Appropriate Age for a Gun?

[bigb]

I agree with all of these.

If you don't teach your kids about guns at an early age then, since we live in America, there is a decent chance your kid will be around a gun at some point and I would prefer my child have some knowledge and respect in regards to guns in that situation.

One of my earliest memories is being out hunting or just shooting with my dad. I couldn't have been older than 4 or 5. He took a shotgun and shoot a 2x4 at point blank range. He then illustrated how much damage it did to that solid object and asked how much more it would do to a soft human body. That point struck home.

 

[Deleted member 848]

America's only hope for gun-control is if Muslims & black Americans start toting guns en-masse.

One of my earliest memories is being out hunting or just shooting with my dad. I couldn't have been older than 4 or 5. He took a shotgun and shoot a 2x4 at point blank range. He then illustrated how much damage it did to that solid object and asked how much more it would do to a soft human body. That point struck home.

You're being very fair and honest, and I appreciate it. My only question is what is this "point" that struck home with you-- that guns are in fact dangerous? I'm not sure how learning that point would alter the trajectory of any child.

 

[bigb]

Only American would think that buying a gun as birthday gift for 5 year old is not insane. Sorry would never ever agree with that.

Only someone uneducated would fail to see the difference in buying a BB gun and another type of gun for a 5 year old. Besides, no one here is advocating buying the kid a high powered rifle and letting roam the neighborhood with it. Context, dude.

 

[MVP]

Only someone uneducated would fail to see the difference in buying a BB gun and another type of gun for a 5 year old. Besides, no one here is advocating buying the kid a high powered rifle and letting roam the neighborhood with it. Context, dude.

Any gun is a gun. What kind of message it is sending to the kid? What if he shots other kid in the eye and blinds him for life. Stupid, irresponsible, dangerous and should be outlawed. You need to be 18 to smoke, 21 to drink and yet no age limits to have a gun? Most idiotic country when it comes to guns in the world.

 

[bigb]

America's only hope for gun-control is if Muslims & black Americans start toting guns en-masse.

I'm not surprised you would mention that. I disagree, though, unless by "gun control" you mean "everyone carries"; because I think that would be the case.

You're being very fair and honest, and I appreciate it. My only question is what is this "point" that struck home with you-- that guns are in fact dangerous? I'm not sure how learning that point would alter the trajectory of any child.

You don't think seeing the damage a real gun will do first hand would alter the gun related trajectory of a child? You're smarter than that dude.

 

[fishonjazz]

America's only hope for gun-control is if Muslims & black Americans start toting guns en-masse.



You're being very fair and honest, and I appreciate it. My only question is what is this "point" that struck home with you-- that guns are in fact dangerous? I'm not sure how learning that point would alter the trajectory of any child.

Due to movies, video games, toy guns etc, some kids see guns as a toy or just a common element in culture/life.
Maybe an up close and personal demonstration from a trusted and loved parent could provide some gravity and seriousness about what a gun is really capable of.
Instill some fear, respect, and knowledge about guns rather than just learning about them through entertainment where they may be taught that guns are simply fun and cool.

 

[Boris]

Due to movies, video games, toy guns etc, some kids see guns as a toy or just a common element in culture/life.
Maybe an up close and personal demonstration from a trusted and loved parent could provide some gravity and seriousness about what a gun is really capable of.
Instill some fear, respect, and knowledge about guns rather than just learning about them through entertainment where they may be taught that guns are simply fun and cool.

Boris can not agree with this. I see opposite. When do movies use guns as toys of joyful laughter an playtime? Movies use guns as a force for violence. If anything this is what scares the crap out of people like [MENTION=1878]MVP[/MENTION]. He probably watched too many war movies an gangster movies an now has a life long condition called a phobia.

This is similar to people who will not fly on planes like John Madden cause they perceive danger that is not real.

 

[Game6Conley]

I'm in my late 20's and still can't foresee a plausible scenario where I'd need a gun. If I have kids I'll teach them how to box, not shoot.

The extent of my gun use/shooting was getting my rifle merit badge in boyscouts.

 

[bigb]

Any gun is a gun. What kind of message it is sending to the kid? What if he shots other kid in the eye and blinds him for life. Stupid, irresponsible, dangerous and should be outlawed. You need to be 18 to smoke, 21 to drink and yet no age limits to have a gun? Most idiotic country when it comes to guns in the world.

Again, it goes back to responsibility of the parent. If you can't see that, I'm not going to continue this conversation with you.

 

[bigb]

I'm in my late 20's and still can't foresee a plausible scenario where I'd need a gun. If I have kids I'll teach them how to box, not shoot.

The extent of my gun use/shooting was getting my rifle merit badge in boyscouts.

I sincerely hope you're right. But the phrase "bringing a knife to a gun fight" exists for a reason.
My 9 year old earned his junior black belt in karate. I teach him to use a gun, too. Will he ever need the expertise in either? Both? My guess is that, yes, at some point in time in his life, he'll use the skills of either or both of those. If nothing else, he could provide meat for his family in time of great need.

 

[Game6Conley]

I sincerely hope you're right. But the phrase "bringing a knife to a gun fight" exists for a reason.
My 9 year old earned his junior black belt in karate. I teach him to use a gun, too. Will he ever need the expertise in either? Both? My guess is that, yes, at some point in time in his life, he'll use the skills of either or both of those. If nothing else, he could provide meat for his family in time of great need.

I used to take the subway around brooklyn/queens/manhattan as a teenager and the long island railroad into flatbush avenue, before the Nets moved into that area it was a bit shadier...

I'd wear expensive Jordans and fresh clothing, usually with headphones plugged in and I'm a tall handsome ********* so I always figured I'd be a target. always had all sorts of expensive **** in a backpack too. Never had any problems.

Always figured If I was going to ever need a gun it'd be in some scenario like that, with someone trying to rob me in a dark tunnel.. where I wouldn't have the gun on me anyways...

So I used to carry a knife.. then I used to think what am I going to do withit? someones going to rob me and when they turn their back I'm going to slit their throat??? So I settled on no weapons quickly. I don't really care to be a part of any shootouts..

As far as i'm concerned if you can get my wallet you've earned it.. it's not an easy task, no ones done it yet.

My pops used to tell me that if someone sticks ya up give them your **** immediately. if it's some teenage kid they're more likely to shoot you, so be calm and don't be a hero.

I know there was this dude caught recently who did something like 50 stick up robberies in Nassau county like that near public transit spots, he didn't shoot anyone though.

 

[bigb]

I used to take the subway around brooklyn/queens/manhattan as a teenager and the long island railroad into flatbush avenue, before the Nets moved into that area it was a bit shadier...

I'd wear expensive Jordans and fresh clothing, usually with headphones plugged in and I'm a tall handsome ********* so I always figured I'd be a target. always had all sorts of expensive **** in a backpack too. Never had any problems.

Always figured If I was going to ever need a gun it'd be in some scenario like that, with someone trying to rob me in a dark tunnel.. where I wouldn't have the gun on me anyways...

So I used to carry a knife.. then I used to think what am I going to do withit? someones going to rob me and when they turn their back I'm going to slit their throat??? So I settled on no weapons quickly. I don't really care to be a part of any shootouts..

As far as i'm concerned if you can get my wallet you've earned it.. it's not an easy task, no ones done it yet.

My pops used to tell me that if someone sticks ya up give them your **** immediately. if it's some teenage kid they're more likely to shoot you, so be calm and don't be a hero.

I know there was this dude caught recently who did something like 50 stick up robberies in Nassau county like that near public transit spots, he didn't shoot anyone though.

Don't get me wrong, I have no dreams, hopes, or aspirations of ever pulling a gun on anyone. Truth be told, I don't carry all that often right now. But I'd rather have the knowledge and trust in myself to handle a gun in the right scenario than not. And I teach that to my kids.

 

[Game6Conley]

Don't get me wrong, I have no dreams, hopes, or aspirations of ever pulling a gun on anyone. Truth be told, I don't carry all that often right now. But I'd rather have the knowledge and trust in myself to handle a gun in the right scenario than not. And I teach that to my kids.

If I lived in Somalia i'd probably feel the same way.

19.6% of firearm injuries in 2011 were self-inflicted though according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,... So it's hard for me to take that whole safely practicing firearms spiel seriously when there's such conclusive evidence that there's wide-spread mishandling of firearms by the public.

Knowing that, how could you give a gun a kid? Are these adults not all shooting themselves???'Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.'

Here in the US, I think it's fair to say that there's a degree of paranoia thats pervaded the minds of many gun buyers - just when you look at the scale that it's happening. Does everyone really need to be up in arms? 5 guns per household??

To me it certainly qualifies as a phenomenon. I'm awestruck by it. What a successful marketing campaign.

I don't trust the fact that fear correlates with gun sales.. To me the whole phenomena just wreaks of excess and wastefulness.

 

[bigb]

If I lived in Somalia i'd probably feel the same way.

19.6% of firearm injuries in 2011 were self-inflicted though according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,... So it's hard for me to take that whole safely practicing firearms spiel seriously when there's such conclusive evidence that there's wide-spread mishandling of firearms by the public.

Knowing that, how could you give a gun a kid? Are these adults not all shooting themselves???'Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.'

Here in the US, I think it's fair to say that there's a degree of paranoia thats pervaded the minds of many gun buyers - just when you look at the scale that it's happening. Does everyone really need to be up in arms? 5 guns per household??

To me it certainly qualifies as a phenomenon. I'm awestruck by it. What a successful marketing campaign.

I don't trust the fact that fear correlates with gun sales.. To me the whole phenomena just wreaks of excess and wastefulness.

I get what you're saying, and agree with some of it. I can go back to that same statistic and say that if 20% of all forearm injuries are self inflicted and I can teach my kid the proper way to handle them to prevent that, why wouldn't I? That way, my kids won't be part of that statistic, regardless of the situation in which they find the gun.

 

[♪alt13]

Any way to quantify or prove this statement?? There's tons of countries out there with kids who never have access to guns-- so you can start with a comparison there

No I don't have a way to quantify. It is simply my experience. You can disregard it if you want to or you could consider that maybe there is value there.

As far as starting with other countries and comparing, most American have never had that experience. Unfortunately even many of those that own firearms.

 

[Game6Conley]

I get what you're saying, and agree with some of it. I can go back to that same statistic and say that if 20% of all forearm injuries are self inflicted and I can teach my kid the proper way to handle them to prevent that, why wouldn't I? That way, my kids won't be part of that statistic, regardless of the situation in which they find the gun.

Everybody can agree that % is way, way out of control.

Why are you so certain your teachings will absorb 100% though? This is where I get lost. I've got self-confidence but not that kind of confidence in others.

I'll always remember in boy scouts when I first got CPR certified and had to watch these awful videos from the 80's on it for hours and then finally credits rolled and the scoutmaster turned off the TV and said 'the average person forgets most of the details in under a week and is panicked screaming for help like everyone else' I always thought there was some truth to that..

For me personally I know a dude I grew up with who's a cop and he's shot himself more than he's shot the badguys, he certainly had all the training and such..

 

[JazzGal]

Everybody can agree that % is way, way out of control.

Why are you so certain your teachings will absorb 100% though? This is where I get lost. I've got self-confidence but not that kind of confidence in others.

I'll always remember in boy scouts when I first got CPR certified and had to watch these awful videos from the 80's on it for hours and then finally credits rolled and the scoutmaster turned off the TV and said 'the average person forgets most of the details in under a week and is panicked screaming for help like everyone else' I always thought there was some truth to that..

For me personally I know a dude I grew up with who's a cop and he's shot himself more than he's shot the badguys, he certainly had all the training and such..

Just like any other danger your child might encounter, more information seems to be better than less. Society provides plenty of evidence that people will be idiots no matter how much they are warned, but that isn't a good enough reason to stop encouraging good choices.

 

[Gameface]

If be willing to assume that most of the self inflicted gunshot wound were not accidental. They were suicides or suicide attempts.

 

[bigb]

Everybody can agree that % is way, way out of control.

Why are you so certain your teachings will absorb 100% though? This is where I get lost. I've got self-confidence but not that kind of confidence in others.

I'll always remember in boy scouts when I first got CPR certified and had to watch these awful videos from the 80's on it for hours and then finally credits rolled and the scoutmaster turned off the TV and said 'the average person forgets most of the details in under a week and is panicked screaming for help like everyone else' I always thought there was some truth to that..

For me personally I know a dude I grew up with who's a cop and he's shot himself more than he's shot the badguys, he certainly had all the training and such..

I'm certain they won't absorb 100% of what I teach them. They don't absorb or learn 100% of what they teach at school. Should I stop sending them? Will your kids learn and remember their boxing? Why teach them? I firmly believe through my personal experiences (in all aspects of my life) that even if I don't remember 100% (or even 75%) of what I've been taught, that when the need arises, the foundation of what I've been taught, practiced, or studied rises to the top and is there to be used.

 

[fishonjazz]

I was raised around guns from birth. Had two older brothers and my dad and many cousins and uncles etc who were big time into hunting.
Growing up (before being big enough to handle a shotgun or deer rifle) I went on hunting trips for pheasant (my favorite), chuckars, grouse, ducks and geese, doves, rabbits, and deer.
I got a bb gun when I was really young and I would sit under our cherry tree and shoot sparrows, robins, starlings, and the occasional magpie.

I had a lot of knowledge and training (hunter safety, and lots safety training from my family who are all very safe with guns) and yet one day when I was about 13 a neighbor kid took my bike and I went and got my bb gun and pumped it a bunch of times and loaded a spit wad into the barrel and shot it at him.... not knowing there was a bb in there too. Luckily it just hit him in the rib rather than an eye or something and he went to the hospital and got it removed. (I had to go work for a neighbor to earn money to pay the hospital bill)

Another time as a teenager, I had friends over and I got the key and opened the gun cabinet to show my friends our gun collection. They were handling the guns dry firing them and whatnot and a 22 went off in the house and went through a downstairs window. Luckily no one was hurt.

Point of the story is that you can train and teach your kids as much as possible and yet the kid can be a little **** anyways and handle a gun incorrectly, whether on accident or on purpose. And with guns a minor error can have huge consequences.

Just wanted to tell my experiences for other jazzfanz parents who think that they are training and teaching their kids about gun safety..... sometimes it doesn't matter how good you teach them. Mistakes/accidents can still happen. Even to your well trained kids.