didn't have much to add until i read the NRA alert on this topic.
[url]www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20010818ask0818lnp1.asp[/url]
an excerpt from the article:
But Dr. Howard Spivak, head of the American Academy of Pediatrics' task force on violence and a member of the PAX advisory board, said gun education programs like the "Eddie Eagle" program give children too much responsibility for their own safety.
Such programs reflect "no understanding of children or child development," added Spivak, a Tufts University Medical School pediatrics professor.
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does this mean that it's a waste of time to teach our children "Stop! Drop! and Roll!" or "Just Say No!" or "Don't talk to or go with strangers" or "Dial 9-1-1!" because it requires "too much" responsibility on the part of the child to protect him/herself?????????
also, while i am not an opponent [i]per se[/i] of asking if weapons are in the house, i think the focus should be less on whether they're there and more on whether they're stored safely/properly. also, as it currently stands, this policy takes away all responsibility on the part of the parents and the children to learn gun safety and know how to handle a situation involving a firearm, should one occur. shielding junior his entire life from firearms is only going to...
a) increase his interest in them. they're a mystery after all
b) result in his death or severe injury because he didn't know basic gun safety rules and ASSUMED the gun was unloaded.
c) turn him into a scared little boy that always runs to momma when these bad things appear around him.
of course, that last one is probably an actual goal, either of the government or momma herself.
yet another battle front to fight in this war against our rights. grrrrrrrrrrrr [:(!]