Children...........and Guns

[redneckmedic]

After reading a few other threads, I noticed some trends that I would like to comment on. Without actually calling anyone out, a few thoughts crossed my mind that I would like to share.

First, for those of you who say, "My kids know what guns are and what they can do, and know better to touch them."

Really? You are willing to bet a human life on the obedience of a child? Your child has never ever been disobedient to you? I have a lot to learn from you then. I don't care how responsible your child is, or how much they know or are afraid about firearms. They are called children for a reason and unsupervised have no business have access to a firearm.... PERIOD!

For those of your who choose to hide your gun as apposed to locking it up some how.

I am sometimes the biggest duck in this pond with you. But I once read a cartoon strip (probably by an anti-gun group) that said something to the affects of.... I hid my gun so well it took little Tommy 4 years before he found it. Just food for thought, my daughter is almost 3, and is already pushing chairs around the kitchen so she can "help" us with tasks. I am now moving into the "holstered or locked" phase. He life is just too important.

I'm sorry if you take this thread as an attack at you, but if you do, then your probably guilty of being either lazy, ignorant, or arrogant. But don't worry, a lot of us swim in that pond too!

 

[IndyMonkey]

Your outside looking in, thats not always the best position to make judgement on someone.

 

[redneckmedic]

Your outside looking in, thats not always the best position to make judgement on someone.

Who is judging?

BTW: Thats a pretty weak rebuttal. Sounds more like your just try'n to stir the pot, or pick a fight.

 

[dice dealer]

+1 Like the old saying "it's all good till somebody gets shot"

Oh by the way ...my reply is for OP ...not the stiring the pot ....lol

 

[IndyMonkey]

Not at all. I posted on the other thread that my handgun is put on top of a kitchen cabinet and on a shelf in the closet when Im not wearing it.

You are saying that I am wrong because its not holstered on my side or in a safe.

Im saying that my two areas at this time in my kids life is a suitable location.

I wouldnt post anything just to argue. But you telling adults that you think you know better is a little much for me to take.

 

[Eddie]

We have had to move towards locking everything up as the boys have gotten older and more apt to get into things. They know what guns are and we've told them never to handle one without an adult present and I let them handle my guns whenever they ask so that there are not taboo but my boys are still kids and kids are dumb by nature so I lock everything up that is not under my direct control.

 

[Greg.B]

Thanks RNM! These are reminders that need to be given from time to time, and hopefully no one will take offense. Kids are kids...they make mistakes, they give into temptations, and they push the limits. While you might have the best child in the world, don't bet his/her life, or someone elses, on NOT locking up your firearms if you have kids around.

Yes, we teach our kids about firearms; we let them become familiar with them because we want to minimize the temptation to handle them when mom/dad aren't around. Notice the word minimize - not remove. That temptation is going to be there for most kids regardless of if you realize or accept that fact or not. Maybe they want to show a friend the gun, maybe they want to feel older by handling the gun. It doesn't matter what their reason is; what matters is that many of them WILL give into that temptation.

Do your part; locked up or on your person are the only way you should be storing your firearms if you have kids around! It only takes a second for an accident to happen!

 

[Que]

Well, when I was about 10 years old, I used to like going into my fathers hiding place and playing with his 30-30 Winchester. It was never loaded and it was fun playing cowboys and indiana in his hiding place. One day, I found the handguns. They were shiny and really cool looking. He has a short revolver that I would put in SA and then back to DA, over and over. Well, one day the hammer slipped and I put a round into the wall toward the kitchen where my mother was cooking. No one was hurt, but it scared all of us.

My father didn't move the guns and I didn't get a whoopin' (I thought I was dead!). He told my mother, "He learned his lesson." Did I stop playing with them? No!

As for me and my house, we will use a lock-box!

 

[IndyMonkey]

Who in the world would give access to firearms to small kids?

 

[redneckmedic]

Not at all. I posted on the other thread that my handgun is put on top of a kitchen cabinet and on a shelf in the closet when Im not wearing it.

You are saying that I am wrong because its not holstered on my side or in a safe.

Im saying that my two areas at this time in my kids life is a suitable location.

You weren't who I was talking about, but OK, good example. Thats a temp solution right now, as I said, in the OP, I am changing my habits as my daughter is getting older....also.

Looks like you are one of those people who instantly take offense to the generalized statement, I wonder which of the three insults discribes you, I'm all three.

 

[E5RANGER375]

good thread! +1 from me

 

[kboom524]

I have two sons that grew up in a home where there was always guns. The guns were always locked in a safe, the ammo was locked in a seperate cabinet.
Proper education is the answer to this problem as it is to most problems. Kids are querious, especialy young kids, its how the learn things. They want to look at things, touch them and play with them. If you hide it they will find it. My boys were taught proper gun safety at a very early age. As soon as they were old enough I took them out shooting with me. My goal was to take the queriosity of guns away from them. They knew they could look at them and handle them when I was there to supervise. Any other time they left them alone. You can lock all your guns up, but you can't always control the guns at their friends house they might be playing at. Teach them gun safety as soon as possible!!!

 

[Airborne33]

Parents can decide what is best for their children, but i the children under the age of ten or eleven probably shouldn't even be allowed near them without full supervision. children sometimes have a hard time choosing between right and curiosity. it's not about how responsible your children are, it's how responsible you are. safety first i think it's okay to teach them about firearms at a young age.

 

[Archbishop]

Well, when I was about 10 years old, I used to like going into my fathers hiding place and playing with his 30-30 Winchester. It was never loaded and it was fun playing cowboys and indiana in his hiding place. One day, I found the handguns. They were shiny and really cool looking. He has a short revolver that I would put in SA and then back to DA, over and over. Well, one day the hammer slipped and I put a round into the wall toward the kitchen where my mother was cooking. No one was hurt, but it scared all of us.

My father didn't move the guns and I didn't get a whoopin' (I thought I was dead!). He told my mother, "He learned his lesson." Did I stop playing with them? No!

As for me and my house, we will use a lock-box!

This is the type of story that scares the **** out of me. Not an attack to you, but as father of three boys who LOVE guns. Ya I teach them and all the but I still follow the Locked or holstered rule. Only exception is when I go to bed at night comes out of the holster on the nightstand next to me in the morning back to the holster.

 

[dwh79]

I never leave a fully loaded gun around. Now a unloaded one might be kept out but a gun loaded with one in the chamber would be on my hip or in a safe. Now a full mag in the grip may be placed up high but my daughter is not old enough or strong enough to even think about cycling the action. These are good points though and the reason why I have a lock box next to the bed.

 

[redneckmedic]

***snip*** children sometimes have a hard time choosing between right and curiosity. it's not about how responsible your children are, it's how responsible you are. ***snip***

/thread

 

[dooleydclown]

+1 For RNM good points. Many different opinions. No kids at home, grand kids come on me or locked up.

 

[Angie]

Great thread!

 

[DCR]

This thread reminds me of an episode that occurred in 1955 when I was 5 yrs old. I was at our neighbors' house and their 3-yr-old opened the nightstand drawer and pointed to his dad's 45 (as I recall). I don't think he touched it, but he might have. I certainly did not and was real glad to get the hell out of there.

Now I did not grow up around firearms, so was never educated about them, but in the 1950s it was commonplace for kids to get toy guns for xmas. Roy Rogers was my hero and we all watched western TV shows and role played shooting people and dying.

So I can only assume that at the tender age of 5 I knew what a real gun was and not to touch it and that I learned this from TV.

 

[Archbishop]

I never leave a fully loaded gun around. Now a unloaded one might be kept out but a gun loaded with one in the chamber would be on my hip or in a safe. Now a full mag in the grip may be placed up high but my daughter is not old enough or strong enough to even think about cycling the action. These are good points though and the reason why I have a lock box next to the bed.

I'll take a gentle poke at this and say, "All guns are loaded, all the time." The only exception that I might make, in terms of leaving unlocked guns around the house is if it's been disassembled for cleaning and clearly could not fire even if you had ammo.
My thinking on this is if they're truly unloaded then they serve no defense purpose and should be put away if for no other reason than keeping something from happening to them.