Do you think under 15 children should be taught to handle firearms?
Walking down the streets, would you feel SAFER, or more INSECURE, knowing each kid you pass by has received gun training ?
Discuss.
Without a doubt in my mind, every child should be taught the proper use of firearms, I would say from about the age of ten.
If every person physically capable of operating a firearm were to understand and internalize the following four rules:
[b]All guns are always loaded.
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not prepared to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
Be sure of your target, and what is behind it.[/b]
…then I am confident that firearms deaths and injuries due to negligence would drop to a number approaching zero.
My son went through hunter certification when he was 12.
I think gun safety should be taught in schools right along side of the 3 R’s.
Education is the enemy of ignorance.
My kids will be proficient before they are 15.
If kids were taught to respect firearms as the tools that they are instead of growing up thinking that they are toys or problem-solvers, I’m confident that there would be a noticeable change in the crime rates.
I’ve been shooting since I was prepubescent, and I didn’t grow up to be a raving gun-nut. I think that as with so many other issues today, EDUCATION is much more likely to produce a desirable result than legislation.
Are we talking state funded instruction?
[quote]Sloth wrote:
Are we talking state funded instruction?[/quote]
My son completed his gun safety course taught by our local Game Warden.
I see nothing wrong with the state teaching gun safety. I’d rather them do that than pass out condoms, or set up appointments with the abortion clinic.
I hear the NRA has some good courses for children. Just curious: do the Boy Scouts still give out Rifle and Shotgun Shooting merit badges? They did when I was a scout, but that was a century ago, and in a much different country.
I am all for gun safety. People shouldnt be afraid of guns and they sure as heck should know proper care in handling them or being around them. I , like the rest of you guys i suppose, grew up with guns and have been a lifelong hunter. Not a gun nut, but I do enjy skeet and trap…its fun. but back to the point. respect for the gun and a little common sense can go a long way.
Most people will encounter guns at some point in their lives. Not necessarily in a bad situation, just knowing a hunter or being asked to go shooting with someone will generally result in an encounter. The issue with this is I know people who are AFRAID of guns. Not in a respectful that should be in a case afraid, but in a that shouldnt be in the house afraid. Thats just silly.
If we teach our children, we can avoid fear and create a safe environment where gun accidents are nearly non-existant. Guns dont kill people, husbands who come home early from work do.
There are a lot of things that kids under fifteen have their hands on that could be used as deadly weapons already. So I wouldn’t have any problem with it.
If more people were familiarized with the proper handling of firearms, they wouldn’t be the objects of paranoia and fear that they have become for many. Maybe we would have more sense with firearms laws.
Taking kids at a young age and fully indoctrinating them with the proper respect for what firearms can do along with safe firearm handling practices, might pay dividends in reduced crime.
I think so. I want my kids to know what to do with a gun should they find themselves in a situation where one is present and shouldn’t be. For instance, if an idiot neighborhood kid sneaks a gun out of the house to show his buddies. Knowing how to handle a gun could be the difference between life an death.
Then I will find the neighborhood kid and beat him with a bat along with his parents for not being more careful.
Yes absolutely they should be taught gun safety before age 15.
My son took the hunter safety course last year and this year did the NRA Basic Rifle. When he was much younger the NRA offered the “Eddie the Eagle” program at his school to teach young children not to play with guns.
The scouts still teach marksmanship. I had a few scouts in our “appleseed” training class at my shooting club. Didn’t ask if they earned a badge but they were well versed in gun safety and pretty good shot for 13 year olds.
[quote]CentralGuy wrote:
People shouldnt be afraid of guns and they sure as heck should know proper care in handling them or being around them.
[/quote]
I’m going to disagree slightly, and say that a little bit of fear and respect is a good thing. A gun is just a tool, but the kind that if you are careless or play around with it can fuck you up permanently. I own a handgun, and plan on buying more, and when I have children they will be taught how to handle them by the time they reach ten years of age.
I think telling kids that guns are evil and they should run away at the first sight of a gun only makes them curious, and more likely to play with them if they find one at a friends house. Letting them handle and fire a gun under adult supervision will dispel the mystery, and give them an appreciation of the damage they can do.
I learned to shoot when I was 4.
Develping a cause and effect relationship between shooting something and destroying it is very important. The sooner you can impress that upon a kid who will be handling firearms, the better.
As to the origional question- I would feel a lot better knowing that kids have a perfect understanding of what happens when you pull a trigger.
It is most often a misunderstanding of that when kids goof off with a gun and shoot someone or themselves.
As for when they shoot at each other on purpose, I would at least preffer that they have good aim.
The responses have been pretty one-sided so far.
Is nobody from the small-but-vocal “we’re scared shitless of inanimate objects” faction going to contribute their opposing two cents, scolding us all for even thinking of instructing our innocent children in the murderous Way of the Gun?
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
The responses have been pretty one-sided so far.
Is nobody from the small-but-vocal “we’re scared shitless of inanimate objects” faction going to contribute their opposing two cents, scolding us all for even thinking of instructing our innocent children in the murderous Way of the Gun?[/quote]
Well, I’ll add to the one-sidedness - where I grew up, it was practically automatic. In fact, there was not even a question - you picked it up just as you would learn to drive a car or mow a yard.
There was no deep soul-searching as to its merits - because there was no need. As for the OP, I don’t really have a “feeling” when walking down the street while being surrounded by 15 year olds - I don’t really expect them to be armed, and if they are, I have more problems as to whether they have been shown proper handling of a gun.
Add my vote to proper gun training for the kids.
Much like alcohol, drugs, and sex. Well, maybe not training in those last 3 but education at least.
Proper gun safety should be taught in health along safe sex and not talking to strangers. However, not as early as 10. Teach them to young, and the “fear” that a gun instills in them may disappear, leading them to think they can handle a weapon.
It’s like teaching a little kid about snakes. Suddenly every snake is fair game. If they come upon a poisonous one, then fuck.
Gun safety is one of those things that should be passed on parent to child, and only backed up by schooling, like sex ed or good eating habits.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
The responses have been pretty one-sided so far.
Is nobody from the small-but-vocal “we’re scared shitless of inanimate objects” faction going to contribute their opposing two cents, scolding us all for even thinking of instructing our innocent children in the murderous Way of the Gun?[/quote]
My mom is like that. When I’m old enough to move I plan on buying a gun, my Grandfather and Uncle have allowed me to handle their fire arms and always told me handle them with respect and care. I do believe children should be taught how to act around guns when they are younger so that they know what to do if they ever encounter one.
[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
CentralGuy wrote:
People shouldnt be afraid of guns and they sure as heck should know proper care in handling them or being around them.
I’m going to disagree slightly, and say that a little bit of fear and respect is a good thing. A gun is just a tool, but the kind that if you are careless or play around with it can fuck you up permanently. I own a handgun, and plan on buying more, and when I have children they will be taught how to handle them by the time they reach ten years of age.
I think telling kids that guns are evil and they should run away at the first sight of a gun only makes them curious, and more likely to play with them if they find one at a friends house. Letting them handle and fire a gun under adult supervision will dispel the mystery, and give them an appreciation of the damage they can do.[/quote]
ABSOLUTELY! That was exactly what my father did. He let us touch them and examine them (under his supervision) and taught us about them and I honestly never once felt the urge to go get a gun and play with it while was growing up. There was no curiosity.
If i wanted to see a gun or find out how it worked or work the action, dad and i would talk about it and just use it as a learning experience. just no loading and unloading practice cept for the range, lol. Guns and ammo were always separate.