We need to send Eddie Eagle over with a crate of firecrackers

or if they feel they absolutely must use rifles, a palletload or two of blank cartridges.

Somebody needs to introduce Turkish lawmakers to the concept of reckless endangerment. True, it's difficult in the case of shooting in the air to connect the shooting to the harm done. But it would be easy enough to make any such obviously recklessly dangerous acts an offense. Then it's up to the LEOs to make enough "education stops" to get the word out -- if somebody will get out there and educate the LEOs.

There's a whole lot to be said for the capacity of the local beatcops to influence behavior in the neighborhood.

"Respect for human life is one of the most important aspects of our religion,"---Would that be the religion that believes in forced conversions and holds it to be a capital offense to renounce said conversions later?

I thought the Turkish police had a pretty clear idea on how to get the word out - if they choose.

I wouldn't stand between them and something they wanted.

Mythbusuters did a show on this, the results of which agrees with my conclusions from years of reading on the subject.

IF you fire *straight* up, it's probably not deadly, except by the the strangest coincidence (like looking up and getting it in the eyball). The speed and mass of a falling bullet is not sufficient to pentrate the skin deeply, much less a skull.

ANY deviation from "straight up" contributes a horizontal vector to the bullet velocity, and this, at more than a couple of degrees off vertical, CAN
BE FATAL.

My only disappointment with the Mythbusters segment was that they didn't point out (or didn't know) that they were repeating an experiment that Hatcher had done in the late 40's.

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