BIL got my SIX-year-old nephew a rifle for Christmas. Not a BB gun, a hunting rifle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To all the posters who mock the OP,

Would you be comfortable being a guest in a house where a father has just offered his 6 year old a hunting rifle, and is helping him practice?

YUP

Me too. Our families are hunters. Six is about the age for a first gun. Gun safety is taught from a very young age and kids aren't allowed to shoot until they take gun safety. My in laws have a target set up in their yard. My BIL and nephew taught my boys to shoot and my boys are pretty good shots - and excellent with gun safety. We spend tons of time at our families' houses.

My boys have been shooting since they were about that age. They all got their first rifles at about eight or nine. I come from a family that hunts for food. My boys are excellent shots. They are educated about guns and gun safety. They have passed numerous gun safety courses. I guarantee you that they are MUCH less likely to be killed in a gun accident than any of your city kids. They would be the ones to keep your kids from shooting themselves if they accidently found a gun.

Seriously. Everyone does not live like you sheltered D.C. city people. Kids in more rural areas learn to handle guns. It really is ok.

The difference is your sons are learning gun safety by professionals, my nephew is not.

My children have never held a gun, but ARE educated about gun safety. You must have a very narrow mind to think you have to be around guns constantly to be taught gun safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you mad that YOUR children saw this 6 year old get a shotgun for Christmas and that there was talk of target shooting in front of YOUR kids?

I'm just trying to understand what you think is so outrageous about this father teaching his kid how to target shoot.

Would you appreciate it if your BIL made snarky comments about you taking your kids to see Into the Woods on Christmas day?

If you don't see the problem with a kindergartener being gifted a weapon I can't help you out.


Also, he DID make comments about us leaving. Neither DH or I said anything about the gun, we just said we had plans to go see the movie as a family. It was pretty obvious I was uncomfortable with a six-year-old handling a deadly weapon.

He makes PLENTY of comments about DH being effeminate and mocks our interests (reading, art, musicals).

It doesn't sound as though he handed the kid a gun and said "Go play!". He took the kid outside to teach him target shooting. So, no I don't see anything wrong with him doing that.

Making snarky comments about you wasn't nice. But you making it so obvious that you did not approve of the gun was not nice, either.

Were your kids at all interested in the gun or interested that their cousin was going to be target shooting? Did they care?

It doesn't sound as anything because WE LEFT before anyone went outside. I'm sure BIL was outside with him, but was he teaching him appropriately? Given his track record, probably not. I am hoping my dad went out their to make sure no one killed themselves.

I don't give a shit what BIL thinks of me, I don't care if it was nice or not that I left. My concern isn't that BIL thinks I'm nice, it's MY kids and MY family.

My children are 8 and 11, they didn't really care. My 8-year-old (girl) showed a little interest but was more excited about going to see the movie (we did plan on seeing it tomorrow). My 11-year-old (boy) has SPD and HATES loud noises and therefor hates guns. He was freaking out about how loud the gun would be, which just adds to how fucked up my BIL is.

O.k. that sheds a little bit of light as to why you were personally so offended by this gift. If your BIL knowingly started to talk about shooting a loud gun around your son and knew that talking like that would upset your son - I agree. Your BIL was a jerk for doing that.

But taking his own 6 year old target shooting was his business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

To all the posters who mock the OP,

Would you be comfortable being a guest in a house where a father has just offered his 6 year old a hunting rifle, and is helping him practice?

YUP

Me too. Our families are hunters. Six is about the age for a first gun. Gun safety is taught from a very young age and kids aren't allowed to shoot until they take gun safety. My in laws have a target set up in their yard. My BIL and nephew taught my boys to shoot and my boys are pretty good shots - and excellent with gun safety. We spend tons of time at our families' houses.

Yes, assuming the gun was being used under competent adult supervision. If BIL was with nephew and supervising the target shooting, 6 seems to me a reasonable age to begin teaching appropriate gun skills and safety. I know my grandfather started teaching my father and uncles to shoot around that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure your BIL could sense your inappropriate disapproval.

Ha ha ha, someone from the Great Northern Tribe of Idiots speaks up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A RIFLE is not a toy to play with. I'm pretty sure your BIL will be with him when it's used. YOU are just silly mad because YOU disapprove.

IT AIN'T YOUR KID MISS BUSYBODY !!

Shouldn't you be studying for your GED?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am sure your BIL could sense your inappropriate disapproval.

Good.

I didn't want to be in a house where a six-year-old is handed a rifle. My approval was appropriate, and I think one of the main reasons he decided to give it to him at my parents house and not at home is to see our reaction.

He LOVES the attention his idiocracy brings.

No, your disapproval wasn't appropriate. How fuckimg dare you go to someone else's home and judge them? On a holiday, no less? You sound like a pearl-clutching, narrow-minded scold. I am guessing you know nothing about guns. I am also guessing you are frequently wrong about things but rarely in doubt. You strident bitch. Shame on you.

Shame on you actually. You probably think Newtown was just an unfortunate accident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this, next Christmas there would be empty seats at the table. OP would NOT be welcome.

Yeah, I should have stayed and allowed my kids to run around with my nephew and his rifle. I would LOVE to make next Christmas the anniversary of my childs death.

Doesn't sound like that was happening. Rather, nephew was target shooting under adult supervision. You are certifiable.

I wouldn't know, we left before they went outside.

Go ahead, get your kindergarteners rifles as well. Instant evolution.

And don't forget to "supervise" them target shooting with a Bud in your hand.

[Anonymous]

I would be tempted to call CPS just to see if it's even legal for a 6 year old to have access to a gun. That would be the last time I or my kids would see my brother in law again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you mad that YOUR children saw this 6 year old get a shotgun for Christmas and that there was talk of target shooting in front of YOUR kids?

I'm just trying to understand what you think is so outrageous about this father teaching his kid how to target shoot.

Would you appreciate it if your BIL made snarky comments about you taking your kids to see Into the Woods on Christmas day?

If you don't see the problem with a kindergartener being gifted a weapon I can't help you out.


Also, he DID make comments about us leaving. Neither DH or I said anything about the gun, we just said we had plans to go see the movie as a family. It was pretty obvious I was uncomfortable with a six-year-old handling a deadly weapon.

He makes PLENTY of comments about DH being effeminate and mocks our interests (reading, art, musicals).

Now you sound trolly. MFA writing program fail.

[Anonymous]

BIL is a showboater.

He could've given a BB gun (I hope OP doesn't freak out so much at guns she can't tell whether it's a BB gun or a 30 aught six.)

He could've given the gun when the son WASN'T around either at his own house or later. Of course men who think like BIL probably think OP's son just needs to man up and toughen up or something and he's got a fake illness. (This doesn't dismiss the thought that OP could be babying her son a little but just as much harm is done by Red-Americans that make their kids "toughen up" IMO.)

Of course, the comments about "you gonna tell Obama" are the sort that are funny only to other Red-Americans.

I think this is a "BIL is a jerk outside of the gun issue" problem, not so much a "OP has a problem and freaks out inappropriately around guns" problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, your disapproval wasn't appropriate. How fuckimg dare you go to someone else's home and judge them? On a holiday, no less? You sound like a pearl-clutching, narrow-minded scold. I am guessing you know nothing about guns. I am also guessing you are frequently wrong about things but rarely in doubt. You strident bitch. Shame on you.

And here is the face of the NRA, folks.

(P.S. Are you the Ayn Rand-loving freak from the Religion forum this morning? Or are you just a garden-variety troll?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I am thinking that you thought you would post a message on this board thinking that you would get 100% agreement that your BIL is a jerk.
I have discovered that is rarely the case on DCUM.
It doesn’t really bother me that a hunting rifle is given as a gift for a child. For some families, this is what they do.
It wouldn’t go well in my family, but that is who we are.
Your BIL may be a real jerk. It is evident that you have a strained relationship with him - not from your initial post, but subsequent posts.
But, he may be acting like a jerk simply to get under your skin. And, it worked.
You might want to try really hard not to let it get to you, or if it does, do NOT let HIM know it. Don’t give him that satisfaction.
And, when you go to family get-togethers, avoid the man so he doesn’t have a chance to grate on your nerves.

Oh, I've been on DCUM long enough to know that I should never expect people to unanimously agree with me. I know plenty of people think just like BIL unfortunately.

And you are right, a lot of this stems from my hatred of my BIL. DH told me that I am mostly upset because it's my BIL and not just the situation, although we both agree that it's a pretty irresponsible gift and we don't want our children around guns.

But yes, I can't stand my BIL and he knows it. I wish he didn't get to me, but he does. I hate the way he treats my sister, I hate him. It's no secret.

All of this...family drama. Your BIL sounds like a reckless jerk, but you did give him the reaction he was looking for. Avoid him where possible, and keep exchanges superficial. Hope your nephew stays safe with the gun.

[Anonymous]

I am sure your BIL could sense your inappropriate disapproval.

Let me fix that for you.

I am sure your BIL could sense your entirely appropriate and reasonable disapproval.

There is no reason, whatsoever, to give a gun to a child. No responsible parent would consider such a stupidly dangerous gift.

Your BIL is an idiot, OP, as are most of the gun loving nuts who like to pretend they are living in the wild west and need a pretend militia for absolutely nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOO HOO !!

GREAT GIFT !!!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No, your disapproval wasn't appropriate. How fuckimg dare you go to someone else's home and judge them? On a holiday, no less? You sound like a pearl-clutching, narrow-minded scold. I am guessing you know nothing about guns. I am also guessing you are frequently wrong about things but rarely in doubt. You strident bitch. Shame on you.

And here is the face of the NRA, folks.

(P.S. Are you the Ayn Rand-loving freak from the Religion forum this morning? Or are you just a garden-variety troll?)

Ayn Rand Atheist here

just posting now

My husband owns two rifles and a handgun. My father was a hunter. I've been to the shooting range but am not that comfortable with guns. But I have - obviously - no problem with them.

Should atheists be anti-gun? If so, I don't fit the bill.