Firearms. Yea or Nay?

[Lady's Human]

MOFF, for starters, eliminating all guns is an impossible task. (Okay, not impossible, just extremely unrealistic.)

Second, neither of the situations you list should ever have happened. You don't "screw around" with firearms, obviously the teens weren't mature enough to handle them if that is what they were doing, and a firearm should NEVER be where a baby can get it.

Firearms are tools, nothing more. Hammers, knives, axes, all have killing in their roots. A tool cannot be good or evil. It's the user which makes that choice.

[RICHARD]

You don't "screw around" with firearms, obviously the teens weren't mature enough to handle them if that is what they were doing, and a firearm should NEVER be where a baby can get it.

At a local airshow I was standing at a table where there was a display of weapons that you could touch and get the feel of the them.

They had a few M16s and some other stuff on display.

I asked the soldier at the table for permission to pick up a M16/M203 combo-It's a rilfle w/a grenade launcher attached beneath the barrel. While I had it in my hands, a kid no more than 10-12 years old came up beside me on the left, picked up the other M16 from the table and looked over his right shoulder.

As he turned into the soldier and I, he shouldered the rifle, pointed it at his friend behind him and said something stupid like, POW! As I got over my initial shock I watched the stupid kid put the gun down and run off. I looked at the soldier as we both straightened up and went "WTF just happened?"


Both he and I both knew the guns were not loaded but it was just plain reflex that we both ducked/leaned out of the way. I asked him, 'that didn't just happen, did it?' And he nervously laughed and said somehthing like, "you would not believe some of the stuff that I have seen today!"

I thanked him and told him to 'be careful' and went on my way.

That was a prime example of kids not knowing the power of or messing around with guns. They have no respect for them and think that it's all fun and games.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

First, I'm sorry I snapped at all of you. Guns are just a sore subject with me.

The boy that was shot was 17. Around here that's plenty old enough to know about guns. Almost every kid was expected to know about them from a young age. Back then hunting was the "in" thing. Guess not every one attended the class.

The gun that the baby well, toddler I guess he was then, was in the top drawer of a desk. Should have been way out of his reach but somehow he managed. After the incident, the grandfater kept the clip to the gun in his car. Not a great help if someone is breaking down a door trying to get into your house. "wait a second, mr burgler, while I run out and load my gun". Anyway, it got it away from the little one.

Of course, having a gun pointed at my head and the trigger pulled by someone cleaning a "supposidly" unloaded gun myself when I was a youngester, may cloud my opinion on the gun issue.

[carole]

Hey i get where you are coming from on this issue, i agree with you, like i said before even our police are not armed ,and i would hate to see the day when everyone could own a gun for protection,i hope i never see it happen in NZ.

[sparks19]

Unfortunately too many parents try to just hide the guns from their kids rather than TEACH them about guns and gun safety and teach them respect for the weapons. Hannah will be taught gun safety and respect all her life on top of being kept out of her reach when not in use. Education is key. You NEVER point a gun at someone or something unless you intend to USE it ... whether you think the gun is loaded or not. That lesson will be drilled into her constantly.

[carole]

Great to see you going to teach Hannah about guns, but wouldn't it be better if you really never had to, it is something I have never had to teach my children, because you cannot own a gun for protection here, but of course you can still have one for hunting purposes,and shooting sports, but you have to be registered,it does not mean that guns are not used for crime here, because they are,but i have never needed to learn my kids about guns,as they just are not a part of our life in anyway.If only it were a perfect world eh?

[sparks19]

Great to see you going to teach Hannah about guns, but wouldn't it be better if you really never had to, it is something I have never had to teach my children, because you cannot own a gun for protection here, but of course you can still have one for hunting purposes,and shooting sports, but you have to be registered,it does not mean that guns are not used for crime here, because they are,but i have never needed to learn my kids about guns,as they just are not a part of our life in anyway.If only it were a perfect world eh?

Well my husband hunts so we have guns in our home.

[caseysmom]

On September 15 a local 17 year old boy took a gun to school and shot himself in the bathroom, I don't know where he got the gun but chances are it was in the home...you just hear of too many of those stories, its just harder to kill yourself by other means.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Unfortunately too many parents try to just hide the guns from their kids rather than TEACH them about guns and gun safety and teach them respect for the weapons. Hannah will be taught gun safety and respect all her life on top of being kept out of her reach when not in use. Education is key. You NEVER point a gun at someone or something unless you intend to USE it ... whether you think the gun is loaded or not. That lesson will be drilled into her constantly.

Just a few weeks ago you said that a parent is not responsible for the sexual conduct of their teenagers because teenagers are going to do what they want to regardless of the parents' teaching...or something to that effect. Regarding Ms. Palin's unwed pregnant teenage daughter.

Wouldn't that hold true about gun safety as well? So teaching gun safety would not any more prevent a gun accident than teaching abstinance prevent a pregnancy?

[sparks19]

Just a few weeks ago you said that a parent is not responsible for the sexual conduct of their teenagers because teenagers are going to do what they want to regardless of the parents' teaching...or something to that effect. Regarding Ms. Palin's unwed pregnant teenage daughter.

Wouldn't that hold true about gun safety as well? So teaching gun safety would not any more prevent a gun accident than teaching abstinance prevent a pregnancy?

Errrrr... yeah it's pretty much the same thing....

I'm not going to teach hannah abstinence only... I am going to teach her how to have SAFE sex. I can't expect her not to have sex so I am going to teach her how to do it in the safest way possible. teaching abstinence only is just as bad as keeping a gun locked up in a cabinet and not teaching them how to handle it SAFELY.

Ultimately when she is 16 I'm going to be the uncool mom with the rules and she is going to try to push the boundaries. I can't expect her to not have sex until she is married just because I said "NO" but I CAN teach her how to do it safely to help PREVENT an accident.

E-D-U-C-A-T-I-O-N !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So not really sure what your point was here and what I said was her daughter getting pregnant does not mean she is a bad parent as I am sure she wasn't standing over the bed encouraging it. But her daughter obviously missed the lesson on how to do so safely