Giving rifles to children a bad idea?

[Luddly Neddite]

Can We At Least Agree That Giving .22 Caliber Rifles To Small Children Might Be A Really Bad Idea? - Forbes

n early May of this year, a 2-year-old Cumberland County, Kentucky girl was killed by her 5-year-old brother when a .22 caliber rifle the boy had been playing with—a gift to the child from his parents—discharged. According to the local coroner, the parents believed that the gun, which was kept in a corner of the house where the kids had ready access to the weapon, was not loaded.

....The grieving parents who are suffering the worse loss one can imagine are, no doubt, people who care deeply for their kids and would certainly have never knowingly left a loaded weapon readily available to their kids any more than they would have knowingly invited their little children to take the wheel of the family car. To do so would simply be foolishly dangerous.

... I do not believe that choosing to own a gun makes you, in any way, a bad person unless you use that weapon for evil purposes. For that reason, I respect that those who believe deeply in their 2nd Amendment rights would want to stand up in defense of those rights.

But, seriously, would anyone’s 2nd Amendment rights be infringed upon if we were to ask them Americans to simply acknowledge that there are many things in life that are just not appropriate for use by young children and that a working weapon might well be one such thing?

This is also why carrying guns around is a bad idea.

People make mistakes. Children get killed.

To those who say, ' ... yabut, not very many children ...'

One is way too many.

 

[bodecea]

Rifles for everyone!

 

[Moonglow]

I started my kids on BB guns before a rifle with live ammunition was allowed.

 

[Pennywise]

I got my first BB gun at 7, my first real rifle at 12. The BB guns we were left alone with to do as boys do (shoot cans and bottles), the rifle I only had access to when my dad was with me.

Nothing wrong with giving guns to kids, they need to learn proper shooting techniques and safety. These grieving parents will never forgive themselves, but you can say the same for parent's who accidently leave the pool gate open or leave an open bottle of rat poison in the garage. Shit happens.

 

[PredFan]

Nope, it's an excellent idea. Of course the pinhead reactionary a like Luddly here will act as if I am demanding that all kids be given rifles.

I started with a bolt action 22 caliber rifle, when I was 8 years old. I had gun safety drilled into my willing brain. Any young child who wants one should be given one.

 

[hjmick]

Sounds like poor parenting to me...

 

[martybegan]

I got my first BB gun at 7, my first real rifle at 12. The BB guns we were left alone with to do as boys do (shoot cans and bottles), the rifle I only had access to when my dad was with me.

Nothing wrong with giving guns to kids, they need to learn proper shooting techniques and safety. These grieving parents will never forgive themselves, but you can say the same for parent's who accidently leave the pool gate open or leave an open bottle of rat poison in the garage. Shit happens.

You will be branded as callous by luddy doche-ite, but you are correct.

And still this in no way means I should lose my right to own a firearm, and more importantly to possess it in such a way as I can use it when I need it.

 

[Moonglow]

When I was a kid all hand guns had trigger locks. All rifles were locked in a gun cabinet or gun rack. The rules were very strict about using weapons and training was intense, by the time I was in the Army I had a perfect aim and was very proficient in cleaning and care of the M-16 I married.

 

[martybegan]

When I was a kid all hand guns had trigger locks. All rifles were locked in a gun cabinet or gun rack. The rules were very strict about using weapons and training was intense, by the time I was in the Army I had a perfect aim and was very proficient in cleaning and care of the M-16 I married.

More of a question than a critique, if needed for self defense how long did it take to remove the trigger lock, or did your parents remove them when they were in possession of the hand gun/asleep with it next to them?

 

[koshergrl]

Kids get killed in bathtubs, at lakes, on streets, on swing sets, and in cars with a lot more regularity than they are killed by accidental discharges.

Face it, Luddly. When our society collapses, as it will, thanks to idiots like luddly and hjmick, these kids will be a lot better equipped than they will be to survive.

And that's a good thing.

 

[hjmick]

Hey, Kosherfuck, if you're going to neg rep someone, at least have the balls to except a PM or a visitor message you cowardly twit.

I think you misunderstood what I meant by "bad parenting."

I didn't mean it was bad parenting to give a kid a gun, I meant it was bad parenting to give a kid a gun and not cover the basics... You know like gun safety... Always assume the gun is loaded... A gun is not a toy... Never point a gun at someone unless you intend to kill them... You know, the sensible, responsible stuff.

 

[koshergrl]

Perhaps you should have expounded a bit, twit.

 

[koshergrl]

I don't accept pms from the public at large. That way any abuse that is thrown at me has to be on the open board...or not at all.

 

[hjmick]

Perhaps you should have expounded a bit, twit.

Yeah, whatever. Because I'm a liberal gun grabber with a history of posts to back that up.

Fuck you.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

I got my first BB gun at 7, my first real rifle at 12. The BB guns we were left alone with to do as boys do (shoot cans and bottles), the rifle I only had access to when my dad was with me.

Nothing wrong with giving guns to kids, they need to learn proper shooting techniques and safety. These grieving parents will never forgive themselves, but you can say the same for parent's who accidently leave the pool gate open or leave an open bottle of rat poison in the garage. Shit happens.

Same here. Not only that, I was a boy scout. We learned/earned merit badges consistent with rifle use/safety/technique adn accuracy. I'm an eagle scout from many moons ago who owns rifles. Teaching kids proper safety, handling etc is an absolutely great idea.

 

[koshergrl]

Perhaps you should have expounded a bit, twit.

Yeah, whatever. Because I'm a liberal gun grabber with a history of posts to back that up.

Fuck you.

 

[Uncensored2008]

I started my kids on BB guns before a rifle with live ammunition was allowed.

Yep. The BB gun was locked up when not being used, under supervision. I also kept my chef's knife away from the kids. I never let them play with the chainsaw either.

My son got his first .22 when he was 12. He is 23 now and I still keep it in my safe for storage.

Sometimes I think leftists are stupid as fucking fence posts...

 

[koshergrl]

I have pics of my kids shooting a 22, taken last Christmas, floating around somewhere.

I can't access photofucket from this computer, sadly, or I'd change my avatar right now.

 

[Stephanie]

well we need you people worrying over giving them baseball bats, pointy sticks, etc

I mean where would our lives be without you poking your noses in them..

Isn't worrying about fur and people wearing that enough for you control freaks?

 

[Ernie S.]

Nope, it's an excellent idea. Of course the pinhead reactionary a like Luddly here will act as if I am demanding that all kids be given rifles.

I started with a bolt action 22 caliber rifle, when I was 8 years old. I had gun safety drilled into my willing brain. Any young child who wants one should be given one.

I was shooting at 8 and bought my own rifle at 12. I had the safety aspect drilled into my head as well, punctuated by often seeing the results of head shots to deer and bear. Guns were never treated as toys around my house. My kids were raised the same way.
All 3 of my children own multiple weapons and have concealed carry permits. None has "accidentally" or intentionally shot anyone.

A 5 year old? Nope. no way would he have access to a loaded weapon