storage laws and children
- Thread starter chack
- Start date
- Status
motorhead0922
New member
What about the other kids? How old/responsible are they?
You also have to consider their friends that visit.
carguychris
New member
+1. I have kids around this age. I'm not tremendously worried about my own children; what worries me is their friends. Preteen boys are usually very interested in guns and weaponry in general- I was one once, I remember.
Despite my repeated warnings not to talk about Dad's guns, I'm confident they've told a few other kids, and it's pretty obvious from looking at my bookshelf and the handloading bench that I have more than a passing interest in firearms and probably own a few of them. I DON'T want another person's child to be able to find an unsecured firearm while nosing around my house!
Frank Ettin
Administrator
There are no pat answers.
[1] There have been incidents in which an adolescent has been able to access a gun and effectively protect other family members.
[2] But kids have friends visit and there may be other visitors in the house, perhaps with children, at other times and for other reasons. And it takes just an instant for something very bad to happen.
[3] And the law is what it is, so they can be potential criminal liability hanging over one's head.
People will have to weigh the issues and make a decision that they will be willing to live with.
[1] There have been incidents in which an adolescent has been able to access a gun and effectively protect other family members.
[2] But kids have friends visit and there may be other visitors in the house, perhaps with children, at other times and for other reasons. And it takes just an instant for something very bad to happen.
[3] And the law is what it is, so they can be potential criminal liability hanging over one's head.
People will have to weigh the issues and make a decision that they will be willing to live with.
I am not really sure how to answer this poll. Currently I lock up all of my guns unless the gun is in my possession. I have teenage relatives that visit often along with an elderly parent that stays with me some. They are occasionally home alone and may have a friend over, so I feel it is best to secure everything.
However, I grew up in a home where the guns were in an unlocked cabinet. My Father was very open about showing and teaching us about the guns, but very strict about us touching them unless he was present. With one notable exception neither of us ever accessed his guns without permission. Because they were accessible my brother did use one to stop a home invasion when we were home alone.
I guess you just have to think/pray about it and make the decision that is right for your family.
However, I grew up in a home where the guns were in an unlocked cabinet. My Father was very open about showing and teaching us about the guns, but very strict about us touching them unless he was present. With one notable exception neither of us ever accessed his guns without permission. Because they were accessible my brother did use one to stop a home invasion when we were home alone.
I guess you just have to think/pray about it and make the decision that is right for your family.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
My view is that people who intentionally violate laws are criminals. People who think laws do not apply to them are egotists.chack said:
If you don't think the law makes good sense, instead of seeking moral (?) support to break it, why don't you work to get it changed or repealed?
BTW, your poll left out one choice: "Illegal"
I had my own .22 rifle in my room when I was 12. It was my 12th birthday present. I had access to any gun my dad owned, but never touched them unless I was with him...in the 50's NO-ONE had gun safes, and NO_ONE worried about their children.
You had guns, you trained your kids on how to safely handle and care for your firearms, and what they were allowed to hanndle on their own, and what they were not...
Of course, Dr Spock...who never raised any children of his own, wasn't spouting his garbage back then either.
Your child, you do as you deem fit. I will make one statement, kids really like to be trusted...and if you are fair, they will Not violate that trust. Kid's are not dumb, and they are not crazy, unless you do not discipline them and let them do whatever they want.
We raised 5, and now have 14 grandchildren...I think I know a little bit about kids. A lot more than Dr. Spock and his ilk.
You had guns, you trained your kids on how to safely handle and care for your firearms, and what they were allowed to hanndle on their own, and what they were not...
Of course, Dr Spock...who never raised any children of his own, wasn't spouting his garbage back then either.
Your child, you do as you deem fit. I will make one statement, kids really like to be trusted...and if you are fair, they will Not violate that trust. Kid's are not dumb, and they are not crazy, unless you do not discipline them and let them do whatever they want.
We raised 5, and now have 14 grandchildren...I think I know a little bit about kids. A lot more than Dr. Spock and his ilk.
When I was a kid in the 1950s I knew where all my dad's guns were hidden, even though he didn't know that I knew. I sometimes snooped in my parent's bedroom when they were gone. I sometimes played with dad's guns when I was alone, although I was careful, so no harm came of that. I did all sorts of things that my parents never know about, and some of those things were dangerous. I am willing to bet that your son is not much different from what I was.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Of course he was. I was born in 1944 and grew up in the 50s. My mother read Dr. Spock and followed his advice almost religiously. My grandfather and both of my uncles who lived on the same street all had firearms in their houses, none of the firearms were locked up, we kids (my brother and I and all my cousins) all knew where the guns were ... and we never touched them without an invitation from one of the adults.hermannr said:
Don't blame it on Dr. Spock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Spock
Everybody does stupid and irresponsible things in their lives. Young people are even more prone to do so because they lack the experience of age. That is why we don't allow them to vote, drink, get married, or get tattoos. It is our hope that we have trained them enough to appreciate the dangers of firearms. But they are not robots to be programmed. They are people. Silly stupid people that we dearly love. I believe children should be educated about guns and learn to enjoy and respect them. But, as much as I might trust a "responsible" child, I know that they are not immune from "the follies of youth", and that I hope that of all the bad choices they make in their lives, they are limited in the abilities to include guns in them while they're still young.
I wish I knew how to get teh quotes to work here, so
Frank...you have to references your statement #2:
One of my granddaughters was visiting this summer...and she made a comment that directly addresses what you state in #2.
She said "Grandpa, how come some kids want you to violate a trust? some of my friends were over, they know we shoot, and they wanted to see mom's and dad's guns?"
I told her, some kids do not understand trust, then I asked her, well Katy, what did you do? and she said, "I sent them home..."
You see what I was stating about kids and "trust".
As for Chack in you second post..understand...I had my daughters milking, daily chores, at 9 years old.
Frank...you have to references your statement #2:
One of my granddaughters was visiting this summer...and she made a comment that directly addresses what you state in #2.
She said "Grandpa, how come some kids want you to violate a trust? some of my friends were over, they know we shoot, and they wanted to see mom's and dad's guns?"
I told her, some kids do not understand trust, then I asked her, well Katy, what did you do? and she said, "I sent them home..."
You see what I was stating about kids and "trust".
As for Chack in you second post..understand...I had my daughters milking, daily chores, at 9 years old.
When I was a kid I would occasionally would play with my dads 357 when he was away, I knew how to use guns because I was shown from a very young age how to shoot. I would unload the gun and then look at it, I was always very safe because I am writing this.
That being said, I lock all my guns at all times because I couldn't even think how I could live with myself if something happened to my kids and I could of prevented it by taking an extra step in securing it. I've seen experienced gun owners do stupid things without thinking, it just takes a split second. With the quick access lock boxes they sell today there's no reason not to. Just food for thought.
That being said, I lock all my guns at all times because I couldn't even think how I could live with myself if something happened to my kids and I could of prevented it by taking an extra step in securing it. I've seen experienced gun owners do stupid things without thinking, it just takes a split second. With the quick access lock boxes they sell today there's no reason not to. Just food for thought.
Frank Ettin
Administrator
hermannr said:
Just copy and paste what you want to quote into your reply window. Then put quote tags around what you want to quote.
Quote tags look like this {quote} ... what you want to quote...{/quote}, except with square brackets instead of the wavy brackets. Changing the wavy brackets to square brackets, you'd get this when it's posted:
If you want to identify who you're quoting, the tags would look like this {quote=whoever} ... what you want to quote...{/quote}. Changing the wavy brackets to square brackets, you'd get this when it's posted:
whoever said:
You can also highlight the copied quoted text in your reply window and click on the "quote" icon in the menu at the top. That would add the quote tags.
You can use the Preview Post function to make sure you've got it right.
Detour over. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread.
- Status