a useless article because it is not attempting to be objective and discuss anything. It's "we've framed the conclusion for you, what do you think?" Or as we have to hear on TV here in the US, "We report, you decide." Oh boy, that's quite the tale they are telling with THAT slogan.
What I'd like to see is pictures of children at the range, properly supervised, and training in safety as the vast majority of people do with their children.
In this instance Farrier and Anon are absolutely correct. This is unacceptable. No protection is not OK but that is probably because of what Anon pointed out. The gun is unloaded and the yellow plastic looks like a safety flag which is typically inserted into the barrel of a gun to show range officers that the weapon has been made safe. The charging handle is back which means that there cannot be a round read to fire and the bolt carrier group may not even be in the rifle. No magazine, no ammunition. To add to what they have said, while it looks like he is wildly brandishing the rifle, he is actually looking down the sites for the grenade launcher.
I think the real issue we need to discuss is the militarization of culture. To take it to the greater extreme, why can't we all just get along and not need these weapons in the first place?
Well said.
DeleteIf you follow my link above (that I mistakenly attributed to the Guardian, its actually The Atlantic) you'll find these pics come from an Israeli Military Weapons display as part of their 66th Independence Celebration.
ReplyDeleteGun laws in Israel are very strict, and gun ownership is considered a privilege.
this is from the israeli independence day - where families visit army bases.
ReplyDeleteon daily basis the general public is not even near the US population when it comes to guns accesability/ no such thing as weapon store - just go and buy and have it @your family home, in Israel weapons are spread - but only for soldiers
Here. I hope this is not too upsetting. 2004-
ReplyDeletehttp://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/toadboy65/2004_zps616da013.jpg
The same boy in 2014
http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag133/toadboy65/2014_zps4496857f.jpg
Its more evil to tell a child there is no God than to worry bout what picking up a gun might mean do etc-and God says youre a fool if you say there is no G0D! Do you think if there were no guns there would be less killing-really!!
ReplyDelete