News of the Absurd

I was just reading an article about a 2-year-old child who was killed while on a hunting trip with his 29-year-old father, who apparently is a big child himself. Maybe it's just me, but my first question is this: Why is a 2-year-old child on a hunting trip with his father? I know that I'm not a big-time hunter, but I know that hunting is something that requires quiet and observation. How can a man be observant of what's going on when he's trying to keep up with a 2-year-old in the woods? How can he expect that child to be quiet? I've yet to meet a 2-year-old who can be quiet for more than about 15 seconds. It's just not in their nature. Not only that, but consider the risks you are putting your child at by having them in this environment. First and foremost is the potential for the child to be accidentally shot. Children are not known for standing still and he could see that deer and take off running toward it. Then there's the matter of the child's hearing. Think of the damage a shotgun blast could do to the ears of a child. I have a hard time thinking this irresponsible father had enough forethought to bring earplugs for the child and at that age, ear damage can be very permanent. Not only that, but the father was bragging about letting the little boy shoot his .22 caliber rifle for the first time. OK, who is going to let a 2-year-old child shoot a real gun? Please, someone answer that for me. I have no concept of the sanity of this whatsoever. We wonder why our kids grow up with an obsession with guns. Give them one at 2, and let's see what they can do. Excuse me? Children shouldn't be anywhere near a real gun of any kind at that age. Then, there's the matter of allowing him to ride on the ATV with him. This is something that I see a lot of people do, and I have a real problem with that. Children love to touch stuff, and you have to pay close attention to what they're doing. This man was reading a text message while barely creeping along talking to his brother-in-law, completely disregarding the child. Then when the child hit the throttle, it threw the dad from the ATV. They said they were amazed that he was able to hang on until he hit the tree. I would have been hanging on for dear life too. The child didn't have a helmet on, of course. Maybe I'm out of bounds here, but I feel like this man needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for neglect and complete disregard for human life. I fully support the right to bear arms, but when I see cases like this, I just have to shake my head. How completely absurd. Here's a link to the article on Fox News' website. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,476104,00.html