Spinoff: would you let your kids play at someone's house if you knew they had a gun?

[Anonymous]

If not, do you always ask the parents if they have one?

[Anonymous]

I grew up with a gun in the house - my father was a police officer. I have no problem asking if someone does and if the answer is yes asking how it is secured. We socialize with a lot of FBI agents and I know they have a gun in the house.

[Anonymous]

had this thread recently.

[Anonymous]

If I knew they had a gun in the house I would ask them how it is secured. If it is locked up, unloaded, with the bullets in a separate place, I would have no problem with it.

If I asked someone if they had guns in the house and I found out they lied, the friendship would be over.

[Anonymous]

Glad to see some rationality on this topic. As I recall, the last thread was dominated by the folks who wouldn't let their child enter a house that contained a gun, no matter how it was it secured. At the time, I thought that was more a reflection of their anti-gun mentality (not wanting to associate with someone who owns a gun) rather than a true safety concern (or perhaps a hysteria on the subject that has no basis in reality). We own a shotgun that my husband inherited that has a combination trigger lock, and is inside a padlocked gun case that is hidden in our difficult to access basement. The key to the padlock is in a safe that can only be accessed with a key and a combination. The ammunition is in the garage, also padlocked. I'd be happy to tell a parent this. If someone still didn't want their child to come to our house, I'd think I really probably didn't want to associate with someone who is that neurotic, anyway.

[Anonymous]

I probably would not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to see some rationality on this topic. As I recall, the last thread was dominated by the folks who wouldn't let their child enter a house that contained a gun, no matter how it was it secured. At the time, I thought that was more a reflection of their anti-gun mentality (not wanting to associate with someone who owns a gun) rather than a true safety concern (or perhaps a hysteria on the subject that has no basis in reality). We own a shotgun that my husband inherited that has a combination trigger lock, and is inside a padlocked gun case that is hidden in our difficult to access basement. The key to the padlock is in a safe that can only be accessed with a key and a combination. The ammunition is in the garage, also padlocked. I'd be happy to tell a parent this. If someone still didn't want their child to come to our house, I'd think I really probably didn't want to associate with someone who is that neurotic, anyway.

What do you use the gun for? Is it an antique? Or for sport?

[Anonymous]

I grew up with guns in the house. My grandfather had guns in the house. We were educated about guns and the danger of guns and they of course, also took precautions in storing the guns where we couldn't easily access them and they kept them unloaded and separate from the ammunition.

Guns aren't the issue, imo. Irresponsibility, maybe.

[Anonymous]

I'm the person who sparked the debate on the other thread. I don't think it is "neurotic" to fail to trust somebody else's definition of "safe enough." I think every parent thinks their gun is safe enough, or their kids have been taught to respect it, but accidents still happen. There are millions of things in life I don't have control over and I realize that, but it's reasonable enough for me to think my young children can find places to play where there are no guns present. Your kids are welcome at my house anytime!

I would make an exception for police and FBI officers because I do trust their definition of "safe enough," generally speaking. But not the general population. I have no idea how smart or stupid some of my kids' friends parents are, and I'm not going to "trust them" on this one.

If PP doesn't want to hang out with me because i'm too "neurotic" for her, I agree, we'd probably not get along.

[Anonymous]

Yes, if it was because they worked in law enforcement.
No, if it was because they are paranoid mental deficients.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Another child of a police officer, so we had guns in our house. Personally, I hate even seeing guns and would never own one. I would want to know it was locked up. FWIW, the Freakanomics authors estimate it's a swimming pool on the property is more dangerous to children than a gun in the house. Do you let your kids visit homes where there is a pool?

[Anonymous]

After reading freakonomics, i only let my kids go to a house where there is a gun if there is also a swimming pool. that way the gun is relatively safe.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I might allow my kids to go to a home with a swimming pool if they knew how to swim. I can obviously see how the parents treat the swimming pool with my own eyes and, because I'm comfortable with swimming pool safety myself, I'd be comfortable determining whether or not they had adequate safety features for my kid's safety. Because I don't know much about gun safety, i'm not going to trust what someone I don't know that well tells me is "safe enough."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After reading freakonomics, i only let my kids go to a house where there is a gun if there is also a swimming pool. that way the gun is relatively safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the person who sparked the debate on the other thread. I don't think it is "neurotic" to fail to trust somebody else's definition of "safe enough." I think every parent thinks their gun is safe enough, or their kids have been taught to respect it, but accidents still happen. There are millions of things in life I don't have control over and I realize that, but it's reasonable enough for me to think my young children can find places to play where there are no guns present. Your kids are welcome at my house anytime!

I would make an exception for police and FBI officers because I do trust their definition of "safe enough," generally speaking. But not the general population. I have no idea how smart or stupid some of my kids' friends parents are, and I'm not going to "trust them" on this one.

If PP doesn't want to hang out with me because i'm too "neurotic" for her, I agree, we'd probably not get along.

PP here. You are setting up a straw man. I didn't say you should just trust my definition of "safe enough." I very clearly outlined the extensive safety precautions we've taken. I'd be happy to show them to you. If those precautions don't meet your definition of "safe enough," then, in my opinion, you are a neurotic of the type that I wouldn't enjoy associating with.

As for the use of the gun, it is a family heirloom. My husband and I have both hunted birds in the past, as do many of our friends and family. We have not lately, mostly because we don't have time, but we may choose to do so again in the future. There is no way the gun would be accessible enough (even to us adults) to use for self-defense.

As for the gun vs. pool discussion -- I grew up in an area where everyone I knew had guns, and I never even heard of anyone I knew (much less a child) getting shot. I do know at least two families who have had children drown. We have a house on the water, and the water makes me much more nervous than the gun in the house.