Opie wrote:
Manka Cat wrote:
... I think it's more that his kids are fascinated with guns... After his boys found an old BB gun in their grandparents garage and started playing with it, he refuses to let them near any guns.
Manka Cat, your story highlights one of my strong arguments for educating children about firearms. My kids are still too young to take to the range, but I alreadyteach them about firearms and answer their questions in order to remove the mystery. They know that if they find a firearm they should not touch it, leave it alone and tell an adult.
I've found that the children of people of who are unfamiliar with firearms are extremely quick to pick up a pistol and play with it. It is, in fact, scary. Education is important in preventing accidents, even if you are opposed to firearms. If I were you, I would tell your future brother in law that you respect his decision not to keep firearms around his children, but that he needsto get his head out of the sand and at least teach his boys how to safely handle them!
+1000. My kids are too young to take to the range, too (oldest is only 8). Not that they couldn't handle the guns
physically, they're just not ready
mentally yet. But I have taught them the safety rules if they find a gun (don't touch, everyone leave room, tell adult) at a friend's house. I've also taught them proper handling and safety for when they do learn shooting (they have excellent trigger finger discipline already).
I believe that all children are naturally curious, and even if YOU don't have guns in your house, you still need to teach them about gun safety because eventually, they'll be exposed to them somewhere and will need that safety education and knowledge
ahead of time. Because, as too many families already know, children who don't know better will pick a gun right up and point it at someone, and you know their finger is already on the trigger.... :shock:
