Exposing children to guns isn’t about pushing an agenda or creating a potential for disaster. Responsibly and safely introducing kids to shooting can empower them to be able to rationally consider the option for armed defense as adults without the baggage of the fear of the unknown that some many adults currently have.
Quite often, I have discussions with adults who have recently accepted the need to be responsible for their own personal defense. Many times, they have intellectually acknowledged that owning and knowing how to use a firearm would be prudent, but they are emotionally uncomfortable with the idea of guns.
This never happens with someone who was exposed to the fun of shooting at a young age. While those who grew up target shooting with their family or hunting with their grandfather don’t necessarily have the skills they need for armed defense with a gun, at least they have a comfort level with the idea that guns are something much more than the talisman of evil that they are often portrayed as in popular culture.
As parents, we should all strive to raise well-rounded critical thinkers who have experienced many things in controlled environments and under the supervision of experienced people (ourselves or professionals that we hire). Whether it’s riding a horse, climbing a rock wall, learning about a different culture, reading a classic novel, shooting a gun, or playing sports, kids should be exposed to a variety of diverse activities that they can become comfortable with and use to make their own choices about what will be part of their adult lives.
“Guns & Kids” is unfortunately a hot-button topic in our society. The fact is that interpersonal violence is real and all parents should want to empower their children to be able to defend themselves. Preventing children from shooting at a reasonable age not only increases the likelihood that they will be involved in a firearm accident or injury from negligence, it could also make it much more difficult for them to be able to take the reasonable step of being prepared to defend themselves (and their own families) as adults.
Hunting, target shooting and competitions are a great way to get kids comfortable with guns. If you are not qualified to instruct your own child in the fundamentals, find someone who is. In most communities, there will be a resource for Youth Shooting Sports and you can always contact the National Rifle Association to find a certified instructor close to you.
Check out this CNN story about a 10-year-old competitive shooter.
More from PDN:
Kids and Guns: When to Teach Kids about Guns
Show that photo in Calif/Mexico. And 5-0 will be right over to take your gun's. And try and take you to jail. And child welfare. Will be at your door before you can fart a tune. Don't show this in public are on the net. No way. Not in cesspool. Calif/Mexico.
I grew up in a hunting and fishing family. So did my kids. Ten of my eleven grandchildren hunt and fish. Four of my granddaughters carry for protection.
My father and older brothers never taught me anything about using firearms. Fortunately, I enrolled in Army ROTC in high school (that was before government schools had been taken over by the anti-gun, anti-military left) and learned a great deal there. Then service in the Army and more training later. So, I trained my child in shooting and safe use of firearms before the middle school years.
Both my boys were taught to shoot and respect firearms at an early age. They had air rifles at four-five years old and went .22l/r plinker shooting from eight years old. We lived in the country. They still both hunt today.
Don't forget they can look to find a USCCA instructor as well. Well written!
Very mixed feelings about this story. Have 10 y/o granddaughter, and cannot imagine her handling a firearm.
Another way to look at this is that the left wants to disarm this country with "common sense" gun laws that they will not enforce and therefore need tighter and more restrictive gun laws and the cycle goes on until we become disarmed like the UK, France, Australia, etc. A few months ago Trump could not have beat Hillary and Hillary could not be beat Trump ; thankfully Hillary beat herself by treating Bernie so badly and intersecting herself as the Dem of choice. In the same way we are beating ourselves by not teaching otherwise well adjusted children about our version of gun control (keep your finger off the trigger, don't point the gun anywhere but down range / in a safe direction, don't shoot anything that you don't want to destroy). After that teach them the value of gun ownership, gun pass times and looking ahead to their family : when they need the police in 60 seconds (based on the fact that police can't be everywhere at once) it will take them 5 or 10 or more minutes to arrive. Without reasoning when and how to start kids with guns we are handing this important issue to the Left of the future. We owe something better to our kids.
Don't child-proof your guns. Gun-proof your children. Teach them gun safety an early age.
I was taught how to shoot a variety of firearms when I was a child. My family had a large piece of property and we setup targets all the time for fun. I was around 5 years old when I first fired a 22 rifle. Not only did this take the fear of firearms away but, also taught me the power they have and the damage they can do. I learned to respect all types of weapons because of this. I feel the sooner people learn about guns the sooner we can prevent accidents from negligence or just plain ignorance.
"Curiosity kills a cat". It applies well with children and mind you, even adults who've never handled gun all their lives believing "gun" is bad and evil. That's all I can say.