Change of topic

I had planned to write a lighthearted post about how we ate tonight’s dinner out on the deck for the first time since last summer. It would have been funny because I was also going to tell you about how one of the neighbour boys just sat on the backyard swing and watched us eat because he had yet to be called in for his dinner.

I was also planning to quote my husband’s funny admonishment to him about how he had to keep quiet if he was going to stay in the yard because it would be like us coming in to his dining room and watching him eat… ha ha ha.

Instead I’m going to write about this.

5-year-old accidentally kills sister with gun he got as gift – The Globe and Mail

This was not a cap gun or a BB gun. This boy had been given a .22 caliber rifle as a gift. A .22 caliber rifle is a hunting weapon, a gun intended to be used to kill.

Here a just a few quotes from satisfied customers from the manufacturer’s website.

“Thank you for supporting the next generation of recreational shooters. My 4 1/2 year old daughter thought the “pink one” was far superior to a black synthetic stock, who am I to argue?”

“Just wanted to drop you a note, to let you know what a great product you offer. I just recently bought two Crickett .22’s, one pink and one black. They are exceptionally accurate, and just the right size for my 5 and 7 year olds. They are awesome and we couldn’t be happier. Thanks So Much!!!!!”

“My wife told me to do something with my daughter after gymnastics today, she recommended going for hot chocolate or a donut. I thought, that’s not special, plus once you’ve consumed the item where does that leave you. Instead we bought a pink Crickett from my six year old daughter and wanted to say thanks for making quality affordable firearms for new shooters. The ‘girls’ option is especially appreciated because as scary as it sounds the color really helped get her excited about it.”

I think it is very interesting that the thing the last customer thought was “scary” was that the gun was pink, rather than the fact that he had just bought a gun for his six-year-old.

I do not want to get into a political debate about gun control, it’s just that I literally cannot understand this. And I’m literally using “literally” as it is meant to be used.

I cannot understand a parent who would give a .22 caliber rifle to a pre-schooler.

I cannot understand a company that would actually make a gun for children this young.

I cannot understand a society where this is allowed.

I cannot understand the pain that family must be in right now.