Okay guys, I'm sorry. I thought this was going to be on the local news and not network TV.
The extra website can be found at...
http://www.extratv.com/
Here is what they have to say about Knob Creek on their site...
"Monday April 17, 2000
Children With Firearms
In the year since the columbine tragedy the gun control debate has taken center stage in congress. So you might be surprised to see a place where firearms are being placed in the hands of young children. EXTRA reports on the festival that's a family tradition.
It looks like a warzone. But it's in our backyard, Kentucky! And believe it or not some of these brave soldiers aren't even old enough to vote, drink or even drive. Welcome to the "World's Largest Machine Gun Shoot," a firearms festival that took place this weekend in rural West Point Kentucky, a town of 1750 people. Here families joined together to celebrate guns and ammo practically one year to the day after the shootings in Columbine.
Kenny Sumner runs the bi-annual shoot-out that attracts up to ten thousand.
"Machinegun mania. Everybody's got the bug. Everyone wants a machine gun. And those who don't have the money to buy one well, here they can come and rent one, shoot one." He says.
And there are so many weapons around you could arm a third world country. Uzi's, even military-issued flamethrowers so powerful they can decimate a neighborhood block. For less than 50 bucks you can have a field day with the lethal weapon of your choice. One kid is too young to test out the automatic weapons here at the range. He has to be at least 16 years old or 4 feet nine inches tall. Ryan Sansbury still has braces but he's old enough to fire a submachine gun.
"Shooting it was pretty neat because I never shot one before," says Ryan.
His younger brother Justin even shot an M60, which can fire off 650 rounds per minute.
"It gives you a sense of power, I guess," Justin says.
Their dad Rick makes no apologies for encouraging his sons to play with guns.
"You get a true understanding of the magnificence of the weapon and what it can actually do. And the damage it can cause. That shows you the importance of using it properly." Rick explains.
Just across the state, 18 year old Missy Jenkins watches in shock. She was paralyzed by a gun-toting classmate in the Paducah school shootings just over 2 years ago.
"With what's going in America today, you know, children need to be fascinated by other things besides guns." She says
But back at the festival, gun advocate Paul Bastean says exposing children to guns will actually reduce the potential for abuse and accidents.
"Children lose the curiosity for the weapons, they don't go and try to mess with them while mom and dad's not home," he believes.
Most of the people here say what they're doing is actually safe, invoking an explanation often used by gun advocates.
"It's not the gun that kills, it's the person that kills," They say."
I didn't get to see the show. I'm sure that it was biased as all firearm related stories put out by the networks are, but how bad was it? Do we need to mobilize for a major letter writing campaign or not. It's your call.
Thanks,
Joe
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