I typically try to stay away from opinionated posts. It’s tough to write a piece knowing that many will be opposed to what you think and believe in. But this is something that I don’t want to keep quiet about, something that was so irresponsible and had such a devastating outcome.
photo Mohave County Sheriff’s Office
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfMzK7QwfrU
A 9 year old little girl from New Jersey was on vacation with her family this week at an Arizona gun range, Bullets and Burgers. The parents signed a waiver stating that they understood the rules of the gun range and stood back to record their daughter shooting an Uzi. AN UZI. She shot a single shot, and the instructor, 39 year old Charles Vacca switched the weapon to automatic fire. The girl can’t control the rising gun that releases 600 rounds per minute. The resulting spray of bullets struck Mr. Vacca in the head, causing his death.
This strikes so much horror in my heart, I don’t even know where to begin. As the mother of two daughters, one not much older than this child, I’m heartbroken for her. Furious for her. For the recklessness of a state that has no age restrictions on shooting guns. For the apparent complete lack of judgement that led to this child’s life being changed forever.
Look at that picture…the pink little shorts, the ruffled ankle socks, the carefully braided hair. This is a kid who should be riding a bike, going back to school shopping at the mall. Getting her new backpack filled with pink notebooks and sparkly pencils. But she was at a gun range, being handed an Israeli semi-automatic weapon that grown men have difficulty controlling without training.
Did her parents think it was cute? The juxtaposition of the sweet little girly girl shooting an ugly weapon of war? Novel? Amusing? Something to share on Facebook when they got back to the hotel? What does that poor baby face now? I’ll tell you what she faces now. Therapy. Ridicule. Ostracism. Kids can be real little bastards, you know it as well as I do and I’d bet it will be a very tiny chance that every kid in her school won’t know exactly who she is and what happened. And what are the chances that no one will make a comment, even a well meaning comment and throw her immediately back into the nightmare of what happened?
Yes, it was an accident, but one that could have been completely avoided. Mr. Vacca was a veteran who leaves a wife behind. So who’s to blame? The state? The range? The instructor? The parents? Yes to all of them. The only blame free person involved is that little girl, who has to live with this for the rest of her life.