However, this society is not sane. I was eleven when my step-father handed me a shotgun and said, “here, shoot” and walked away (I didn’t even know how to tell if it was loaded or not). I don’t think even the semi-mandatory hunters’ safety classes really covered enough - most of our time was spent on navigating the woods, not gun safety.
And at least two of the kids in the same class as me later proved that they hadn’t been paying attention.
As far as alcohol, I knew by the age of eight that alcohol was for getting falling-down-drunk until you passed out or blacked out, and your eldest child (me) would have to get the other children ready for school the next morning. I also knew that beer tasted absolutely awful.
My parents used the exposure approach with everything. A sip of beer as a child, as well as watching my parents use it occasionally with their buddies playing cards or having a cookout, and never did it become something I felt compelled to abuse. One drag off a cigarette at around age five and I still can’t even think about smoking or I will puke again. And while my dad didn’t hunt (we were avid fishers instead) many of his friend did, so we learned at an early age what guns could do and the proper handling of them. I try to use the same approach with my kids. However, while we have had the alcohol and cigarette discussion (though without the actual imbibing or inhaling, as we just don’t have either around) we have had to improvise the gun discussion. I make sure my children sat down with their nerf guns, learned all the parts, and learned the rules about assuming they are loaded, never pointing them at someone or something they don’t intend to shoot, etc. And if they break the rules they lose their gun license for a week. And for 8yr old boys, a nerf gun licence is a BIG deal.
Both of my kids have handled my pistols and know what to do if they ever come across one. They know they can touch firearms any time they want to if I’m present and hand it to them, and not at all any other time.
It seems like there is more gun violence every day. Maybe the media is hyping it more, so we hear about situations that would not have been on our radar otherwise, but that doesn’t mean these situations aren’t happening.
And no, I don’t think bans would work. And yes, most of these shootings would have happened even if we had more stringent background checks.
I do believe people need to be more careful with the guns they have. I do believe that a better mental health system would prevent some of these shootings. And I do believe that better education and opportunities for young people would reduce the number of kids running around shooting at each other over drugs and petty crime.
I said something like this a while ago and it’s worth repeating.
The gun is always loaded.
Even if you’ve removed all of the bullets from the magazine and the chamber, and the safety is on, the gun is always loaded.
Even if you’ve bent the barrel, poured concrete down it, and removed the trigger and firing pin so there is no possible way it could operate, the gun is always loaded.
Always remember those three points and you’re on your way to being a responsible gun owner.
