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Kids and Guns
As a firearm instructor, you might not believe how many times I hear from someone that they would like to own a gun, but their spouse will not allow it because they have kids in the house. On a grand scale, I understand and agree with the REASONING behind this feeling.It’s a parent’s job to keep their children safe, and no one wants to bring something into the home that is dangerous to their child. However, while I agree with wanting to keep children safe from harm, I must disagree with the blanket thought that guns in the home are by themselves inherently dangerous.With proper education, storage, and supervision, firearms are no more dangerous than any other tool. I am not in the habit of making broad demands on how others should act. Generally, I teach options and tell the reasons for using each of those options. I can tell you how I deal with this issue of guns in my home with my child and hopefully give prospective to other parents who question guns in the home.
When I was growing up, my parents were not anti-gun, but they were anti-me-having-a-gun. There were guns in my home. My dad was a law enforcement officer and as such always had at least one handgun in the home. My father subscribed to the school?policy on kids and guns. if I ever catch you playing with it, you’ll wish you hadn’t? Well, being the bright child I was, I figured that meant as long as I applied my gun handling skills I learned on TV to keep me from accidentally firing the gun, and I put it back EXACTLY as I found it, I could pose in the mirror in my gunfighter stance whenever I was alone in the house. Luckily I never fired the pistol into the mirror or myself.As I got older, dad did take me out shooting once or twice. We even went hunting once, but they never let me have my own gun so I always had that curiosity.
I imagine that even if there were no guns in my home and if my parents forbid me to even mention guns, I would find someone to let me see one (It happened just like that with a motorcycle, but since mom still doesn’t know about that, we won’t get into details?.The above two examples are the first two of the three most common attitudes parents that I have spoke with have toward children and guns. I subscribe to the third.
In my house we have a smart and independent 7 year old girl. She thinks for herself and is not afraid to abandon what she has been told, if she thinks she knows better.What I have to do first is keep her from being able to access the firearms if she chooses to disregard my gun rules, This is not foolproof. Kids have an uncanny ability to find what they are looking for. I am sure at some point in her life she will find the gun safe keys.
The author used to be a promising web designer and works in a Internet Marketing company. he was good at wedding photography.
