Posted: 5/20/2008 7:12:25 AM EDT
|
How to Ask The Gun Question My question is, "Would you leave your child to play in a house without guns?" |
|
I don't understand the hysteria. Almost every family has a car or two, and they just leave the keys sitting around. What's to prevent the kid from taking the car for a spin and killing themselves? Oh, wait...you teach your kids not to do that kind of thing. How about those evil propane grills? I'm going to start asking about them, since a kid could really do some damage if there's a grill left unlocked. |
|
I would not be offended if someone asked before their child came to play with my child. I would however be offended if they tried to "educate" me on the dangers of keeping a firearm in the house. As long as my firearms are secured, which they are, and are of no threat to their child or mine then it is none of their business what I do in my own home. There are all kinds of things that people keep in their homes that are dangerous to children. Household Chemicals are present in every home and I am far more worried about my child getting into a cabinet with cleaners or bleach than I am about her getting into my guns. I would be more worried about that in another persons home than them having guns. |
I think I would be educating them on the danger to them resulting from trying to educate me on the best ways to keep my family safe. |
|
GUNS SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Also, the kids should be taught not to touch them. You need two stages of safety: 1. Out of reach. 2. Kids trained properly. Anyone who leaves guns within reach of children is an irresponsible dick-brain. End of story. Yes, I grew up with guns, started shooting at age 5. Always had guns around. Guess what: kids will be kids. They don't always do what they are supposed to do. |
Apparently you didn't shoot yourself or someone else. For the most part I agree with you. My problem isn't w/ my kids being overly curious about my guns, considering they can look at them anytime they want. My problem is w/ their friends that don't have guns around, that worry me. I think the more important question to ask a parent is whether their kids have/are around guns. My scariest scenario is if my son goes to stay at someone's house, and they say, "hey come look what I found in my dad's closet". Granted, I assume it's a gun and not porn  .As for "kids will be kids", lumps the idiots w/ the not idiots, or the careful w/ the non careful. Again, I agree that just being safe is best, but education is the most important. |
Friend, Kids will be kids. All kids get out of line from time to time. One time a friend of mine went to his dad's closet, took out a 22 rifle and dry fired it in my face. he was not a bad kid. If I had told his parents he had touched the gun, he would have recieved an old-school style ass whipping from his dad. i also saw a little boy look down the barrel of a 22 when it failed to fire. i also saw a little boy load and fire a black powder cannon without permission at a family picnic. i've had about 1000 gun owners tell me that their kids were too perfect to misbehave around guns. I'm not buying it, there is too much at risk. |
Kids will be kids. All kids get out of line from time to time. One time a friend of mine went to his dad's closet, took out a 22 rifle and dry fired it in my face. he was not a bad kid. If I had told his parents he had touched the gun, he would have recieved an old-school style ass whipping from his dad. i also saw a little boy look down the barrel of a 22 when it failed to fire. i also saw a little boy load and fire a black powder cannon without permission at a family picnic. i've had about 1000 gun owners tell me that their kids were too perfect to misbehave around guns. I'm not buying it, I think it's a foolish, proud idea. |
My Wife was asked this question by one of her good friends when she sent her child over to spend the night. This woman knows we CC so my wife responded "hey, do you want a free babysitter or not". She still took my Wife up on the offer That night her son was playing nerf-dart-guns with my kids when my younger daughter (7yo) yells to the visiting kid "hey, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot". At that moment I couldn't have been more proud of my daughter 
|
+1 or a garage full of power tools a kitchen full of knives chemicals under the sink Rosie O'Donnell on national TV and all other manner of remorseless objects |
When I first read this, I missed the "dry" part of it and went  Then I wondered if you kicked his ass or not.My thing is that it is an individual thing. I don't carelessly leave firearms around the house either, but mainly due to my son's friends. I don't know how they are around them. However, my youngest, aside from being younger, is less capable of controlling his urges. He's still a good kid, but at 4 I don't expect a whole lot, and wouldn't leave him access to a gun. So, in a way, I do agree w/ you, but I think it paints too broad of a brush on ALL kids. And where I feel better about teaching my kids, is in the event they find themselves at a friends house, such as you and your idiot friend. They refuse to partake in the stupidity, then tell me later so I can either tell the parent, or keep them from going over there. |
|
More children die in swimming pools, bike accidents, skateboard accidents, football, car accidents, and toddlers drowning in 5 gallon or similar mop buckets, tubs and toilets. Gun accidents are way down the list. The whole thing about asking if people have guns in the home is to stigmatize gun ownership. You don't hear: "Do you have a pool? Would you mind draining it while my kid is over there?" "Do you have cleaning chemicals in your kitchen cabinets? Would you mind installing locks on the cabinets before my child comes over?" "Do you keep your car keys secure around children? You haven't hand any tickets lately, have you?" "You don't allow your kids to have or play with bikes, skateboards, jungle gyms, slides, swings, lawn darts, or anything else fun, do you? If you don't mind, I'd rather my kid just play video games... and only non competitive games at that." |
|
I can't imagine asking another parent if they had guns in the house, because I sure as hell wouldn't want somebody making it a big issue if one of their kids was coming over ot my house. That's why I drum it into my daughters' heads every chance I get that if they're over at a friend's house and they see a gun, they shouldn't touch it, and if their friend touches it, they should get away and tell a grownup. It's not my kids I don't trust, because they're familiar enough with my guns that they know not to mess with them. But I have no idea what the other guy has taught his kids about guns, and I don't want their kid shooting mine. ETA: w00t 8k! |