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Tragic consequences of weapons
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Micro UZI 9 mm submachine gun
Last week, a funeral was held for a boy named Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn. He was 8 years old when a tragic accidental shooting of an automatic UZI 9-mm resulted with the weapon recoiling back and lodging a bullet in his head. Lest anyone thinks that this was a total reckless occurrence, he was under the guidance of a certified weapons instructor and was accompanied by his father at a private sportsman's club during a gun exposition. Many people who are gun enthusiasts welcome the chance to shoot a weapon that is not available to them on a normal basis. According to statements by his father Charles Bizilj, a physician, Christopher has had experience in shooting. As a result of this incident, discussions about gun reforms have been suggested. State representative Michael Costello of Massachusetts is planning to file a bill to put age limit of 21 on firing automatic weapons according to an article on BBC.
While Christopher's death is a tragedy, legislation to restrict firing of automatic weapons until 21 seems to be irrelavant to this event. Christopher was 8 years old and to somehow restrict people of voting age even to do so seems to reek of opportunism for legislators to advance a different agenda. We have men and women as young as 17 in our military who carry automatic weapons on a daily basis. In fact, they are entrusted with weapons that cost millions of dollars which can eradicate whole towns.
Reasonable limits are in order for handling of any type of weapons whether they be firearms, bladed weapons, sticks or other plethora of implements. Parents, instructors of martial artists, firearms instructors need to exercise good judgement on the maturity, abilities and physical limitations of their charges. Firearms safety is absolutely a must for persons handling weapons but there may be some magic line for when children can start handling a deadly weapon. This is why martial arts must be treated with respect and responsibility because of the dangerous nature of the application of these potentially deadly arts. In the wrong hands, whether its people with no regards to others or simply immature, the martial arts can be an instrument for destruction. However, individual rights and liberties should be respected when they are exercised with common sense by responsible people. This incident, like many tragic incidents could have benefitted from restraint and common sense.
