Treat pellet guns with respect

The death of a 4-year-old after he was shot with an air rifle shows just how fragile life is, and how quickly a lack of knowledge can turn into tragedy.

According to reports, a 10-year-old boy who, along with his older sister, was staying with friends while his mother moved out of state, found the broken pellet gun in the trash after a neighbor threw it out.

It was clear from accounts that it was just a matter of childs' play gone horribly wrong. The 10-year-old first asked a neighbor girl if he could shoot her with the gun, but she declined. The 4-year-old, tragically agreed to be a part of the experiment.

Unfortunately, the kids and perhaps even the adults around them bought into the myth that BB guns are toys.

It's a myth perpetuated by the traditional holiday movie, "A Christmas Story," about a boy's quest for just such a weapon.

While that gun was a far cry from the Daisy Powerline 880 involved in last week's death, even the model featured in the movie is capable of serious harm.

"You'll shoot your eye out!" was not an idle warning. Even the lower end of Daisy's line of BB guns specifies that they're not suitable unless a child is 10 or older, and even then require adult supervision.

The broken gun from the neighbor's trash was still able to fire the .177-caliber BB at nearly 500 mph.

No, air rifles are a serious weapon, with a history that dates back to the 16th century. Austrian snipers allegedly used them with great effect against Napoleon's troops, and an air rifle was a hit when brought along on the Lewis & Clark expedition.

Last week's tragedy does not mean that air rifles and other weapons should be banned, but just reinforces the truth that they must be treated with respect.

Like all guns, they should be locked up, separately from the ammunition they require, and used only after the operators receive proper training. And, they must be used in a proper place -- McCook city ordinances prohibit the discharge of pellet guns in the city limits.

Local 4-H programs are a good source of training, as well as an introduction to competitive shooting sports that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. And, state law requires hunter safety training when young people graduate to higher-powered conventional weapons.

With the approach of spring, now is a good time to make every effort to be sure that pellet gun accidents don't spoil outdoor fun.