Children and guns

[Bezoar]

In the past centuries it was normal for a 8-10 year old to go hunting, shooting, and generally defend themself with a gun. Current rules encourage/require firearms and ammunition to be locked up seperately in different areas of the dwelling. rules also require/encourage anyone under 18 to be around firearms only with direct adult suprervision.

But in Ayoobs writing he tells that he started his daughters out young, pre 10 year old, with their own handguns for self defense in their bedrooms.. But in the current political climate is something like this just wishful thinking on a parents part, or is their actual legal precedence that saves a family when thier minor children use a gun in self defense?

 

[jeepmor]

No legal precedence that I'm aware of. As long as the children and the guns reside in the house, on the property, and don't get discharged inappropriately,(city limits ordinances if applicable), there is nothing the state or feds can do about it. Step off the property, that's a different story.

They arrested that kid in Boulder for having pics of guns on his myspace page and weakly chosen picture titles. However, he did it on his property and the father stated he had permission. That is close to Columbine and a liberal mecca in an otherwise conservative Colorado. The chief over reacted in my opinion, but he likely had some undue pressure from some vicitms families or people on the anti bandwagon to send a message to the community that children with guns is bad. Had he gone on a rampage, yes, bad. However, as a chief, I think I would spin that one in the regard that he was safe, no shots were fired and he was a teen. There is such a thing as responsible children and this one was not operating outside of the law or even his parents permission.

I hope the family won and gave the message of freedom to the community. They have so quickly equated any children and guns together as impending doom for their cohorts that it's ridiculous.

I think keeping the guns out of childrens' hands as long as possible is the creeping incrementalism by the antis. This way they figure they can indoctrinate the children against guns before they begin to think on their own.

just my .02

 

[geekWithA.45]

There are two motivations for restricting children's access to arms.

One is honorable, the other isn't.

The honorable intention is to reduce or eliminate injuries, death and property damage that is the result of poor training, awareness or judgement on the part of the kids and their parents.

The dishonorable intention is to reduce or eliminate the next generation of armed citizens.

 

[El Tejon]

geek, I believe both are dishonorable. If I wish to ensure my children do not drown, I teach them to swim, not to avoid water. If I wish to ensure that children are safe around firearms, I teach them to handle firearms.

Legal precedence? I'm confused here. Are you speaking of civil liability concerns or criminal matters or what exactly? Not trying to be smart, just want to be clear for you.

There are many examples of children defending their siblings or parents with firearms or hunting as young children, recent and in history. If you read Armed America, and you should, Clayton Cramer quotes from Abe Lincoln in which he describes himself shooting a turkey at the age of 7 while at his cabin in Southern Indiana.

 

[Master Blaster]

If I wish to ensure my children do not drown, I teach them to swim, not to avoid water. If I wish to ensure that children are safe around firearms, I teach them to handle firearms.

I couldnt have said it better.

BTW how many of you plan to restrict your 16, 17,18 year old's access to driving, AND DRIVERS ED, until they are 21??

Do you keep your car keys locked up in a government approved car key safe??? Do you keep the gasoline stored seperately from the car when you are not driving it?? After all you cant be too safe when it comes to kids and cars.

After all many more children are killed by automobiles each year than by guns.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Sigh.

If I wish to ensure my children do not drown, I teach them to swim, not to avoid water. If I wish to ensure that children are safe around firearms, I teach them to handle firearms.

I happen to agree with you.

What I'm trying to say is that the _intention_ is honorable, without reference to the fact that it is misguided and based in ignorance.

There are lots and lots of honorable, but misguided and ignorant intentions out there. In those cases, it's best to deal with them on their demerits, which are fixable, as opposed to attacking them on their craven, dishonorable nature. That's the distinction I was trying to make.

 

[scout26]

So the moral of the story is:

Be like Scout26, take your kids and their friends shooting.

 

[Thain]

But, but... think of the children!



We are thinking of the children. We're thinking this child is going to be eating a lot of bacon.

 

[Bezoar]

I am thinking on the legal and civil liabilities here. Nowadays states are charging parents with child neglect/abuse for simple things like letting the kids run around the back yard without a shirt on.. ANd I just wonder if there is a way to keep the local child "protective" services agents away in a case of "timmy/suzie has their own gun".

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Interesting you make the "teaching kids to swim" analogy. A few days ago someone posted a 20/20 article where they stated children are 100 times more likely to have a fatal drowning accident in a house with a pool, than a fatal shooting in a house with a gun.

 

[Derby FALs]

All the more reason to teach them how to swim instead of sink.

 

[Pilgrim]

I started shooting when I was ten. I had my own .22 rifle in my room when I was thirteen. My father believed I was responsible enough to have a rifle at thirteen.

I have some grandkids coming along that show promise of being good, responsible shooters. If I were to follow my father's example, the only thing I would change would be to give each grandkid his own locking gun cabinet to keep his/her arms with the proviso that one screw up and they are gone, just like in real life for adults who act stupidly with firearms.

Pilgrim

 

[TexasRifleman]

Here is an example of horrible child abuse committed by me in Texas against my 11 year old son.

Poor kid was forced to shoot over 300 rounds through the Evil Black Rifle.

I'm expecting to hear from his attorney soon. (As he sues me for not buying him an AR sooner).

This weekend shown cost me a lot of money, as he decided that the Leupold CQ/T was much better suited to his purposes than mine.
I am now shopping for a new scope for myself.

I'd trust him in the house alone with that rifle, and I'd feel for anyone that tried to come into the house wrongfully.