I fail to grasp the "humor" - will someone kindly help me?
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1828310

P.

Tell me how long it takes you to dismantle and reassemble and I'll clue you in to the humor.

Guess it takes me about 3 seconds.
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to toss the darn thing in the deepest lake


Why?

Paul

As a parent this clip is terrible, we do not even let our children play with plastic toy guns. What are the parents thinking letting there daughter do that

Guns aren't the least bit dangerous unless they're loaded; and the child certainly wasn't "playing" with it. When taught properly, as I was, and when under supervision, I personally find it quite alright for a youth to handle a weapon, although I have nothing against your choice not to let your own children do so.

Anyway, back on topic for the original post. My apologies to Uncle GroOve; my question was a bit of a dig, implying that you probably don't like guns and therefore you don't see the "aww cute" factor of the video. I thought it was mildly amusing, not particularly funny, and it probably derives from a child doing a grown man's job; in this case, a function of soldiering. If a child tries to rake the leaves with her tiny little toy rake because she sees daddy doing it, it's funny; to some people, this has a similar feeling.

Cheers
Lance

I find the next bit even funnier: Where she embeds the prongs of the rake in daddy's head...

Dangerous things to play with, rakes.

Perhaps she could use her intelligence in other areas rather than assembling a rifle! She's obviously skilled but I'm not sure assembling a rifle in 53 seconds is something to be proud of. But that's just my personal opinion - and I wouldn't let my kids even near a rifle never mind play with one.

I would think that if you keep guns around the house, the safest thing to do with them would be to familiarise your kids with them to take the wonder away.
Many parents do similar things with alcohol, allowing kids under 18 (in the UK) to have a drink with their meal, so that the mystery is taken out of it and when they hit 18, don't go and behave (too) irresponsibly.

Seems like sensible parenting to be honest, no matter what your opinions on hunting/drinking are.

I see the Republicans have been prompt in responding to Senator Obama's use of his children to promote his image. Voters can now see that Sarah Palin is a responsible mother and that she has trained her daughter well in case her child is attacked by a terrorist on her way to school.

And grandmother?

How many seconds did it take her to buy the rifle?

What nationality is the girl ??

Sure, the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents in the following sad story but I still have to ask myself... What kind of world do we live in where a person believes a loaded gun needs to be kept under the pillow..?!

http://www.wfsb.com/news/17322430/detail.html

Guns are a product designed to kill.. animals, humans, you name it... they are an outcome of negative thoughts and feelings.

Children (usually) are a product of love, and thus an outcome of positive thoughts and feelings.

I fail to see how the two can be put together and be called "cute".

Point is, guns are lame, kids rule, don't mix them.

Right - I'll square with you, Lance.

I can and do understand that if firearms are kept in a house (and in Switzerland it does happen pretty often) the kids should be properly instructed how to behave, if/how to handle them, etc.

What I don't stand is the glamourizing.
The way the kid embraces the weapon at the end before plunking it back down on the table gave me the shivers and reminded me that there are too many children in the underdeveloped world for whom weapons are THE one and only constant, instead of food, instruction, social stability. It reminds me of the images of african preteen soldiers, or the kids in the occupied territories parading with their AK47s.

THAT is what really got me. And despite the laughter and the banter I did not find it funny at all.
I know that peace might have to be defended with something more than words, sometimes - the function of education (vs. automatic rifle handling) should be to ensure that divergences be elaborated by means of the intellect and reason, not by brute force.

Just my 2 euro cent's worth, mind you.

Paul

i agree, next you have an 8 yr old girl shooting a machine gun...
and where does it end?

it isn't just "harmless" or in anyway "humor"
in UK there is the rise in knife crime, and soon it will be guns?
I hope not...

I remember that in the UK you used to have public advertisement against owning firearms. I remember the picture of a masked thug grabbing someone by his hair and pointing a handgun to his head. IIRC the ad stated "That gun could be yours" or something.

I had already seen the vid mentioned above and had found it to be absolutely gross, while I have nothing at all against those who train for biathlon (combination of cross country skiing and sharpshooting) for example.

Paul

This thread has like totally bummed me out man.

Its one thing making sure kids respect and handle guns carefully in the home, but quite another to actively challenge them to take apart and reassemble a gun that has been deigned to kill humans.

I grew up on a farm where my Dad had a shot gun and an air rifle to kill vermin (rabbits), and us kids knew not to touch the guns or play with them, and they were always locked up when not used.

Why would you encourage a small girl to play with this instrument of death? It associates the gun with fun, playing, Daddy filming me on his camera and being proud. Whereas I associate guns with dead animals, and therefore am very careful around them.

My ex missus' dad went shooting and he taught his son how to dismantle and assemble the rifle. Whenever he did it the message was to do it slowly to demonstrate this is something you teach with respect.

There are reasons children should be familiar with guns, kids that live on farms knowing how to handle a shotgun springs to mind. There is no reason a 11 year old girl should be allowed to play with an assault rifle loaded or not, not specifically because it's a gun but because it's a dangerous object. I won't show or let my son handle my chainsaw when disconnected from the power for the same reason, it would be just plain stupid.