I’m not a gun owner, but I have opinions about the usage and licensing of guns. If you’re going to use a gun or a rifle, then you should know what you’re doing. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could kill someone. However, if that is your goal, then you and I should be having a completely different conversation. On the other hand, if you’re a gun enthusiast and want to plonk down around a thousand bucks so you can shoot an automatic weapon and pretend you’re in the midst of Desert Storm at Bullets and Burgers, then be my guest. That’s not my idea of fun, but then, I can only speak for myself.
The whole issue of automatic weapons came to my attention today because of the reports of how a little girl, aged nine, was being “taught†how to use an UZI at Bullets and Burgers. During the course of that instruction, she accidentally shot her instructor, and he died. The reports of the fatal shooting with an UZI today angered me in ways that I had not expected.
There has been criticism of the instructor popping up, such as the fact that he should not have stood on her “off” side, because that’s the direction the barrel of the weapon will go if it goes out of control. But this is completely missing the point. When I talked to someone today about it, he said, “Well, your first problem is putting an UZI in the hands of a child.â€
Of course you can’t blame the little girl. She’s nine. She can’t vote, she can’t (yet) have children, she’s not able to pick out her college of choice, and, she can’t drive a car. She can’t legally smoke or drink. She doesn’t have the eye-hand coordination or muscle strength for a whole lot of things at this point, yet someone determined that it was acceptable to put an UZI in her hands. Let me repeat that: Someone determined that allowing a child of nine to experience an UZI, a weapon that kills people, was a good idea.
An UZI, according to Wikipedia, is an “open bolt, blowback operated machine gun.†(Like I even know what that means.) It is euphemistically described as a “personal defense weapon” and reportedly can shoot up to 600 rounds a second. Do you see what I wrote there? An UZI is a weapon whose only purpose is to kill.
You don’t hunt rabbits with it, you don’t hunt deer with it. You can’t learn to hit a can on a fence post, and you can’t scatter buckshot or rock salt to get those damn kids off your lawn. The only thing you can do with it is point it at someone an’ let her rip. You don’t learn anything except how to kill someone. Why on earth did Bullets and Burgers determine that UZIs were acceptable fun for nine year olds?
But more importantly, why did some parent (or a pair of them – they sometimes come in pairs) think, “Oh, a Desert Storm Experience complete with rapid fire automatic machine guns, goody!!! Let’s go, kids!â€
I’ve been to Las Vegas. I’m sure you have, or someone you know has. There is so much to do in Las Vegas (almost 600) that the list is ridiculous, among them gambling, loads of shows, eating large amounts of food and drinking large amounts of alcohol, well, frankly, the list is endless. But if you want to choose violence on your holiday in Las Vegas, that’s up to you. As an adult and an American citizen, you can choose to experience war and killing and bullets and gun oil, if that is your idea of fun. More power to you. I, meanwhile, will be doing someone else in Vegas, like spending my roll of nickels on the slot machines and then having a nice dinner with friends. Oddly, according to Trip Advisor, Bullets and Burgers is (as of this posting) the #1 attraction in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, the little girl, whose parents thought that an UZI was a good idea, will be changed forever. So do you blame the parents or do you blame Bullets and Burgers and other establishments like them who advocate, support, and enjoy automatic weapons like UZIs? I don’t know. Surely, the whole thing is a sad tragedy, and unforeseen accident where no one in particular was to blame. However, the most recent reports (via CNN) state the following:
“Chief Deputy Mohave County Attorney Jace Zack told CNN on Wednesday that prosecutors didn’t foresee criminal charges. Asked about the culpability of the girl’s parents, he said: “We have considered the parents, but if anyone was culpable it would be the instructor for putting a deadly weapon in her hands.””
Not being culpable means that the parents don’t deserve blame, which might be directly true, since they didn’t themselves pull the trigger. But then the County Attorney turns around and states that the instructor is culpable “for putting a deadly weapon in her hands.”
Okay, so I wanted to point out a few things. First, the parents brought the nine year old child to Bullets and Burgers, where a few hours entertainment with a variety of lethal weapons can cost anywhere up to $1,000. According to Bullets and Burgers (I got this off of Trip Advisor), “You choose the guns which you want to shoot from our extensive collection…” Which means that either the parent or the instructor choose the weapon for the child, or watched and agreed with the child’s choice of weapon.
Also according to CNN (since Bullets and Burger’s website has been suspended), “children between the ages of 8 and 17 can shoot a weapon if accompanied by a parent or guardian.” Which means that one of two things happened.
Either the parents were not watching when the child and/or instructor picked an UZI, and they are guilty of reckless child endangerment. Or, they were watching when the child and/or instructor picked an UZI, are, at the very least, culpable as well as guilty of reckless child endangerment. The instructor, in my mind, was just doing what he was being paid for. And he paid for his mistakes (if there were any – I’m no gun expert) with his life. But that poor kid will never be the same.
Bullets and Burgers can do what they like. So can adults. But kids need guidance, and anyone who points them at an experience like this? Perhaps the parents need guidance too, because that’s not what I’d call good parenting. Personally, I  think Bullets and Burgers (and their ilk) should not admit anyone who does not have a driver’s license. If you can’t drive a car, you certainly can’t fire an UZI.
Surprisingly, Bullets and Burgers is not unique in Las Vegas, though, again, they are the best at what they do for people who like that kind of stuff. The original website for Bullets and Burgers is now suspended, but if you do a search their tag line reads “Machine Guns Las Vegas.† According to CNN, “the range, which is about an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, says on its Facebook page: “We separate ourselves from all other Las Vegas ranges with our unique ‘Desert Storm’ atmosphere and military style bunkers.”
So, let me think about that a moment. You can think with me, okay? We can, between us, determine whether taking a nine year old girl to an adult adventure day camp that emphasizes, among other things, war and killing, is a good idea. I would like to be very sexist for a moment, and shout from the rooftops that taking a LITTLE GIRL to a place like this is the dumbest, most egregious parenting act that I have ever heard of. This little girl was being exposed to the fun of a desert environment where war is practiced, where camo is worn. I’ll wager that canteens were drunk out of, and army boots were worn, just to add to the atmosphere.
But it’s not okay for little boys either. There are too many kids, little kids, and bigger ones too, all over the world, who we can see carrying UZIs. They live in war zones. Their villages are bombed out. People carry water for miles. No one has enough medical care or enough to eat. I wouldn’t go to one of those places, no I would not, and particularly not on a family vacation. As for the guys in Desert Storm? Those men and women survived in the desert heat eating nasty things out of a can. And you want to make their sacrifice a “sports complex?”
Hey, you want to find ways to get gritty and dirty and experience a bit of hardship so that you appreciate your own real life back home. I get it, I do. But what’s wrong with a dude ranch? Or Outward Bound? Or the Peace Corps? Besides, if you’re a parent and can afford to send your child to freakin’ UZI camp, why not send them around the world so they can experience the gritty wonderfulness that is war first hand?
In case they take it down, here’s the description of Burgers and Bullets straight from Trip Advisor:
Type: Sports Complexes
Owner description: The Bullets and Burgers Adventure is a private outdoor range set in a stunning Mohave Desert landscape. We separate ourselves from all other Las Vegas ranges with our unique ‘Desert Storm’ atmosphere and military style bunkers. We are located on an eclectic 30+ acre property surrounded by picturesque mountain views at the edge of the undeveloped Lake Mead Recreational Area. Our guests have the opportunity to fire a wide range of fully automatic machine guns and specialty weapons. You choose the guns which you want to shoot from our extensive collection and we provide the eye/ear protection, ammunition, and expert guidance. Our .50 Cal selections includes the Barret Sniper Rifle, the Browning BMG .50 Cal (‘the deuce’), and the Desert Eagle. We even have the actual firearms used in several Hollywood hits including The Terminator and Rambo II. At our facility you have your own private range and certified ex-military firearms instructor. We operate as an exclusive guided tour so we don’t mind if you take your time and we encourage you to capture video and photos of the experience. If you prefer, your guide will gladly assist in filming while you shoot. To top it off, lunch is included at our restaurant located onsite. You will be treated with the World Famous All American Hamburger, fresh cut french fries, and a drink (alcohol is optional). The All American Burger is guaranteed to be the best hamburger you have ever eaten. The Bullets and Burgers Adventure is approximately four hours in length from scheduled pickup to drop-off back at your hotel. Helicopter upgrades are available. We also offer shooting options for guests who have their own vehicle and prefer to drive. The Bullets & Burgers Adventure can be made a combo to create the Ultimate Outdoor Machine Gun Adventure. Bullets & Burgers offers the chance to combo the gun package of your choice with the Helicopter Grand Canyon Adventure, Muscle Car Grand Canyon Adventure, Harley Grand Canyon Adventure, or ATV Lake Mead National Park Adventure.