Gun show in the U.S. has young children as target audience

Hundreds of guns simultaneously pointing to the ceiling on the first day of the 142nd edition of the Convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA acronym in English), in Houston, Texas. The atmosphere in the halls was an air of celebration, but what was seen were thousands of guns - and buffs among them.

A fair-haired young man holds a Beretta rifle like a guitar. He is thrilled.  He points it toward a wall, which brings to mind a giant picture of a jungle. Perhaps he is imagining that there are wild lions, tigers or even dangerous terrorists hiding.

In her hands a Ruger 1022 Purple, "fun gun," this mother. with Rose, who's only 15, poses for a photo while pretending that she will fire it.

A man says, laughing and proud, he wants to dedicate himself to looking like a teenager, holding an Uzi. He tells his boy: "I promised, it is now yours."

A guy explains how to position your feet to shoot a criminal. "I'm an ex-military," he says firmly, holding his Glock in front of a small and attentive audience. "And I can say that it is essential to maintain the exact position of the feet, legs and back."

Most attendees  consist of young people, listening spellbound. In fact, the environment at the NRA convention is familiar with parents and children - mostly white - walking the aisles of the event as if on a Sunday stroll.

Nearby, Sandy holds a small rifle. Pointing to the ceiling, concentrating. Closing one eye. Breathe. Shoot. Reload. The trebuchet is pink, small, looks like a toy. It has a plastic butt, but the metal pipe is black. Sandy smiles. At age four, she and her father, Eric, are choosing their first rifle. In a few months a birthday and, consequently, they will be able to bring the "gift" home.

Eric says that he feels happy to give his daughter a rifle of good quality, paying only $180. But isn't the girl a little small to have a gun?"  Of course not.  "I'll teach her how to use it. I will always be present. And besides, these rifles are easy. They were designed for children, look like toys, but they have 22 caliber bullets," said Eric, in detail.

A rifle exactly like the one Sandy has caused a tragedy on April 30, in Cumberland County, State of Kentucky.  A five year old boy shot his twin sister by accident, killing her. The gun had been given as a gift a year earlier. Eric continues: "It is important to teach who to shoot. What foreigners do not understand is that it is not by banning them that tragedies are avoided, but by education. It is necessary to teach children to shoot safely and transmit good values."

On the third floor there are conferences and seminars. In a huge room, everyone prepares to watch the big event of the day, with the "stars" Rick Perry, governor of Texas, Rick Santorum, and former Republican candidate Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska the ultraconservative presidential candidate in 2008, when she left for John McCain. She receives a standing ovation. After the frenzy and shouting, she encourages gun owners to follow "fighting to uphold the values ​​of America."

Back to the exhibition area, a woman tests a pistol. Christine says uncertainly, the Ruger automatic LC380, she indicates to her friend, Brenda, is hard to use. The bony hands of a grandmother cannot allow it to slip or slide. Christine says she feels unsafe in her home in Woodlands, north of Houston. The seller advises them to point and shoot. He says he gave one as a gift to his wife because she has strong hands. Christine is persuaded to take the product. "We do not live in a dangerous area, on the contrary. It's very quiet," says Brenda. "So it is better to be protected,"  she continues.

The end of the first day of the convention in Houston is reached, participants are ready to sleep armed to the teeth. Like the rest of the U.S..


Source: Opera Mundi


Translated from the Portuguese version by:

Lisa Karpova
Pravda.Ru