kids and guns

A

ArmySon

Staff Alumnus
The media never shows pictures of US Bullseye shooters. Yet, they'll show this picture. The pic was taken from this story on iwon.com
Israel, Palestinians Keep Summit Expectations Low

I can hear the soccer moms now, "Look at those evil guns. Those poor kids!"

mdf122553.jpg

A Palestinian member of the 'Tanzim', the military wing of the Fatah organization, trains two Palestinian boys how to shoot automatic weapons in the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus, October 14, 2000. Palestinian and Israeli leaders have agreed to a meet with President Bill Clinton in Egypt on Monday to try to halt an orgy of violence that has shattered Middle East peacemaking.
 
Well, if he keeps "training" those kids to fire an M16 with one hand on the magazine all they are ever going to do is miss and jam their gun.

If I were an Israeli I wouldn't worry too much about those two.
 
The June, 2000 issue of Scientific American contained an article titled A Scourge of Small Arms.

The online version can be found at http://www.sciam.com/2000/0600issue/0600boutwell.html

Here's an excerpt:

"The proliferation of automatic rifles and submachine guns has given paramilitary groups a
firepower that often matches or exceeds that of national police or constabulary forces.
Modern assault rifles can fire hundreds of rounds of ammunition per minute. A single gunman
can slaughter dozens or even hundreds of people in a short time. With the incredible firepower
of such arms, untrained civilians--even children--can become deadly combatants. Unlike the
weapons of earlier eras, which typically required precision aiming and physical strength to be
used effectively, ultralight automatic weapons can be carried and fired by children as young as
nine or 10 [see "Children of the Gun," on page 60]."

Italics are mine. From what I recall, the authors have a fairly strong anti-firearm bias.

I wish Scientific American would stick with what they know and not give print to half baked social theories written by folks with an agenda.

Cliff
 
While my credentials aren't that impressive, I did attend the Machinegunner's Development course by 1st/504 PIR, and prior to the course, we took the 60's out, and shot up some 55 gallon drums. Those drums didn't have much to fear from us. Flash forward to when we actually learned how to use the machine gun in its intended role (suppression [keeping their heads down while we advance on them]) we actually became quite good.
A machinegun like any other firearm requires that its operator know something other than just pulling the trigger. Aiming is important (somewhat) Using your T&E mechanism is VERY important, and listening to your spotter/AG is the utmost importance. These people make it sound like you just go out there and start mowing down bodies. I only wish that if I ever have to face the nasty end of a machinegun, that the BG's read and believe this article.
 
Does it strike anyone else as a bit odd that they're using M16's? According to the State Dept. report I just read, the Fatah gets it's weapons from North Korea and China.

[This message has been edited by RAE (edited October 15, 2000).]
 
I was just wondering about that myself.

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
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