Gunmakers Urge That Children Get Guns For Christmas

USNewswire.com ^ | 12-18-2001 | Contact Naomi Seligman of the Violence Policy Center

[Trailer Trash]

VPC Report: Gunmakers Urge That Children Get Guns For Christmas
U.S. Newswire
18 Dec 9:00

Gunmakers Urge That Children As Young As Four Years Old Get `A .22
For Christmas,' New VPC Report Reveals
To: National Desk
Contact: Naomi Seligman of the Violence Policy Center,
202-822-8200, ext. 105

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The gun industry has
unleashed a new wave of smaller, lighter versions of adult firearms
and as marketing them as youth models for use by children as young
as four years old, according to a 21-page study released today by
the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The study, "'A .22 For
Christmas' -- How the Gun Industry Designs and Markets Firearms for
Children and Youth," reveals how the gun industry -- working
hand-in-hand with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun
industry trade group the National Shooting Sports Foundation
(NSSF) -- is targeting children to ensure its fiscal and political
future. As Handguns magazine stated this summer regarding children
and guns: "they are our salvation in the fight for liberty and the
preservation of the shooting sports."

"The gun industry promises that a gun in a child's hand is a
short-cut to responsibility and maturity. In fact, the only
guarantee is one of increased risk of death and injury," states
Marty Langley, VPC policy analyst and study author. "The firearms
industry and gun lobby are attempting to secure their own survival
by endangering that of our children."

In spite of recent reports of short-term spikes in gun sales
following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, gun ownership overall has
been steadily declining for several decades. As a spokesman for
handgun manufacturer Glock lamented in 1996, "grandpa or dad isn't
taking the kid out into the field to teach him how to shoot
anymore."

"A .22 for Christmas" details more than 40 youth firearms from
20 manufacturers and reveals gun lobby efforts to entice children
through the promotion of such activities as "practical" or "combat"
shooting, where participants navigate a run-and-gun, self-defense
course using a wide range of weapons and "Cowboy Action" shooting,
where participants dress up and take part in "wild west" scenarios.
It also reveals how the gun lobby explains that smaller,
low-caliber handguns can be used to fit the small hands of
children. And while the gun industry promises that such training
virtually guarantees good citizenship, the exact opposite may be
true. In 1998, 11-year-old Andrew Golden -- who had been taught
combat shooting by his father -- and 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson
ambushed their classmates at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro,
Arkansas, killing four students and a teacher while wounding 10
others.

The study reveals how gunmakers openly acknowledge their desire
to cultivate an expanded youth market, even though to purchase a
firearm from a federally licensed gun dealer the buyer must be 21
years old for a handgun, and 18 years old for a rifle or shotgun.
Weapons can be purchased for children by adults, however, with
limited federal age restrictions. In the study, the VPC recommends
that federal law be changed so that possession restrictions match
those for sales.

For more information, contact VPC Communications Director Naomi
Seligman at 202-822-8200, ext. 105. "'A .22 for Christmas' --
How the Gun Industry Designs and Markets Firearms for Children
and Youth" is available at the VPC's Web site www.vpc.org. The
Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational
organization working to stop gun death and injury in America.

 

KEYWORDS:

GUNS/FIREARMS, YOUTH

http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
12/18 09:00

Copyright 2001, U.S. Newswire

 

[wardaddy]

These VPC folks are real turds. Guns specifically designed for 4 year olds???...yeah right. These groups are funded by the trial lawyers now flush with tobacco money in their attempt to mine for future "pockets to pick".

[JoeFromCA]

Four years old is probably not too young to introduce children to the challenges of handling a firearm correctly. Obviously such an introduction should be accompanied by 100% adult supervision (essentially hands on the weapon) training. I owned my first 22 calibre rifle at age 10, which I paid for with $16 earned working for 50 cents/hr. on farms around my house. But I began handling firearms under my mother's supervision at about age 6.

[Destructor]

More lies from VPC. Is anyone surprised?

[Billthedrill]

The VPC is the most active and mendacious of the various gun control groups, probably the most extremist, and certainly the purveyor of the most vicious lies. Note how the link between the article on "A .22 for Christmas" and combat shooting is made without informing the reader that precisely NO combat shooting competition uses .22 rifles, the subject of the article, or pistols either as far as I am aware. As for the gun industry "targeting" children, that is a deliberately inflammatory phrase that ignores that youth models have been around nearly as long as firearms have, that this market niche is nothing new.

These are paid, professional liars - Tom Diaz and Josh Sugarmann work for this bunch, and are frequently quoted without being identified as extremist gun control advocates. Their one technique is to demonize anyone associated with firearms, notably Charlton Heston, always the NRA and that nebulous group of entities termed the "gun industry." And the press laps it up, every time.

[Eaker]

The gun industry has unleashed a new wave of smaller, lighter versions of adult firearms and as marketing them as youth models for use by children as young as four years old

UNLEASHED????

Damn things run from the warehouse on their own and search out children??

Eaker

My kids already have guns, so there!!

[Jefferson Adams]

Here's my 11 year old daughter with a .22 rifle :)

[Liberty Ship]

Great ideas for Toys for Tots!

[ArrogantBustard]

Cute kid. Nice rifle. Smart parents. Good job.

[Trailer Trash]

Nice job!

[ladyneutron]

Your daughter will grow up to be safe, smart, and self-sufficient. Way to go!!

[B-A-Grizzley]

Let's guess...Marlin 60 with a TASCO scope...my two youngest boys have the same model...they unfortunately watched Saving Private Ryan one too many times and go through the ammo way too fast. I'm working on restricting them to bolt action Model 44 here soon.

[wardaddy]

I was on the deer stand myself at 4 or 5(just watching) with my dad for afternoon hunts. I shot my first deer (a doe of course) at 8 with a 20 gauge slug in Tensas Parish in East Louisiana in bottomland between the Miss river and the levee (while in the company of my dad's handyman). I was plinking .22s with supervision at first grade....in fact the summer camps (YMCA) had such target practice. My first Red Ryder was around 6 or so as well....nearly all the kids in my "hood" had one....later we moved up to .22 Benjamens and Crossmans in pellet rifles. BUT.....I never had any access or instruction in handguns till I was 11 or 12 and then with my dad's SW model 10. Nor was I allowed unsupervised use of anything besides my Red Ryder till then either.

My first wing gun at 7 or so was a Stevens single shot .410 in full choke.....understandably I hit very few birds except for redwing Blackbirds on wires.

My 18 month old boy already knows what guns are...having watched me clean my frontloaders enough. He relishes when I purge the nipple with a few caps before loading. My middle daughter aged 12 will be deer hunting with me next week. She'll use a .45 Pedersoli BP SuperCub frontloader shorty.

[tberry]

Bang

[lavaroise]

In fact, the only guarantee is one of increased risk of death and injury," states Marty Langley, VPC policy analyst and study author. "The firearms industry and gun lobby are attempting to secure their own survival by endangering that of our children."

Oh, but sending them as cannon fodder without any training is safe.... argh!

[Phantom Lord]

I got my first gun when I was in 2nd grade. Ya, it was a BB gun but I quickly progressed to .22's, then shot guns. Was probably the only kid on my block with his own shotguns before he turned 13. I do not have any children, but I can assure you, be they boys or girls there will be 2 things they will quickly be introduced to... golf clubs and guns.

[the]

Gun Nearly Kills People

SHREVEPORT, LA (DPI) - The National Rifle
Association suffered a setback to their common
wisdom "Guns don't kill people, people kill people"
when a Colt .45 caliber pistol broke out of its locked
case, went to a gun store, and shot and injured two
people. Shreveport authorities chased the pistol for
several blocks but lost it when it scurried into a
large rat hole in an alley behind the shop. "It's the
damnedest thing I have ever seen" said recovering shop
owner Dale Daleton. "I've been in this business for 20
years and didn't even know guns had legs. Pretty
friggin' freaky if you ask me." Shreveport authorities
continue their search for the gun, assuring the town's
residents that it can't possibly travel far on such
little metal legs.

(Reported by Davejames)

(From the satirical web-newspaper Daily Probe, a weekly digest that promises to outwit, outmock and outrage, becuase real news sucks.)

[blackie]

I started shooting at age 5, got my first rifle at age 9 and have owned and shot firearms all my life...I'm 71 and I'm still shooting...

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

The Right Of The People To Keep And Bear Arms Shall Not Be Infringed !!

An Armed Citizen, Is A Safe Citizen !!

No Guns, No Rights !!

Molon Labe !!