Educate? Or Ignore?

I've learned to listen to a person's point instead of focusing on his/her delivery. So, the people asking for information are simply starting where they currently are, information-wise about firearms.

I believe education and gun ownership leads to higher levels of responsibility. So, I would pass on website links, locations of gun stores and ranges.

I agree with 'HKUSP45C'. The left is very inclusive of various cultures whereas conservatives are busy excluding most everyone based on speech patterns, clothes, national origin, ...

We can stay steadfast on basic principles while at the same time encouraging all to be exposed to those principles. Might pick up come converts.

I think the first question you should ask when queried about firearms is "What do you plan to do with it?". Then go from there.
Try and emphasize the safety aspects of firearms handling and ownership first.
If they can't absorb that, well, use your gut if you want to impart any more knowledge to the person.

At first I read a few and hit the back button. But my advice is to direct the individual(s) to the laws on the national, state, and local level. Let education be the basis. After all, it sounds like they have misconceptions about the reality of handeling and owning a firearm. Best of luck, and don't keep it "ganster."

BTW, is that a allamatic' fo' fi'.

So you are worried that people who know less than nothing about firearms will take the scant hobbyist information gleaned from a brief conversation at work and then illegally acquire and modify firearms?

I'd say you've got very little to worry about.

By your logic the flight school that taught the 9-11 terrorists to fly should have been the first place we bombed...

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Hey! That is hitting a little too close to home. Literally! My plane was tied down right next to the flight school 3 of them used, and I can walk to the airport from my house!

When passengers board a plane that I am flying, I perform a weapons screening. If they don't have a weapon, I have a few to hand out...

;-)

OurSafeHome.net said:

Hey! That is hitting a little too close to home. Literally! My plane was tied down right next to the flight school 3 of them used, and I can walk to the airport from my house!

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The point I was trying to make was: The flight schools were no more responsible for the atrocity committed by the cowardly jihadists than I would be if I taught someone a few things about safe gun ownership and they misused the info I had given them.

Not legally or morally.

Talk to them but emphasize ethical and legal considerations first. If they are still interested, go into other details.

ignore

obviously someone might be slinging ghetto terms but be a totally trustworthy kind of person, but basically, if you wouldn't trust a person to babysit your kids, I don't think you should be trusting them with firearms. Not saying it should be against the law, just use your judgement. Same thing if you are dealing with kids, you have to judge the individual's appropriateness and ability to be responsible.

I really like the previous suggestion to address any inquiries with basic information about how they work and Jeff Cooper's 4 Rules. If they show no interest in the basic rules of gun safety, then they likely have no concept or regard for the lethality of firearms, and the discussion should go no further.

I don't think this is a problem for you, but DO NOT allow preconceptions based on styles of speech, dress, or skin color to distort your perceptions. There's are two African-American women who work with my wife that, after some careful conversation, are very interested in joining my wife and I for a gun safety class along with their husbands. They want to do this before ever buying a gun. At least three of the four would be considered "ghetto" by some on this board due to their manner of speech and dress.

Tread carefully. Based on your description, I don't think you're being overly cautious. Start with the boring, deathly important stuff like safety first, and if they're still interested and willing to learn, take them to the range

I tend to side with --- this is the Information Age --- they/anyone can find almost ANYTHING on the Internet ----- I always look as someone asking questions on firearms as a chance to get them to be law-abideing , VOTEING gun owners.