<Snip> Would you want your child or grandchild going to play at someone’s house where they could get a hold of a loaded weapon, potentially shooting and killing themselves or someone else?
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Children are curious and guns are intriguing. Especially if they’ve never seen one before or if they know they’re not supposed to touch them.
First part: Possibly yes. I have started the process of training him on the ripe age of 6 that firearms ARE NOT toys. I've had him try to rack the slide on my and my wife's pistols(both cleared), and he couldn't move either a single millimeter. And my wife's is easy to rack. I've started teaching him that firearms are not toys, they are dangerous if used improperly, and that he can handle mine or my wife's firearms any time he wants, as long as he asks us first. I've told him that we would both be more than happy to let him handle it, teach him anything, as well as do anything firearms related if he asks. We tell him he can not touch them if he doesn't ask us. That's why when I was down in Texas on leave, I kept my pistol on Amber status(mag in well, chamber clear) the whole time in the house. I know for a fact he can not rack the slide, so I had no worries about any potential dangers. When the neighbor's kid was at the house(who was 9), I grabbed it up and kept it with me while he was there. His mother knows that my wife and I both own guns, but I'm at least responsible enough to keep it out of a child's reach who I feel I can not trust. My son has never given me or my wife a reason not to trust him. And for 6 years old, I trust him alot. If he's at someone else's house, I trust him not to mess with their firearms without asking them. However, I don't trust other people's kids, regardless.
Second part: That is why you teach them about firearms as soon as you bring one into the home. It wasn't long after I landed in El Paso, and got to the hotel room that I unlocked my pistol and started teaching him. I let him handle it, attempt to rack the slide, and constantly, like every other day, my wife an I would quiz him on what I taught him about firearms. Mainly, don't touch them, but he wont ever be denied if he asks us if he can handle them/get more training/etc. He always answered right, and he's never messed with either my wife's or my pistols.
So essentially, I trust him, just not other children.
And another thing: Why would you keep a firearm in the house with children, where they could access it, in condition red/one? That is negligent. Even here, I clear it and put it in Amber before I put it in my box at my desk.
