Teaching Children

[Trent]

I wrote this the other night, intended as a public service message - and put it out on social media. It gained a lot of acceptance even from non-gun owners.

Thought I'd share:

Parents; free tip.

Since they don't teach gun safety in school anymore (zero tolerance to talk about guns), it is unquestionably YOUR responsibility now to teach your children about gun safety.

Teach them this.

"If you see a gun"...

1. Stop.
2. Leave the area.
3. Tell an adult.

Many modern guns are indistinguishable from their modern Airsoft toy counterparts. Weight, action, feel, shape, and size is identical in most cases. I've picked up airsoft guns before, and had to STUDY them to tell if they weren't the real thing. And I've been shooting for 20 years.

So, there's a fourth lesson.

4. Assume anything that looks like a gun IS a gun.

If they follow the first three rules, tell an adult, the adult can take the appropriate action.

Gun accidents do not happen. Negligence happens. When a child who has not been trained on firearms safety finds one, becomes curious, and misuses a gun and hurts themselves or others, it is 100% the *parent's* fault for not teaching children about firearm safety.

Read that last paragraph again.

Children should be taught never to handle firearms of their own accord. If you are a gun owner and wish to teach your children, this still holds true! The only time children should handle firearms is under the direct, personal, and "hovering-close" supervision of an adult in a strictly one-on-one environment.

Hiding the fact that guns exist from children almost guarantees your child will be ill-prepared to respond to a situation when they first encounter a firearm, and this could lead to deadly consequences. Even if you abhor guns, you are doing a grave misservice to your children by omitting the existence of firearms from their young lives!

Guns exist.

Teach them to respect them and to act accordingly!

End of public safety message.

(Continue on with the pictures of puppies and goats and arguments about politics.)

 

[Reloadron]

Eddie Eagle Program.

The program trains children to avoid causing harm when they encounter firearms, through an easily-remembered litany:

1. Stop — to take time to remember the rest of the instructions.

2. Don't touch — A firearm that is not touched or acted upon by an outside force is highly unlikely to fire, or endanger a person.

3.Leave the area — By leaving the area the child removes himself/herself from temptation, as well as from the danger that another person might pick up the gun and negligently cause it to fire.

4.Tell an adult — An adult, if not personally trained in handling firearms, should know enough to seek professional assistance.

Learn Gun Safety With Eddie Eagle

This is a 6 min. NRA video aimed at pre kindergarten through third grade. It should be mandatory in every school in America with the associated instruction to teach and reenforce gun safety to children. That video and parents taking the responsibility to teach their children what to do when they come upon a gun would help keep America's children safe.

So while I strongly agree with your PSA Trent, some of it seems deeply rooted in the Eddie Eagle program.

Just My Take....
Ron

 

[Trent]

Oh, I know Ron. Where do you think I got the stop, leave the area, tell an adult from?

The reason I didn't mention NRA Eddie Eagle is anti-gun (or many undecideds) have a vehement dislike of NRA, and as soon as you mention it they quit listening and paying attention.

It's a side affect of NRA-ILA being the most visible portion of the NRA.

The fact that the NRA started as a training organization back in the 1800's and (primarily) exists as an educational organization is lost on many people today, because all the general public ever sees anymore is the political propaganda. Heck, most GUN OWNERS don't realize that the NRA is a training organization. They think it's just a LOBBYING GROUP!

I needed to ensure the message would get across to liberal anti-gunners in such a fashion that they would read it through to the end.

So far, it's working. I've now seen devout anti-gunners who are linked in to my social networking circles have shared my post - because it's a common sense approach to making sure that children are educated on guns.

The idea and method of delivery sprung from an NRA Basic Pistol class this weekend, when I had a very liberal (and previously VERY anti-gun) individual in my classroom. This 58 year old man fired his very first shots from a firearm Saturday, after receiving instruction in safety and training.

(The fact that he flew to Illinois from California just to take my class can not be overstated - this was a "very big deal".)

In order to combat the anti-gunner strategy of alienating children from learning or having any exposure to firearms whatsoever (causing death by extinction of gun rights movement after several generations), we need to shove the blame squarely back on their shoulders.

Children kill children in firearms accidents because YOU did not train your children on how to respond to the presence of a firearm.

It's an ugly truth, but it is not easily countered.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I agree with you 100% Trent but unfortunately the closest thing to training these kids today get is the video games they play because the parents of today don't want to deal with raising their own children any more. They shove a game in the kids face and say "Here, play with this and keep quiet".

I'm afraid the world is changing and people aren't keeping up. With the advent of the population growing like it is, training for young people is even more important.

My grandchildren come over to my house and my wife says "put your gun in the safe! I do put it out of reach but my grandchildren know what a gun is so when they see me carrying mine they know it's off limits. I don't leave them "laying around the house" so to speak but they are not surprised to see one under my belt when they come over either. They are no video games at my house for 2-5yr olds that involve guns. I want them to learn what a gun represents and learn the respect for them the correct way. I want them to respect guns and know what guns can do and treat them accordingly, and when the time comes I will be teaching them how to use them safely and correctly.

And maybe, just maybe, I will have done something right when they are confronted with the decision of what to do when they see one or have access to one when they are older with less supervision.

Every parents dream that they will do the right thing.

 

[Reloadron]

Trent, thinking about it you are right on target. Many times, when opposing the anti-gun climate and people starting any sentence with NRA is not the best way to go. When we think about it I guess the objective is to promote gun safety and awareness to the children and in that respect you did a great job.

I actually found a loaded gun once many years ago in a DQ (Dairy Queen) parking lot when my then very young kids were with me. Just laying there in the parking lot and loaded. Granted just a small 25 ACP crap gun but none the less a loaded gun that could have easily been picked up by a child.

Ron

 

[JTHunter]

Nicely said Trent.

And, unfortunately, you're probably right about antis accepting anything from the NRA.

 

[danez71]

Good job Trent.

I often used the analogy to those types that even if they don't have a pool, they still teach their kids to swim, never swim alone, and only swim with an adult. AKA: Pool safety. Firearms should be no different.


Its a parents duty to educate their kids.

Once kids are educated, they eventually form their own opinions.