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We have always taught our children gun safety. He went to his first gun range several months ago. Age 9. He did very well and respected everything he had been taught. This first outing was practicing gun safety he had learned. He used my 22. Instill it them young. My son has a clear understanding how serious this is. As my husband was leaving an older gentleman looked at my husband and said, "this is a good thing you are doing for your son."
NEVER! OMG! To think someone asked this question is preposterous! GUNS are for wars not civilians!
OP this PC nonsense is why you should perhaps post this in the "guns and hunting" forum and not here. Plenty of parents there. You just get to much "noise" here. This thread will go off topic quick (although, it's been relatively well behaved so far). The mod there will shut that crap down in a second.
It child matures at different rates so you have to judge it individually. I will add a point on gun safety, probably unnecessary because you may very well know this - until that day the adolescent is responsible to handle a firearm you must keep those weapons locked up, always, trigger locks don't work. What also helps is to familiarize a child with a weapon even before they use firearms at the range, etc. Many of the gun accidents with children happen due to the natural curiousity of children that have never seen, held, or touched a weapon before...and it only takes a second. Remove the curiousity and mystery element of a weapon. Show it to him, clear the weapon (obviously) and let him hold it. Then say "this is a tool, it's not a toy, this should never be touched until you are older, and will stay locked up".
Just last year I discovered someone I thought was perfectly normal has guns in their house.
So, you have the opinion that people who own guns are not "normal"?
I've told my kids they can pretend to be sick, or about to vomit, or have a blood nose, or run to the toilet, or want o grab a camera, or anything so long as they get out if that room and run to an adult. We role play it, every year or so. I figure that the bystander effect might kick in, or they might want to look nonchalant around some cool kid or something. Hopefully I've impressed them with the sheer terror a gun should induce, and given them creative ideas for ways to just get out that don't involve standing up to anyone or being embarrassed or anything will keep them alive if that sort of situation ever arises.
This seems to me to be a perfect recipe for conditioning someone to be a pacifistic and powerless person, subject to being terrorized in the face of tyranny by those who prefer to force their will on others and who have no compunctions against doing so.
If the bulk of the population felt this way, then we would likely have a dictator as the head of the USA by now...actually, we'd probably not be the USA- we'd be still under the rule of the British monarchy.
It's a very good thing for you (and others who think like you) that there are those of us who do NOT feel this way, who have learned to use weapons, who have volunteered to serve in the military, who will stand up and defend ourselves *and* those who are unable or *unwilling* to defend themselves, and who possess the means and the will to continue to do so.
Children should be taught to *respect* weapons, not to be terrorized by them. Teaching children to be terrorized leads to them being terrorized, victimized and subjugated by fear. Do you really think that is a good way to live?
The OP acts as though using a "firearm" is a right of passage for most American kids. Like learning to ride a bike.
There are many places in the US - and no, not only in cities - where no one has guns or hunts.
We enjoy nature in other ways.
You would also be shocked at how infrequently guns are mentioned or thought about. We don't think about obtaining them, and we are not thinking about taking them away, either.
When did your kid get his first golf club or tennis racket? No we don't ask that either.
Guns - or "firearms" as gun people call them, just do not figure in our lives.
And, we like it this way.
Last edited by warren zee; 07-12-2015 at 10:19 AM..
I worried more about what could happen away from home. Especially considering an 11-year-old's brain isn't fully developed. An 11-year-old, even one well trained in firearm safety, can make a stupid, life-altering decision.
So what are your thoughts and ages you let your child use guns if you have?
I have not decided yet. My oldest two are girls and have no interest. My six year old son is obsessed with wanting a BB gun. But, we live in an urban area. As such, it is an excellent way to get into trouble.
My own interest in guns has declined a lot in recent years and I don't hunt (though I think it is a great hobby). Instead, I enjoy shooting my slingshot and am getting into archery. My son likes the slingshot and I imagine that he will get exposed to archery first.
As for guns, I am in no rush, but he will learn how to shoot and equally important, unload and clear weapons at some point.
The OP acts as though using a "firearm" is a right of passage for most American kids. Like learning to ride a bike.
Where I grew up knowing how to operate and fire a gun is a right of passage. Everyone got a deer tag every year, and most of the farmers would pay us for badger, raccoon, rock dogs, coyote, squirrel, and rattlesnake tails. They burrowed into pasture land where livestock would step into them and snap legs or attack cattledogs. Cheaper and easier to pay a bunch of bored kids rather than set traps everywhere.
When it comes to age of when a child should shoot a gun I would say that they need to show the maturity level to do so. It will vary from kid to kid.
I was 11 when I first fired a single shot .22. At the age of 15 to 18 I was on a league trap shoot team and probably shot well over 1000 rounds every spring and summer league.
I now live in a place where most parents won't let their children handle a nerf gun. It's a regional thing for sure. If I have kids in the place that I live now there is a good chance that the few guns I have will get relocated to their grandpas house and they can shoot them there.
I was born and raised in a city. I would say many people that I know have never fired a weapon.
I can remember shooting a .22 when I was younger---my guess is somewhere between 8-10. I think this is a reasonable age for those who would like their children to learn. This was upstate, where my uncle had property. My dad would set-up targets and we'd shoot. I enjoyed it. Then my father and I went hunting together. This was not for sport, since anything shot would be eaten.
I do wish I could shoot more. I haven't done it in years and I miss it. I don't really own any firearms and there are none in my home, but I liked being able to just go upstate and practice target shooting. I do not care for hunting because I do not like getting up early to sit around cold for hours.
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