by dazed but not confused 206 Replies latest social relationships
Lots of children, too young to have real judgement, or sort out
fantasy from reality, and taught to handle guns as very small
children, end up killing themselves accidently or their friends.
They figure out where the guns are kept and it happens all the time.
So good job with this. Brilliant move.
I was raised with handguns and rifles in our house. We were all pretty good marksmen. Myself, I only shot at targets of the non-breathing type, and miss the thrill and fun of target practice to this day.
At home, our guns were locked away.
When we went up to our cabin, one day, me , following hopping grasshoppers, bent down intent on catching one, and came face to face with a rattler who had been minding its own business, sunning itself, when I startled it by getting too close, so he started shaking his tail and rising up, with me screaming my lungs out. My dad, later saying he knew by the tone of my scream something was up, came running with his pistol drawn and blew the rattle snake's head, clean off.
My Grandpa taught my Dad when he was a little boy how to handle guns, as my Dad taught me.
I also was taught how to cook on a gas stove, (stand on a stool with mother's supervision) chop vegetables with a sharp knife (fold your fingertips back with my Dad's watchful eye) and do embroidery work with needles (you wear a thimble).
So that you don't hurt yourself, those are all skills a person needs to learn.
If the adult teaching the child wants to wait until the child is older, say 8, would that be better?
Everybody is different.
I am glad they had a fun, supervised day and cared to share it with us.
LoisLane
I really, really don't get the obsession with guns in the USA.
As an Australian I can't understand this US love of firearms. They are dangerous and should not be available to adults, let alone chilren. I can think of a million better things to do with a 5 year old. Children wouldn't need to know how to handle a gun if they weren't in the house in the first place. The percentage of people who are shot dead by firearms in the US is a large multiple of any other developed country. It is a disease caused by the US constitutional guarantee of a right to bear arms, which is a historical anachronism. In a modern rational society, no one except law enforcement should have a right to bear arms.
I think the US puts a much higher value on personal freedoms than other developed countries do and this is particularly the case in gun ownership. Western European countries typically have accepted restrictions on weapons to benefit society as a whole. US society has accepted much higher death rates from firearms* as a trade off for the right to bear arms. It seems strange viewed from Europe but Americans are not just Brits with a different accent.
* Number of Homicides by Firearm 2007 (UN statistics, as reported in the UK's Guardian newspaper)
England and Wales 41
France 35
Denmark 15
US 9,146
hmmm....not convinced it is really related to freedom - since 9/11 US citizens accept a lot of limits on and infringements of personal freedom. Contrary to the ideology, the US is one of the most regulated societies on the planet.
Here in Australia guns are not so widely accepted.
i have never even touched one.
It does look like you guys were having a great time.
I have no right to judge anyone (left that behind in the cult) and dont have a firm argument for or against. Given the opportunity I would probably decline to have one at home. Its all too scary for me lol.
It sounds like you are a good Dad who loves his cute little boy. Nice to see you two bonding over a hobby, instead of dragging him to another boring, waste of time meeting or ass-embly.
Space- You can't counter my argument so you attack my character.
That's exactly what you did in your first post.
I've noticed people who love guns typically don't have a reputation of being educated or posessing any type of intellect. You've pretty much confirmed that stereotype with this thread.
Jeff- thanks.
Lois - thank you for sharing your experiences.
Jemba - thank you.
I am off to work. I cant change anyone's mind and no one will be able to change mine. Most Americans have a love for their guns. Get over it and move on. Nothing about that will change anytime soon. Off to bring home the bacon.
Guns canons and explosives were how Europeans took the Americas away from the indigenous peoples, that and some nasty diseases. Of course Americans are fascinated by guns, its how the conquest and subjugation was accomplished and maintained.
If you take Dr. Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs the base two Needs are Physical Needs followed by Safety Needs.
