The Shooting Range Accident

A nine year old girl at an Arizona shooting range lost control of her Uzi machine gun and accidentally killed her instructor, who was standing beside her.

It's a tragedy for the people involved, and the obvious question, already asked by many, is:

Why put an Uzi in the hands of a 9 year-old girl?  Why?

There are other questions:

Why put an Uzi in the hands of anyone?  (Exceptions for military and police.)
Why is it legal for the general public to possess, let alone use, an Uzi?
Why are there shooting ranges where Uzis and other military weapons can be fired?  By anyone?
Why do some people think this promotes "self-defense" or "safety"?  (Sure wasn't too safe for that poor instructor.)
Why do some people think firing a machine gun is "fun"?  (The instructor isn't having fun now, nor is the little girl.)
Why do some people insist that all this safe, fun gun shooting is their "right"?
Why do some people feel the need to provocatively parade around and openly carry their assault weapons wherever they go?

Please don't talk to me about the wholesome family bonding that occurs when dear old dad and little Timmy and little Susie grab their rifles and go hunting together.  That's not the issue or the problem.

The problem is that the NRA and its ilk have pandered to far-right wing-nut paranoia for so long that everything is twisted and, for too many, insanity now seems reasonable.  Any common-sense line in the sand about who ought to have what has been erased.

Nine-year-olds with Uzis?  The 2nd Amendment says yes!  Then why stop there?  Why not ten-year-olds with B-52 bombers?  Why not eleven-year-olds with nuclear weapons?

Our American gun policies are insane.