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Where I live, in New Jersey if a child is caught with a pocket knife there would be media "outrage" and the public would be demanding for the child to be thrown in juvie and the parents fined and jailed. Our pictures would be on the 5:00 news as "outrage strikes a small community when a child was caught walking with a weapon"
That is NJ for you in a nutshell. The residents here can't even pump their own gas, you can't expect them to handle sharp objects either.
Indeed, we are talking about 2 different things. I would be amazed if any parent in this thread was talking about arming their children for self defense with a knife.
And by the way, I live in an upper class gated community, and our home is protected by guns....I didn't know bad guys were restricted to committing crime in their own residential area. I'll keep mine just in case someone didn't get the memo or comes to the crazy realization that I might have more of value in my home than someone in their own neighborhood.
LOL, this had me spit out my drink. #firstworldproblems
really? how are we comparing inmates and children? I'm sure inmates can't have baseball bats, jump ropes, steak knives, etc. Are you going to also restrict your children from having those things? And I'm pretty sure inmates don't have the recreational freedom to carve a bow and arrow out of fallen tree branches like my son enjoys doing.
I wish you no ill-fate with your guns. I hope your kids can't figure out how to open a gun safe as easy as this one does.
If you get a chance to read this, my voice is equally important here in America as others' are in 'Murka.
The kid finding/opening the gun safe, and hurting themselves is far more likely to happen with tragic consequences (God forbid again no ill-will wished upon you) than any burglar breaking in your house looking for valuables. Personally, I couldn't live with myself after that. (Also crime tip: if someone breaks into avg civilian home (not major drug dealer etc) looking for valuables they're usually looking for stuff they can sell fast to support a drug habit not a conflict with the resident. They want your blue ray player and they'll be moving right along. They'll also generally go out of their way to come when you're not home and run at first site of your shadow. As opposed to axe murderers. If you see any of those quick go up in the closet key in the pass-code, grab your .44 and get busy. Pro tip: Hold it with both hands.
I'm also praying no psychological illness befalls you or yours such that the rest of us can't watch the next Batman movie in peace.
Where I live... it's 10 years if you get caught with a gun. For anyone. There's no such thing as a legal gun. That means if some creep kicks in my door and I shoot him in the face I'm going away to play hand ball for a decade and miss out on the lives of the very people the gun was intended to protect. So my choice is not to risk 10 years and hope the boogie man just leaves us alone.
I've lived in CCW states and carried there. I even had a "gun club" membership. (really just meant I was entitled to use the range facilities). I saw the value of it. I felt safer for sure. Although I never had to pull it. But, I wouldn't with carry with a child but that's me "Hey daddy can I get some fruit snacks? *reaches into pocket* *BLAM!" and I'm a eunich...
We also grew up handling guns from a very young age not because we were in Texas somewhere handling coyotes, but because there were shootings at and on the way too and from school etc and you had to be prepared. Just the way that era in that place was. I knew kids that shot themselves (Lil Wayne anyone?) I knew kids that shot others and haven't been on this side of the barb wire since. I've been shot at. I've had persons in my company shot. I've seen guns used for what they're meant for and the results, as opposed to a lot of gun lovers who will never have to fire a shot outside the range or even hear a gun shot somewhere off in the distance in their "hood".
Those people are basically antiques collectors. Because in the best case scenario that's what the gun is going to end up, an unused antique (That's if no one in their family gets injured as happens far more than the weapons being used by owners against bad guys) So I've pretty much been there and done that with guns. We had access to AK's, AR's, Uzi's, all kinds of stuff. My fav gun was a Colt Pocketlite .380 (after 4x clothes went out of style) that I could wear with fitting clothes or swim trunks an no-one would be none the wiser.
I've been baptized since. My choice is to leave them alone and trust God. (Odd because so often guns and God rhetoric go together in 'Murka. But hey if it makes you feel safer (which statistics show you're not) by all means go for it.
(I'm not sure how much of a fan of gun rights talk they are here *sigh.*) That's okay I don't own the board. But I'd be remiss to allow someone to be wrong on the internet (the horror lol)
As for the inmates/children thing. Who do you think is smarter? Who do you think is more impulsive? There are plenty of things I'd give a child that they wouldn't give an inmate (a Cosmo magazine) and vice versa (my toddler has little use for Ramen noodles at this stage in her culinary practice). It was meant to show, and I suspect would have shown many persons... that knives are weapons... I'm not suggesting don't give your child a toothbrush because they might make it into a shank or any socks & toys that require batteries so they have something to swing at the C.O. I'm just pointing out a knife is in fact a weapon. I don't want my little girl and her buddies sitting around in a circle marveling at it and somebody winds up with a punctured lung. There just aren't enough practical uses where I live for a knife to justify that. ("Thank you sweetheart for cutting daddy's grilled cheese into triangles, you know I love it that way.")
If people feel that in their gated communities or pastures or boating communities children are fine with handling those weapons that's fine. I owned a gun when I lived in an upper class gated community in a more gun friendly jurisdiction in 'Murka. (When in Rome) I also didn't have a child in the house at the time. Now I do. Not worth the risk to me.
But I stick by my assertion that a knife is a weapon. I think the ghosts of the kids at that school in China would agree. And I also stand by my assertion that I wouldn't give my child a weapon. If she suddenly found herself on the SS Minnow I'd hope Gilligan and the Skipper too would be there with THEIR trusty pocket knives and do the cutting as "Adults" I've never said to my baby hey come here and carve the turkey... we're going to say grace.
To me potential weapons are for adults. And there even some adults I wish didn't have them. Just my humble opinion.
I really mean no ill-will I come in peace. I promise not to do anything crazy like pull a knife on anyone else in this discussion.
Last edited by Jaded; 07-09-2013 at 12:22 PM..
Reason: Removed moderating comments
But I stick by my assertion that a knife is a weapon. I think the ghosts of the kids at that school in China would agree. And I also stand by my assertion that I wouldn't give my child a weapon. If she suddenly found herself on the SS Minnow I'd hope Gilligan and the Skipper too would be there with THEIR trusty pocket knives and do the cutting as "Adults" I've never said to my baby hey come here and carve the turkey... we're going to say grace.
To me potential weapons are for adults. And there even some adults I wish didn't have them. Just my humble opinion.
The thing is that anything can be turned into a weapon, but teaching children to use and respect tools is, to me, a good thing. They need supervision to learn this at first, but here are some first graders learning to use saws
Would I just give my kid a pocket knife and let him or her experiment? Probably not, but I might have him or her take a class and then have their own pocket knife to use.
The thing is that anything can be turned into a weapon, but teaching children to use and respect tools is, to me, a good thing. They need supervision to learn this at first, but here are some first graders learning to use saws
Would I just give my kid a pocket knife and let him or her experiment? Probably not, but I might have him or her take a class and then have their own pocket knife to use.
I can see how they could used in arts and crafts etc. I'm just saying it's not for me. That was question posed and that's my answer. I can buy my kid a whole bag of whistles at the dollar store. Just my take on it.
We had this:
The hammer had to be confiscated... after trial and error.
Am I willing to do trial and error with a knife? Not so much.
But mine's a toddler. So it's a different situation.
Also I can understand teaching kids to use tools or whatever but hopefully my kid will have a career that doesn't involve tools but rather a corner office and air conditioning. That's just my goal for her. If tools are needed she can call around and get a couple of estimates from contractors. I know for me I call the maintenance guy in my building. I don't even have a screwdriver or wrench in the house and definitely no needs for a circular saw.
I can see how they could used in arts and crafts etc. I'm just saying it's not for me. That was question posed and that's my answer. I can buy my kid a whole bag of whistles at the dollar store. Just my take on it.
We had this:
The hammer had to be confiscated... after trial and error.
Am I willing to do trial and error with a knife? Not so much.
But mine's a toddler. So it's a different situation.
Certainly a toddler is different, but when your toddler is 10, will you want him not to know how to use a hammer or even a steak knife (which could become a weapon). Also, even though you *can* buy a ton of whistles, it's not the same as making your own.
Heck, scissors can become a weapon. Do you allow your toddler to cut with them? I did. We started, of course, with safety scissors when they were very young, but as they grew, they got sharper ones and my granddaughter at 10 uses adult scissors when she wants to. Of course, she has always been an artist and liked to cut out various things to use in her art work.
Also I can understand teaching kids to use tools or whatever but hopefully my kid will have a career that doesn't involve tools but rather a corner office and air conditioning. That's just my goal for her. If tools are needed she can call around and get a couple of estimates from contractors. I know for me I call the maintenance guy in my building. I don't even have a screwdriver or wrench in the house and definitely no needs for a circular saw.
While I have no doubt my son will have a high paying white collar profession, he will still be a man's man. Can't think of anything more emasculating than having to recoil in fear instead of being a protector to your wife and kids, or having to wait 30 minutes for someone to help you because you don't own a wrench or screwdriver to fix a common household emergency, or having your family sitting by a highway waiting for someone to come change a tire. Just because someone is taught to be self sufficient and use power tools and shoot a gun, doesn't mean they are being molded to be blue collar, not that there is anything wrong with that either- as I'd much rather my son be that than an effeminate, emasculated male who's only accessible tool is a phone to call an actual man for help.
While I have no doubt my son will have a high paying white collar profession, he will still be a man's man. Can't think of anything more emasculating than having to recoil in fear instead of being a protector to your wife and kids, or having to wait 30 minutes for someone to help you because you don't own a wrench or screwdriver to fix a common household emergency, or having your family sitting by a highway waiting for someone to come change a tire. Just because someone is taught to be self sufficient and use power tools and shoot a gun, doesn't mean they are being molded to be blue collar, not that there is anything wrong with that either- as I'd much rather my son be that than an effeminate, emasculated male who's only accessible tool is a phone to call an actual man for help.
FYI, a "real" man does not need to define "manhood" in such a way that it ONLY applies to him. Additionally, real men, let their sons grow into who they are and are not threatened by the possibility that their sons might be "effeminate".
While I have no doubt my son will have a high paying white collar profession, he will still be a man's man. Can't think of anything more emasculating than having to recoil in fear instead of being a protector to your wife and kids, or having to wait 30 minutes for someone to help you because you don't own a wrench or screwdriver to fix a common household emergency, or having your family sitting by a highway waiting for someone to come change a tire. Just because someone is taught to be self sufficient and use power tools and shoot a gun, doesn't mean they are being molded to be blue collar, not that there is anything wrong with that either- as I'd much rather my son be that than an effeminate, emasculated male who's only accessible tool is a phone to call an actual man for help.
Well I'm raising a girl so... lmao... If she's not Bob Vila I'm cool with that... This is 2013. It's okay to use your maintenance man. That's what allows him to feed his family.
Certainly a toddler is different, but when your toddler is 10, will you want him not to know how to use a hammer or even a steak knife (which could become a weapon). Also, even though you *can* buy a ton of whistles, it's not the same as making your own.
Heck, scissors can become a weapon. Do you allow your toddler to cut with them?
No. Haven't to this point. For things like opening boxes etc. I go get the knife and scissors. I'm sure she'll be introduced to scissors at school for arts and crafts.
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