Kids With Guns: An Sofie Kesteleyn Photographs Kids Doing Innocent Childlike Things While Holding Rifles, Are The Photos Appropriate?

Seeing kids with guns isn't conventional and this is what makes the work of photographer An Sofie Kesteleyn controversial. The photographer has been inspired to create the unusual photo set after reading a story about a 5-year-old boy who accidentally gunned his 3-year-old sister in Southern Kentucky. Surprisingly, the gun belonged to the boy.

The rifle, whose brand is "My First Rifle", is a handy gun manufactured for young children. It comes in several friendly colors including royal blue, hot pink, orange, and even multicolor reminiscent of the rainbow.

The 26-year-old photographer left Belgium and travelled to the United States to learn about the little guns and the reasons why families purchased them for their children. She photographed the children holding their firearms.

The 15 families said that they purchased the guns to train their children on how they could protect themselves in dangerous situations.

 "The parents of the children I photographed think that all the criminality that happens in America happens because bad people get guns in their hands and if every good person had guns everyone would be safer," said the photographer.

Apart from taking photos of the children, Kesteleyn likewise asked the children to write and draw their fears. She likewise tried holding and firing the gun which she described as "light" and had "very tiny" bullets.

Asked about her experience, she said it was "horrible": "It was really horrible to me and it reminded me about war because we don't even have guns where I am from."

What do you think of kids with guns?

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world news
Kids with Guns
guns
violence
Kesteleyn
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