The Liberal Gun Club Forum

Boy, 9, is 'shot dead by another fourth grader in row over being named student of the week'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -week.html

A nine-year-old boy was shot and killed by his fourth-grade classmate after they got into an argument over the winner of 'student of the week', police believe.

Alaska State Troopers say Spencer Polty was killed by a shot to his chest from a .17-caliber pellet rifle fired by another nine-year-old boy in Pilot Station on Friday afternoon.

The rifle has been described as 'high-powered' and is believed to have went off during an argument between the two boys

http://www.adn.com/2012/09/30/2645348/t ... illed.html

Relatives identified the child who died as Spencer Polty, a fourth-grader who had just been awarded "student of the week" and was looking forward to playing basketball and being part of the wrestling team.

Wow just wow, why haven't the parents taught these children not to point a gun at something your not willing to kill.
On the humor side of the argument If these two were the best I'd hate to see the worst of the class

Disturbing and sad. Also, this article is from the UK. Check the comments afterwards. Interesting POV from across the pond.

And the parents are where, during all this?

Talk about an epic failure of parenting.

TheGhostWhoRides wrote:Wow just wow, why haven't the parents taught these children not to point a gun at something your not willing to kill.

I agree. If parents plan to give their child an air rifle, teach them how to properly use it and learn how to use it themselves.

The views in the comments bother me. It seems that everyone is acting like it was a real gun.

M4Builder wrote:

TheGhostWhoRides wrote:Wow just wow, why haven't the parents taught these children not to point a gun at something your not willing to kill.

I agree. If parents plan to give their child an air rifle, teach them how to properly use it and learn how to use it themselves.

The views in the comments bother me. It seems that everyone is acting like it was a real gun.

Half the Brits probably don't know the difference, and it did shoot a lethal projectile. What gets me is people talking about the place like it was Crumpet-on-Stoatpiddle the next shire over. If you Google it up, it's 'way to Hell and gone out in the boondocks. Something like 92% Native American, too. White man's culture never completely took over up there. Our standards of how old a person should be before they're allowed to have a weapon do not apply, have never applied, and won't apply for a long time to come if ever at all.

I was wondering about that. I saw Alaska and didn't connect with Natives. I hope they don't take that as how everyone in America is.

I am friends with several of the members of the Heckman family. Art Heckman was a student of mine. Pilot Station is a native village that is totally subsistence without any industry. Gill netting, moose, caribou, bird hunting, and berry harvesting provides for their total harvest. Children have firearms in their hands from the age that they are old enough to walk. There are no roads. Cessna C207 aircraft provide the essential air service. Barges run the Yukon three months out of the year when it isn't frozen. Snow machines and dog teams provide transportation in the winter. Life is hard on the YK Delta. This loss will go hard on the village. My heart goes out to them.

punkinlobber wrote:Children have firearms in their hands from the age that they are old enough to walk.

And before the white man arrived it was bows and arrows or lances.

Our standards just simply do not apply there.

It is sad for the families and the whole town.

But what is it with this quote:

"
'It seemed like a usual day,' she said. 'He wasn't causing any trouble. He wasn't teasing like he used to do. He was just jolly.'"

JOLLY? As a quote from one of the villagers? Do the Brits add their own colorful way of messing up the English language when they quote someone?

Anyway no one likes to see a child die and this was just plain stupid!

paul