What happen to the days when owning and enjoying firearms, you were not considered a nut or strange. When and where did society suddenly deem firearms as bad. I'm 35 years old, grew up watching shows like Magnum PI, Simon and Simon and yes even the A Team. Back then my High School even had a Rod and Gun Club program! Imagine that happening today, ha! It's come to the point where kids on the playground  can't even point a finger and go bang with out getting suspended! And the parents get grilled by school officials on if and why they own firearms! When will people wake up and realize that the guns are not at fault, it's the people behind them.

My family considers me a nut because of my hobby, and an irresponsible father because I let my 10 year old son shoot too. "Guns are so dangerous!" they say, but don't they understand that the guns are only dangerous when the safety  rules are not properly adhered to!

I've just recently started taking my son shooting, he turned 10 this past April. I lecture him on proper gun safety, and what to do outside the home if he encounters a gun, when we do shoot he is properly supervised and I am by his side at all times. I feel we've become a lot closer because we now share a common interest, in a time when kids grow up a lot faster and many parents have no interest in spending time with their kids.

I thought about buying him his own .22, maybe this would increase his interest and he could have a little more pride when we go shooting because he would be shooting his "own rifle" and not dads. My brother-in-law has a old .22 bolt action Western Field I thought would be a good rifle for him to learn on, so I called and talked to my sister, which happens to not like guns. I asked about the rifle and if there was a chance I might be able to buy it for my son. "What, you want to get him interested in GUNS!" "He already is interested in guns, I want to get him one of his own." I say. "But isn't that dangerous!" "Well any sport is dangerous if safety rules are not adhered to." Why can't my family accept me and my interest in firearms and realize that with proper training and responsibility, shooting can be fun and safe. How do you guys deal with family members like mine or others with the same attitude?

What's worse is I get it from my father who used to own firearms and was also an avid hunter!

I was blessed when I grew up, I got a Stevens Model 120 bolt action single shot .22 on my 6th birthday, my father cut the stock down just so I could shoot it, and I still have it. I too was tought to respect firearms and the danger of misuse and never dared to overstep the boundries, as I still practice today. I believe that given the great responsability of firearms young ones will remember every word preached and practice them forever. Get the boy a .22