Watched the show last night on kids and guns.

[gittyup]

I was watching that show last night on kids and guns. If you didn't catch it, they basically setup a room at a ymca, I think, and placed 1 or 2 diabled guns in the room slightly hidden. The teens, 2 at a time, were then asked to load paint cans on a pallet. The guns were stashed in with the paint cans. It was interesting to see how fascinated kids are in guns. Not only that, but how savvy they were, making sure to not get their prints on them when handling. They also did the same kind of setup for pre-school aged children. I think these kids were from 3 - 8 years old. They hid guns in toy bins and those kids were just as fascinated to find them. Playing cops and robbers pointing the guns at each other.

None of this is totally new to me, but it was kind of a wakeup call. We have 2 hand guns in the house. Ofcourse, they are not loaded and the guns and ammo are in different places. My daughter is only 2 but it just made me nervous. The thought of my child or my child's friend finding my gun and something happening is an wawful thought. I am seriously considering of removing all guns from the house....

 

[SmiZ]

gittyup:

I also watched that show and found it very interesting. Did you see the part about the 10 year old girl who's father was sure she didn't know where his gun was, then the camera crew asked her to go find it and within five minutes she located it? The scary part was not only that she knew where it was, but that the father kept it loaded. There was another part dealing with a mother who was a gun control advocate and had been teaching her young son the dangers of guns for years. She was sure that he would not touch a gun given the opportunity, but just like all the other young kids, he found it in the toy chest and pointed it at his friend.

I'm not for the banning of guns, but maybe we should regulate how they are stored. If you have a gun for protection then I see the logic in keeping it in your house, but lock the damn thing up and keep the key on you at all times.

 

[Double Trouble]

<< I am seriously considering of removing all guns from the house.... >>

And what do you suppose the whole aim of the show was??

There was nothing new in that show, just another scare'um show designed to futher the anti-gun cause. Of course kids are going to be fascinated with guns, just like they are with toy guns. That's why it's up to a parent to keep the guns out of young kid's hands, and educate the kids in proper gun usage as they get older.

SmiZ, if you lock the thing up such that you can't get to it quickly, how exactly is it going to help you in case of an emergency? Is the bad guy gonna say &quot;ok, I'll wait, go unlock your vault to get the gun&quot;.

We've had guns around for decades and decades and haven't had that much trouble with kids and guns. How come now we are having trouble? Did the guns change? Hmmm... no. What's different?

 

[gittyup]

I am definately not for banning guns. Parents who don't think the kids know where they are hiding the guns are really naive. Definately, lock them up if you have kids in your house....

 

[cxim]

You will note that there were no kids from homes where guns were used on a regular basis.

say 'bad gun' to kids &amp; then the kids see movies where guns are used by the Hero &amp; star .... kids remember the movies...

kids need negative reinforcement to not do things....

The show was propaganda in the guise of a 'News Report'

 

[thraashman]

Easiest way to keep a kid from liking guns. Give them a puppy. 2 months later have them watch you shoot it. They'll hate you and guns for a long time.

 

[Double Trouble]

<<Parents who don't think the kids know where they are hiding the guns are really naive.>>

Any parent should know that the kids know every inch of their house better than they do -- you can't simply hide something and think that they won't find it. How many of you 'found' your dad's magazines? Remember the thread a few days ago from someone who's daughter found some 'marital aids'? Of course they'll find'em.

The key is to have parental supervision and educating the kids on gun usage. Educating the kids that &quot;guns are bad&quot; like that one mother on the show who was for more gun control is completely stupid. Don't treat them like some fascinating mystery taboo thing, that just makes the kids want to touch them and play with them more. Teach the kids to treat guns for what they are -- a very dangerous tool that should be respected and handled carefully, not toyed with.

 

[StageLeft]

Just lock them in a safe gittyup.

tagej is also right - when I was a kid I knew my house by every square inch. You couldn't hide jack Sh*t

 

[TheBrit]

Just asking, why would you want the gun for?

And if you are concern for your Daughter then it might be worth taking out the gun out of the house?

TheBrit

 

[poop]

Self defense.
Preservation of his family's life.
Recreation.

That is a stupid question.

 

[ratkil]

&quot;gittyup&quot;
I can understand your fear. I remember as a kid I always knew exactly where my dads guns were. The thought of something happending to my son, or one of his friends, playing with my rifle is a very sobering thought. However, common sense can greatly reduce any potential for problems. A trigger lock, pretty much reduces the odds of a kid having an accident with a gun to almost nil, of course that assumes the gun is not loaded. I remember a story where a friend of mine worked as a carpet cleaner. They were cleaning one day and a small pistol fell out from the couch, he jokingly pointed it at his friend playing a around. He did not pull the trigger, but it was a real gun and was loaded. People do silly stupid things, kids do things out of ignorance (not meant in a derogatory way) and most people have a fascination with firearms. I do not understand the need to keep a loaded gun around, though I have also always been blessed with living in relatively safe area's. However, if you live in an area that you feel you need a loaded gun, do you really think that is a good place to be raising a family? Once again, I am totally against gun control, but I also don't understand how rabidly people insist they would be immediately assaulted if they did not have that loaded gun. I think those kinds of arguments; &quot;I need to be able to kill any intruder coming into my house&quot; actually hurt the anti-control cause more then help.

 

[Tauren]

Try putting them in a locked drawer and keep the key with you. Like on your key chain. That way if the key is in the house so are you.

It should be up to every parent to take measures to protect their children. Don't take away my rights because other people don't have any common sense.

I was brought up around guns and doing so gave me GREAT respect for the awesome power they possess. I fired a .357 magnum revolver when I was 8.

Be responsible and be a parent.

 

[BigLance]

I watched the show too..

The thing is, I grew up around tons of guns, loaded and not. But my parents tought be from a very very young age what guns are about. I NEVER touched a gun without my parents giving me the ok. So that crap about kids will find the parents guns and shoot themselves is crap. Those parents need to learn how to teach there kids.. it pisses me off because taking guns away is not what needs to happen here- we need parents !

 

[palad]

<< Preservation of his family's life. >>



One of the points is that a lot of kids are finding these guns and killing themselves or their siblings. That's not exactly helping to 'preserve life'. The show last night even focused on a kid who was completely familiar with gun safety, and yet still did stupid things.

We had guns in the house growing up - rifles and shotguns, used for hunting (until they were stolen). When I was 5 I could barely pull the trigger on one when my dad took me target shooting. Are handguns easier to fire, or are small hands just able to grip them better?

 

[toph99]

this is why kids need to be educated about firearms at a young age. if you show them that they are to be treated with respect and that they are very dangerous, chances are it would reduce a lot of these accidental shootings. give the kid an unloaded gun, show him it isn't anything special, when the novelty wears off, hide it very well and out of reach(like at the back of the top shelf in a closet)

just my opinion

 

[Pocatello]

Teaching gun safety is difficult, it works on some kids while not on others. The parents who own guns are responsible for their firearms, and hiding it is not a good idea. This is one of the hardest problem to tackle.

 

[StageLeft]

I personally keep my AK-47 on the kitchen table at all times with a sticky on it saying &quot;Don't touch&quot;, and my kids never do even when I'm not home. It keeps moving around the house because the damn dog can't read...at least thats what the kids tell me

 

[Tauren]

Skoorb - Good one!!!

 

[ratkil]

&quot; It keeps moving around the house because the damn dog can't read.&quot;
You now owe me approximately 1/2 ounce of Mountain Dew and a monitor cleaning. =D

 

[Pocatello]

Kids are very smart about getting at stuffs they are not suppose to get. Unfortunately, they turn dumb when they handle a gun, they would start pointing it at their siblings or friends!

 

[Napalm381]

Remember when you were a kid? You automatically wanted to fool around with whatever your parents said you shouldn't, whether it be alcohol, sex, or in this case, guns. Teach kids to respect the weapons, not to fear them.

 

[Thorn]

<< Just asking, why would you want the gun for? >>


Self defense. I had an armed break in several years ago and I had to shoot the thief (shot him in the belly). He lived (which was good), but there's no telling what he might have done to me or my wife if I hadn't taken action.

 

[Bignate603]

i was taught to shoot rifle and shotgun when i was twelve. My dad was an infantry captain, and loved the army but refuses to have a gun in the house. He doesn't see a need for it but made sure all of us kids know how to handle and use guns. Even kids who don't have a gun in the house should be taught about them and how to use them, they'll more than likely run into them.

 

[poop]

Bignate makes an excellent point. I will probably not keep guns around my house. Especially when I have kids. I will still teach them proper usage, safety, and respect. It would be frightening if my kids went to someone else's house where they kept guns if my children were uninformed.