3 Year Old Girl Shoots Self in Wii-Related Incident

[Trainman]

http://www.gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=116555 (EDIT: According to Warprattler, the girl did in fact die from her wounds.)

I figured I'd bring this topic here instead of Video Game Chat because I know that the gun control folks are gonna unnecessarily bring down the hammer excessively after they read this gem.

Okay, I shoot firearms, I don't mind the laws, and yes there should be some control, but not excessive control. However, even as a proponent of firearms/right to bear arms/etc., this is appalling and it makes like-minded proponents across the country look like idiots just because of some random parents' stupidity, carelessness, and irresponsibility.

1. This person stupidly did not have their weapon unloaded, unaccessible, and secured in this situation.
2. The mother saw the child pick up the firearm and start playing with it. She assumed the firearm was a "Wii Controller Gun" and walked away.

It's #2 that just kills me. How in the hell do you mistake a metallic, snub-nosed revolver for a white, large Wii Zapper? (As in, how could you not tell a real firearm from a white hunk of plastic that looks almost nothing like a firearm?)





In conclusion, while tragic, this is gonna unnecessarily stir the crap-pot when really, the parents are 110% at fault.

[Weegee]

Some third-party companies do produce used to produce peripherals which vaguely resemble actual firearms, but I suppose that's beside the point. What we have here is merely yet another case of redneckery gone awry, as it appears.

As for the general gun-control issue, I'm just once again thankful for a government which doesn't allow objects designed to kill or injure into the hands of irresponsible individuals. Cases of spousal/child abuse are far more likely than ones of self-defence or vigilante justice when it comes to firearms.

[Luigison]

Thank you for putting this in "Not at the Dinner Table."

I have no problem with people owning guns, but think that everyone that does should take a gun safety course similar to a driver's ed. class, pass a gun safety test similar to the DMV's drivers license test, and have the registration follow each gun sale similar to the way a cars title has to be registered by the owner.   

[superstarMASIAH]

yet another case of redneckery gone awry, as it appears.

Oh, and I'm sure 3 out of 5 households in every project of America don't own an illegal firearm...

[nensondubois]

Next they'll be looking to ban Superscopes.

[Trainman]

Thank you for putting this in "Not at the Dinner Table."

I have no problem with people owning guns, but think that everyone that does should take a gun safety course similar to a driver's ed. class, pass a gun safety test similar to the DMV's drivers license test, and have the registration follow each gun sale similar to the way a cars title has to be registered by the owner.   

No problem.

You *do,* in fact, have to take a gun safety course (at least in my area) depending on the circumstances. Also, every time you buy a firearm, regardless if you think they already "know you", you still have fill out endless amounts of paperwork and get a background check. If you have any arrests or anything on your record, then no deal. Then, there's a holding period on it. Days to weeks depending on the type of firearm.

I don't know why there's a redneck stereotype placed on it though, Weegee. Could've happened anywhere, and it's a retarded generalization to make on your part.

I'll find the source for this, but I read that California has the strictest gun laws and reports 2.7% more gun-related murders/deaths/etc. per year than Texas, which has some of the country's loosest laws... even though Texas isn't really a redneck state. Kinda tells ya somethin.

[Weegee]

Rednecks are more likely to be irresponsible gun-nuts. Tennessee, the location of this incident, is somewhere on the higher end of the gun ownership rate spectrum, boasts the USA's seventh-highest homicide rate, and is situated right on the verge of hillbilly country. Hence, my retarded generalization.

The bottom line: This whole crapfest would never have occurred of the States' firearm ownership rate was 0%.

Texas isn't really a redneck state.

[PaperLuigi]

Austin equals no rednecks. Everywhere else equals rednecks.

[Trainman]

A cowboy hat + Bush does not = redneck.

This is redneck.



On the subject of firearms, I think stripping everyone's right to own a firearm would be a double-edged sword, honestly. I believe that while gun-related homicides, etc. would go down, if a person was malicious enough (lots of people), they could get firearms if they wanted to regardless of any laws put in place (been happening forever already) coupled with the backlash of people who are responsible gun owners basically saying, "Hey, I'm not a killer, I'm legal, I paid for my stuff. Why the hell are you gonna take it from me?"

Basically, while all responsible gun owners are getting the short end of the stick, all the people who want firearms any way they can get them will still be able to regardless.

(Tell me which one of those guys in the video bought their firearm legally. That video just goes to show how easy it is to get firearms illegally and how absolutely nothing would really change if guns were just straight up banned.)

NOTE: LINK CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.

[Rao]

Did the girl die?

[superstarMASIAH]

Thank you, I was afraid to ask that......

[PaperLuigi]

(Note that the girl did not kill herself.)

[WarpRattler]

It's not noted in the GoNintendo article, but she did die.

[SolidShroom]

Strict gun control would be appropriate in modern times because stupid people killing others and themselves is reason enough to ruin it for everyone else; however, a lot of crimes are committed with illegal firearms. Weegee is in Canada; he doesn't actually know what a genuine Southern American redneck is.

[Weegee]

Warp's right; she died.

If those depicted objects were the actual ones involved in this incident, I guess it might be reasonable to have confused the two, save for the weight difference.