Quote:
Originally posted by gigi@Dec 11 2002, 05:13 PM
What do you guys think? Better to get rid of all guns in a house with kids? Or when they 'come of age', teach them how they work, safety concerns and help them develop a healthy respect for guns??
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My brother and I grew up with guns - my Dad had a rifle and my Grandfather had a handgun on him ALWAYS - next to the bed, in the car, on him physically, etc. We were always taught the dangers of guns as well as how to shoot them.
That said, I did NOT have loaded guns in my home when mine was young. He thrived on disobeying me and I didn't want his "punishment" to be an accidental death. I had a boyfriend that lived with us for several years that had hunting guns that he kept in the house, but they weren't loaded - and the ammo wasn't in the house. Since these guns weren't used for protection, this was fine.
I have a young niece that will spending time at my house when she's older. I know my brother will teach her respect for guns, but I will still unload the guns while she's here. That's just my personal stance on the matter.
Something else to think about - even though we had been raised with guns, and knew the dangers, my brother admitted recently that when he was younger, he and a friend played with the friend's father's gun - not knowing if it was loaded or not. And my brother was the GOOD kid!
