astrid Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Why people take these sorts of chances. HOW could you leave a loaded gun within easy reach of a three year old? http://news.yahoo.com/police-boy-3-accidentally-shoots-kills-father-indiana-194550171.html So tragic. astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Oh man this is going to be heated debate...I can just feel it. We DO NOT have any guns in our house only because we do not know how to properly use one.I am talking about gun saftey/use training. We do believe in the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms). But also believe that it is the responsability of the citizen to be able to use it properly, without (unintentional) harm to others. And I as a (very overly protective) mother, believe that they should never be kept loaded, or in reach of children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I'm with you, I don't understand. If you own a gun, it seems there should be a level of responsibility that include children not having access to them. I imagine that is the case with the majority of gun owners though. What a horrible story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Gun debate or not, leaving a LOADED gun within reach of children is beyond reckless. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I believe that if you do not know how to safely handle guns, safely store guns, and how to safely teach your children (as they grow) to do the same, you shouldn't have guns in your house. They aren't a toy, they aren't to be used as decoration. They are a tool. Just as I wouldn't allow a small child to play with a nail gun or a jig saw, so I would make sure a small child couldn't be playing with a gun. I am a firm supporter of firearms, in the right household. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I'm with you, I don't understand. If you own a gun, it seems there should be a level of responsibility that included children not having access to them. I imagine that is the case with the majority of gun owners though. What a horrible story. A man in NH was recently charged with something (I forget what) because he left his loaded gun out and his NINE year old son shot and killed himself. I don't know if it was accidental or not. I think with guns one needs to be exceptionally careful. Some of the bb guns look real. A kid could pick one up not realizing it is loaded OR real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 (moved it to reply to the correct poster so as not to appear to be talking to myself! LOL!) astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 No debate. I'm not saying this guy shouldn't have the right to have a gun. Or the right to be stupid. Unless someone wants to debate that this was not a sad event, or whether loaded guns should be kept available to preschoolers, I'm not debating anything. I'm just saying I don't understand how people who have guns and children can be so careless as to leave them loaded and within reach of their babies. But I don't have guns, so maybe I"m missing something. astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateReignRemix Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Why people take these sorts of chances. HOW could you leave a loaded gun within easy reach of a three year old? http://news.yahoo.com/police-boy-3-accidentally-shoots-kills-father-indiana-194550171.html So tragic. astrid I say as a gun owner the only way to do that is if you are an imbecile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have no idea how people do that kind of thing. Our guns are in locked safes...we have 3 guns, all are locked up (except if DH is carrying one on his person, in which case it is ON his person). Also, my personal rule, which my DH doesn't love, but that I insist on, is that although the locked guns are loaded they are NOT chambered. You have to rack the slide to load a bullet into the chamber to fire. That takes a level of strength that a young child just doesn't have. I can barely rack the slide, let alone a small child. (many women say they can't at all, and there are some guns I struggle with, but proper technique allows me to be able to on most automatics). I figure that is our final line of defense. I do know that DH once left a gun out while he was cleaning it, for a few minutes, to walk to the other room, and then got a phone call and forgot it on the table. Now, he was cleaning it, so it wasn't loaded, and there wasn't even ammunition in the same room (ammo was locked up in a safe in another room), but still, I read him the riot act about it anyway. It never happened again. (and in DH's credit, he always makes sure the ammo is locked up before starting to clean the gun). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Inurement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I am not comfortable with guns exactly because of things like this. My dh is VERY comfortable with guns. They always say only the stupid people do stuff like this, but even having it happen once is too much, IMO. Accidents happen, and it's just too risky. :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeciecup Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 When my dh was about 6 or 7 years old, he and his younger sister, woke early while their mother was still sleeping. My dh went into a locked room (he picked the lock) and took all the firearms out of a locked cabinet, he picked that lock too. Then he picked the lock on another locked box and removed all the ammunition. Then he loaded every gun with the proper ammunition, even though he had never been taught how or allowed to touch any of these things. He gave a gun to his sister and took a rifle, and walked through the house with them, and ended up shooting through the bed where his mom was sleeping. Sometimes a child's fascination with guns is too great to keep them safe from them. My dh was always fascinated with them and used an opportunity alone to play with them. He's still really good at locks, haha. We've never had to call a locksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 When my dh was about 6 or 7 years old, he and his younger sister, woke early while their mother was still sleeping. My dh went into a locked room (he picked the lock) and took all the firearms out of a locked cabinet, he picked that lock too. Then he picked the lock on another locked box and removed all the ammunition. Then he loaded every gun with the proper ammunition, even though he had never been taught how or allowed to touch any of these things. He gave a gun to his sister and took a rifle, and walked through the house with them, and ended up shooting through the bed where his mom was sleeping. Sometimes a child's fascination with guns is too great to keep them safe from them. My dh was always fascinated with them and used an opportunity alone to play with them. He's still really good at locks, haha. We've never had to call a locksmith. :blink: How does your dh feel about guns now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I saw that one. I cannot comprehend, and I'm a gun person. But this is exactly why I won't have one in the house till the kids are MUCH older. Poor, poor family. Can you imagine what this kid is going to feel like when he can comprehend how he was a part of this accident? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 In this house the kids are taught about gun safety from the moment they are old enough to pretend their bananas are guns. Right from "you always point guns down unless you are aiming at something", to " Put your guns away, it's not safe to leave a gun lying around". By the time they are hitting 7-8, they are learning how to handle a small rifle under supervision and how to put it away properly. I've seen too many young teenager who see it as forbidden fruit and take any chance they can get to handle one. Those kids are down right dangerous. In this area, it's just not wise to not have a rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 When my dh was about 6 or 7 years old, he and his younger sister, woke early while their mother was still sleeping. My dh went into a locked room (he picked the lock) and took all the firearms out of a locked cabinet, he picked that lock too. Then he picked the lock on another locked box and removed all the ammunition. Then he loaded every gun with the proper ammunition, even though he had never been taught how or allowed to touch any of these things. He gave a gun to his sister and took a rifle, and walked through the house with them, and ended up shooting through the bed where his mom was sleeping. Sometimes a child's fascination with guns is too great to keep them safe from them. My dh was always fascinated with them and used an opportunity alone to play with them. He's still really good at locks, haha. We've never had to call a locksmith. wow! Ours have electronic locks..partly for this reason. They totally lock down if you put the wrong code in 3 times in a row..and they each have 9 digit codes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 :iagree: I believe that if you do not know how to safely handle guns, safely store guns, and how to safely teach your children (as they grow) to do the same, you shouldn't have guns in your house. They aren't a toy, they aren't to be used as decoration. They are a tool. Just as I wouldn't allow a small child to play with a nail gun or a jig saw, so I would make sure a small child couldn't be playing with a gun. I am a firm supporter of firearms, in the right household. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 See this is the type of person who SHOULD have a gun. Good job :patriot: I am sure we will never be seeing your family on the news with this sort of accident. I hope to be this type of person. But untill I am sure my dh & I are, then there will be no guns in the house. I have no idea how people do that kind of thing. Our guns are in locked safes...we have 3 guns, all are locked up (except if DH is carrying one on his person, in which case it is ON his person). Also, my personal rule, which my DH doesn't love, but that I insist on, is that although the locked guns are loaded they are NOT chambered. You have to rack the slide to load a bullet into the chamber to fire. That takes a level of strength that a young child just doesn't have. I can barely rack the slide, let alone a small child. (many women say they can't at all, and there are some guns I struggle with, but proper technique allows me to be able to on most automatics). I figure that is our final line of defense. I do know that DH once left a gun out while he was cleaning it, for a few minutes, to walk to the other room, and then got a phone call and forgot it on the table. Now, he was cleaning it, so it wasn't loaded, and there wasn't even ammunition in the same room (ammo was locked up in a safe in another room), but still, I read him the riot act about it anyway. It never happened again. (and in DH's credit, he always makes sure the ammo is locked up before starting to clean the gun). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeciecup Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 wow! Ours have electronic locks..partly for this reason. They totally lock down if you put the wrong code in 3 times in a row..and they each have 9 digit codes. Yeah those would have been better! But this was back in the 70's and I'm sure these were keyed locks. But I think most reasonable people would have thought that a 6 or 7 year old boy would not be able to access them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeciecup Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 :blink: How does your dh feel about guns now? He's still facinated by them! He's a hunter and we have firearms in the house. But our children were raised a bit differently and we have avoided the gun facination that dh had. The kids are teenagers, so I think we did okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Gun debate or not, leaving a LOADED gun within reach of children is beyond reckless. :crying: I agree. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 No debate. I'm not saying this guy shouldn't have the right to have a gun. Or the right to be stupid. Unless someone wants to debate that this was not a sad event, or whether loaded guns should be kept available to preschoolers, I'm not debating anything. I'm just saying I don't understand how people who have guns and children can be so careless as to leave them loaded and within reach of their babies. But I don't have guns, so maybe I"m missing something. astrid I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were starting a debate. I started my response that way because I thought a debate may ensue,intended or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Yeah those would have been better! But this was back in the 70's and I'm sure these were keyed locks. But I think most reasonable people would have thought that a 6 or 7 year old boy would not be able to access them. Most 6-7yo boys probably would not be able to access them. Your DH sounds quite special in that regard. :) The normal obstacles -- keys, location, loading, chambering, etc. -- should have been deterrents, and I think they would be for most kids. That's a lot of steps to conquer. Many gun owners choose to demystify guns for their children, by showing them the guns and talking about them with their children, answering their questions as they come up. Regular and frequent instruction in the proper use of guns goes a very long way, IMO. But yes, if you won't store your guns responsibly, you shouldn't have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 DH's families are big in hunting and FIL is a policeman. So we Do have gun around us when visiting grand parents. I have never seem my FIL's policeman gun the 10 years I married to hubby other than when he came back from work. The hunting guns always in locker that kids will have no access to. My 8 years old was taught gun safety since he was very young. I don't mind gun, but should not everyone can have it relatively easy and certainly should have more restricted law on where the gun should be kept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeciecup Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Many gun owners choose to demystify guns for their children, by showing them the guns and talking about them with their children, answering their questions as they come up. Regular and frequent instruction in the proper use of guns goes a very long way, IMO. :iagree: This was the issue. Dh had plenty of toy guns, but he really wanted the ones his daddy used that made such an awesome loud noise. But the only instruction he got was don't touch. So it was an off limits toy and that was where the fascination came in. On the other hand, our kids were never allowed to have toy guns, but have been given regular and frequent instruction on the proper use of guns. Dh never wanted them to think of a gun as a toy. I can't imagine being my mil and waking to the sound of a gunshot going through the bed I was sleeping in. Afterwards she walked into the living room and sat down on a loaded pistol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 It's because many people, even educated lovely ones, don't believe that a 3 year old can shoot one. Yup, it's been on the news many times, but it still just doesn't register. I TOTALLY believe that everyone should be able to own one, except for serious criminals. (and they'll have one anyway, if they want) BUT, I want everything locked up when kids are around. I've had more than one fight with people about this. :( I say that killing someone or being killed is too much of a consequence for a little one. Can you imagine the guilt that child will have for the rest of their life?? :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.