Indians For Guns

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10908830

A bridegroom in Turkey has accidentally killed three relatives while firing an AK-47 in celebration at his own wedding, Turkish media reported.

The groom lost control of the weapon as he tried to fire in traditional celebration in the air at the ceremony in the village of Akcagoze in south-eastern Gaziantep province.

The guests were sprayed with bullets and the groom's father and two aunts were killed.

The groom has been arrested.

The Anatolia news agency reported that eight other people were injured in the firing.

The three who died succumbed to their wounds in hospital.

Firing into the air is commonplace as a celebration in parts of Turkey and has on many occasions led to deaths and injuries.

Turkey has tried to impose harsher penalties but has not ended the practice.

Guns are a great deal of fun, but they are not toys. Like all inanimate objects that obey the laws of Physics, they have no respect for a person's rank, position, gender, or whatever -- the operator is solely responsible for any foolish, negligent, or criminal matters associated with their use.

To assert otherwise is to ascribe some sort of metaphysical properties to guns, a notion I cannot accept. Unfortunately, there are too many people in our public and too many politicians they elect who do seem to ascribe some sort of malevolent, metaphysical properties to guns, which has never been scientifically proven.

It is said that, in these modern times, we have given up the superstitions of the past. How can we consider ourselves to be better than our fathers, if we invent even sillier notions than those held in past times, even in the face of the world's great accomplishments and learning? Does this not make us even more foolish than our forefathers?

We used to have a comedian here in the USA who would claim, "The devil made me do it!" after doing something foolish or ridiculous. It was a big joke. The attitudes of people about guns are even less supportable, nor are they funny.