WE'RE SURE Officer Vanessa Carter-Moragne feels terrible about her gun discharging and hurting a 10-year-old boy. She's a mother herself, after all; in fact, she was at school to pick up her son Wednesday when a group of students asked to see her gun. She removed the clip and passed the automatic weapon around; apparently, there was one bullet in the chamber. When she returned it to her holster, it discharged, grazing a student, who required five stitches and was sent home.
Gun Happy?
But the fact that something far worse didn't happen doesn't mean she should get off easy.
If the officer didn't learn after five years on the force than a gun can still hold a bullet with no clip is a shameful indictment of her training, her ability and her intelligence.
What did she think she'd gain by letting 10- year-olds handle her gun? Getting kids used to the feel of a gun? The last thing kids should feel comfortable doing is holding a gun.
To remove their fear of weapons? Kids should fear guns, so they won't go near them.
To satisfy their curiosity? Curiosity kills: Nine kids die from firearms every single day in this country. That's more than 3,000 a year.
For now, Carter-Moragne is off the streets. But maybe she should be off the force. *
FEATURED ARTICLES
More:
|
|
|
|
|
