Gun safety training for kids

@DrewDad,

DrewDad wrote:

I do have a Harry-Potteresque scar on my forehead due to a mishap with a mailbox....

Hey!

Me too!

(only it was the corner of a glasss counter in a dept store. it got in the way of my flight path)

@chai2,

HA, Thats nothin. Look at this!!

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Suggestion that Mo get an Air rifle along with proper gun safety training.
I kinda like the idea of Mr B taking Mo to the range. He'll get to view a variety of opinions styles and advice.
10 is not to young to pop off a few sparrows or pest type birds in the backyard.

You might like to look at the application process in Australia
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=175

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

I googled "gun safety training" and found lots and lots of gun classes in our city. I don't know how one begins to evaluate the programs.

I don't want a class that focus' on "personal safety" -- as in "you're a potential victim and you need to shoot someone".

I don't want something that yammers on about politics or survivalism.

I don't want a class centered on hunting. We don't hunt. When he grows up he can hunt if he wants to.

I spent some time yesterday looking at what is available in your area. A real eye opener for me. Lots of politically-focused groups, lots of survivalist training, the skeet club I looked at required new members to be members of the NRA (or be willing to join right away). Wow. In comparison to that, the few hunter safety courses I could track down seemed positively pacifist in nature. There were a couple of kids after-school programs that seemed to include gun safety as part of their curriculum. Is there anything through the local Boys and Girls Club?

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A few points I would like to make:

I never said I intended to buy Mo a gun. He will not have access to a gun outside a controlled environment. I'm asking about gun safety classes. Like it or not people have guns, I want Mo to be safe if he encounters one. I don't intend to train Mo in weapons, I intend to train him in safety.

Mo is not some deranged maniac child who dreams or running around killing things with guns. Yes he has some problems, yes he got a shitty start in life, this doesn't make him a psychopath. I'm not prepared to wrap him in cotton and lock him in his room. Mo needs to learn how to be safe in the world when I'm not looking.

Yes, Mo idolizes my brother. And why shouldn't he? My brother is an excellent person who idolizes Mo. No, I don't think he's ever told Mo that he doesn't like guns because, like I said, he and Mo don't talk about guns. If Mo asks a question about the military Mo gets a lesson on history and geography and culture. My brother holds three advanced degrees, he is considered an expert on the Middle East, he's not some idiot with a gun and a grudge.

Mo has a million choices. If it were MY choice he wouldn't be interested in guns, or skateboarding..... or candy.... or many other things. Mo is not being forced into anything to do with guns but if he's interested I think it is my duty to make sure he's safe.

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David and Farmerman, we already have that rule about pointing the gun at things, especially at himself, with his toy guns. It's probably a bit over-cautious but habits are hard to break.

An air gun is a good idea, dadpad! Thank you for the suggestion.

The political/survivalist stuff is pretty weird, huh, ehBeth. There is (what I hear is) a good wilderness program called Trackers Northwest. It doesn't do any gun safety training but they do archery, boat building, fishing, horseback riding -- all kinds of stuff. I'm looking into that for this summer.

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tsarstepan, I can't help wondering why you are so passionately against guns in general. I ask because your posts are almost entirely thoughtful, rational and well-informed. This is a subject which seems to have touched a raw nerve with you. I'm asking out of admiration for you for the reasons described above. It doesn't mean that I want to argue, I just want to know why a person I so respect has such strong feelings over a subject which can not only be educational but which can help Mo feel more and more a part of his world and face it with knowledge and confidence.

I'm another of those who learned to shoot early. My father took me target practing with a little .21 rifle. It was a good time and I felt confident, knowing that much of gun play in games is focused on violence. Of course, in my day Roy Rogers was my hero and he loved his horse Trgger, more than anything else, aworld tha no longer exists, but growing up knowing about guns i have never romanticized violence. I've also grown to hate people who misuse guns.

My unrealistic point of view is that gangs should be forced to take gun lessons to become better shots, that way they will only shoot each other, not some baby sleeping in his crib inside the thin walls of a poorly built house, simply because some idiot didn't aim straight.

If more young people were exposed to gun safety, I'm sure they would learn about the dangers of guns and also how stupid people are who don't know as much as a nine year old boy.

Boomer, you know how I admire you. I don't always agree with you, but you are smart, and your choices are well-informed and always thoughtful.

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so sorry that post was so rambling. I'm getting worse in my old age.

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@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

why, drew dad? (re me being an asshole)

Because you completely misunderstood the subject of the thread, then you were corrected, and continued acting as if Boomer is trying to create some sort of Frankenstein-ian super soldier.

Boomer talks about skeet and sport shooting, and you say, "it's all about shooting and killing for kids."

Personally, I enjoyed shooting but the first dove I killed completely put me off of killing.

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I have owned a few guns in my time. Currently I am indifferent to them. There are, in my view gun idiots and responsible gun owners. You all know which you are. Safety all too often goes out the door. I have had two nephews killed by guns, as kids. Safety rules are simple to follow, possibly deadly if not.

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@boomerang,

I had bb guns when I was a certain age, but I have turned negative on them. It is really hard, at that age, to treat one seriously. You may have noticed that I am not opposed to firearms, in general, but that is my opinion.

Possibly one of the spring-air pellet guns would fit the bill. At least they have the accuracy to do some serious target shooting. Just my opinion, again, but I wouldn't even consider a bb gun.

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@Diane,

Are you kidding me, Diane?

You mean my thoughts are not universally embraced as truth!?

Who knew?

Actually, I don't always embrace my own thoughts and this is a prefect case in point.

While I'm not anti-gun, I'm no gun lover by a long shot. I did not expect myself to go into a full blown anxiety attack over Mo being at a house with guns in it and where I had no control over the guns.

It seems contradictory to even me that my reaction to my reaction is to enroll Mo in a gun class.

He's getting older and he's out there -- out there in places I can't control -- so he needs to learn how to keep himself safe.

I've seen the terrible impact of gun violence.

I've read the horrifying stories of gun accidents.

And as perverse as it seems the only way I can think of to help Mo deal with it is to educate him.

I think I know where tsarstephan is coming from. I understand his reaction.

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

And he's fascinated with sharks.

So shall I kill off every shark?

Because sharks exist and they're a danger.

They're especially dangerous to those who don't understand them.

OFF TOPIC:
Out of love for Mo, u may wish to take him to the (dry) underwater shark exhibit
in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. (See link)
http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/sharkreef.aspx
U don 't have to stay at the Hotel, tho u can, if u wanna.
The price of an admission ticket is modest.
The exhibit is superbeautiful, with many large sharks and many,
many other fish whom u observe as thay swim above u, in front of u,
and behind u, while u observe them in a transparent tunnel
(several different transparent tunnels) at whose conclusion,
in the gift shop Mo can buy real shark 's teeth for an inexpensive consideration.
The beauty of this aquatic exhibit is ineffable! Do yourselves a good favor! Life is for enjoying.

David

http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/sharkreef.aspx

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@edgarblythe,

I'm sorry about your nephews, edgar.

Guns can ruin lives in so many ways.

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@OmSigDAVID,

Wow! That looks cool. I'll have to get Mo dive certified so he can do the dive with the sharks experience.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium has a similar exhibit -- AND a shark petting zoo. We took Mo there for his 7th birthday. He still talks about petting the sharks.

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@roger,

I agree with roger. Id rather a higher calibre than a bb gun. BB guns give a false sense of non-respect for guns because they arent (usually) lethal to anything but wildlife. Ive seen kids, given a bb gun and then starting to play military games where they actually start shooting at each other.
Also, shooting animals like sparrows is another teaching opportunity lost.
I ws taught, and I taught my own that we never shoot at life unless we are going to eat it. My son once, as a small kid, shot a robin with a .22 and I made him dress it and prepare it for cooking. It was a lesson that he learned about the value of life.

(Mrs F cooked a piece of chicken thigh and the kid still gagged as he was made to eat "his robin"). He cried and learned a lesson. After that, I caught him adsmonishing his friends not to shoot at anything unless they want to eat it.

Also, joining the NRA as a condition to learning to shoot, is often a PITA that many gun clubs require. I personally have no use for this outfit as they are merely a gun manufacturers lobby parading as a "safe hunting" club

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Wow! That looks cool. I'll have to get Mo dive certified so he can do the dive with the sharks experience
The Oregon Coast Aquarium has a similar exhibit -- AND a shark petting zoo. We took Mo there for his 7th birthday.
He still talks about petting the sharks.

WoW, boomer! U are a WONDERFUL mother!!!
Mo really hit the Mega Millions Jackpot when he got U!
I dove with the sharks and many other fish in Disneyworld,
when we were there for the Mensa International Gathering in 2006. It was only $140.
We looked into the Coral Reef Restaurant thru its big window that
shows into the aquarium. Customers waved at us and took pictures.
I 've never been to Oregon, but I petted a shark in the New Orleans Aquarium in 2005, just before Katrina.
That 's fun.

David

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@farmerman,

farmerman wrote:

I agree with roger. Id rather a higher calibre than a bb gun. BB guns give a false sense of non-respect for guns because they arent (usually) lethal to anything but wildlife. Ive seen kids, given a bb gun and then starting to play military games where they actually start shooting at each other.
Also, shooting animals like sparrows is another teaching opportunity lost.
I ws taught, and I taught my own that we never shoot at life unless we are going to eat it. My son once, as a small kid, shot a robin with a .22 and I made him dress it and prepare it for cooking. It was a lesson that he learned about the value of life.

(Mrs F cooked a piece of chicken thigh and the kid still gagged as he was made to eat "his robin"). He cried and learned a lesson. After that, I caught him adsmonishing his friends not to shoot at anything unless they want to eat it.

U have my admiration!

I agree with u.

farmerman wrote:

Also, joining the NRA as a condition to learning to shoot, is often a PITA that many gun clubs require.
I personally have no use for this outfit as they are merely a gun manufacturers lobby parading as a "safe hunting" club

If that were true, about supporting the interests of gun manufacturers in representing them to government,
there 'd be nothing rong with that; perfectly wholesome,
but this is not the case. I 've been an NRA member for 50 years
and never saw that come up (about the manufacturers).

NRA helps us co-ordinate to use democracy to fight against gun control, defending our Constitutional rights.
It helps us know who to vote for and against in November.

The NRA does not represent itself to be a "safe hunting" organization,
tho it may offer some classes in safer ways to hunt.

David

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

I'm sorry about your nephews, edgar.

Guns can ruin lives in so many ways.

I don 't know what Ed said, because we have one another reciprocally on Ignore, but as a matter of general principle:
if his nephews had gotten into trouble counterfeiting money,
who among us woud say:
"printing presses can ruin lives in so many ways" ?

Like hammers, guns are inanimate objects -- tools.

If I am overweight, I shoud not blame my cutlery for it.

Let us recognize the need to take personal responsibility for the effects of our decisions.

David

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@farmerman,

Farmerman, one year Dys was staying with his grandparents. At dinner he asked grandma what they were eating, she replied "duck." Dys then asked if it was his duck and grandma said no, that his duck had flown away. Dys replied, "Then why did it leave its feet behind.!?"

His grampa was responsible for teaching Dys to be an ace shot and to shoot only what they would eat.

Education, imo, is always the way to go.

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Gun safety training for kids

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