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:
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.

btw
I do love how you're obsessed with me.

I got under your skin, eh?

Happy New Year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Really? Really? You think CPS would have a problem with a six year old getting a rifle for Christmas? That's a pretty standard gift in many parts of the country. But by all means, call them. I would love to hear their reaction. You do realize that target shooting and hunting are sports, righ? Boy Scouts not too much older than that can earn shooting merit badges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

ha!

They don't come when there's a history of abuse on record.

They'll come for a gun?

You're an idiot.

But feel free to call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

I 100% adore this retort!!!

[Anonymous]

I'm a bleeding-heart liberal, and I bought my six-year old boy a real bow and arrow set for Christmas. What does that make me?

I can't believe what a good shot he is! He's like a freakin' Legolas.

[Anonymous]

The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

Your kid can outrun a bullet? Awesome. Mine aren't that fast so I would rather mine be calm, informed and able to tell his friend "That's not a toy! Stop playing with that!"

Of course, if they see a crazy person on the street with a gun, they will know to get down and make themselves as small a target as possible. Not sure how much good the shrieking and running away in terror that you're teaching your kid would do. Might want to rethink that, kwim?

[Anonymous]

I have mixed feelings about this....first, it is a hunting rifle, not an assault rifle or hand gun. If the rifle is kept locked up in a case, and is not used without adult supervision, it could be ok, particularly in the rural sections of the country. If the child first learns gun safety...then, there will father son time to bond during hunting.

I would not get this for my child, though. I do not hunt, I do not own any weapon (other than a knife or two).

There are definitely different values in different parts of the country.

As for setting up the target in the back yard...that could be a problem, depending where they live. In most of the DC suburbs, there would be no safe place to set up at target, as if the target is missed, where will the bullet go? It is also illegal to fire a rifle in Mont, PG, Fairfax, Arlington, DC.

[Anonymous]

So... did you call you your BIL?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

Your kid can outrun a bullet? Awesome. Mine aren't that fast so I would rather mine be calm, informed and able to tell his friend "That's not a toy! Stop playing with that!"

Of course, if they see a crazy person on the street with a gun, they will know to get down and make themselves as small a target as possible. Not sure how much good the shrieking and running away in terror that you're teaching your kid would do. Might want to rethink that, kwim?

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

Your kid can outrun a bullet? Awesome. Mine aren't that fast so I would rather mine be calm, informed and able to tell his friend "That's not a toy! Stop playing with that!"

Of course, if they see a crazy person on the street with a gun, they will know to get down and make themselves as small a target as possible. Not sure how much good the shrieking and running away in terror that you're teaching your kid would do. Might want to rethink that, kwim?

You want to rethink. Your ideas about children and responsible gun safety is out of line with research--kids cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form.

From http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/gun_safety.html#

If you come across a gun at home, you may be tempted to check it out — but DON'T! Instead, follow these important safety rules:
•Stop what you're doing.
•Don't touch the gun.
•Leave the area where the gun is.
•Tell an adult right away.

Not touching the gun is very important, but don't forget to also leave the area and tell an adult. By leaving the area, you can keep yourself safe in case someone else decides to touch the gun before an adult can remove it. Remember, a baby sister or brother may be strong enough to pull a trigger!

From http://www.gossiprocks.com/forum/news/456-nra-teaches-kids-what-do-when-they-see-gun.html

Jagels, who is the Bakersfield district attorney, is a member of the NRA (search) and said he was astonished by his son’s reaction. His little tyke wanted to watch the videotape over and over again, and quickly repeated the instructions sung by Eddie Eagle in the cartoon.

Jagels thought the project was so good, he took it to the superintendent of Kern County Schools, who liked the idea.

“The fact that we're teaching a child not to touch a gun, to walk away from it, to tell an adult about the gun, that's going to make a child safer,” said Superintendent Larry Reider.

But others disagree. Local emergency room doctor Art Kellermann has treated his share of juvenile gunshot victims. He’s skeptical of any plan that puts the burden on a young child to make a critical judgment about firearms.

“Nobody should trust Eddie Eagle to make their child any safer than before they took the program," Kellermann said. “Rather than try over and over again to gun-proof our kids, I think we ought to child-proof our guns."

From http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/guns.htm

What if I've taught my kids not to touch a gun if they find one?
A number of studies [9], [10], [11], [12], suggest that even kids who are trained not to touch guns can't resist, and that parents have unrealistic expectations about their kids' behavior around guns. That's why parents are encouraged to keep guns unloaded and locked separately from ammunition , and to ask about guns at the houses where their children play. Here are links to the full text or abstracts of the studies:
##What do boys do when they find a real gun?
##"They're Too Smart for That": Predicting What Children Would Do in the Presence of Guns
##Teaching firearm safety to children: Failure of a program
##A firearm safety program for children: They just can't say no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

You do not sound particularly intelligent. Guessing you have very young kids. You can tell yourself all you want to that your kid would never touch a gun. You might be right. But kids are curious. If a gun is an unknown and especially if there is peer pressure involved, you don't really know what your kid might do. I watched a television show not too long ago where kids were tested. Every single parent swore that their child would never touch a gun. The kids were left alone in a playroom with a gun hidden under an attractive book. Every. Single. Kid. picked up the gun.

My boys would probably not touch an unknown gun. They would probably yell for an adult. However, if they did pick it up it would be to ensure that no one else touched it and to make sure it was not loaded. Guns are not a novelty to them. They've grown up around them. They see them as a tool. A dangerous tool that requires very careful, safe handling. But a tool nonetheless.

You do not know how your kids would react if they saw a gun lying in someone's house. I'm not sure I do either. But I do know that my kids have safely handled firearms. They have taken gun safety classes. They have seen first hand the damage a gun can do because they've seen a watermelon blown to pieces as an example of the devastating affects of a bullet. They know how to pick up a gun. They know how to safely unload a gun. They know to always treat every gun as if it were locked and loaded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

You do not sound particularly intelligent. Guessing you have very young kids. You can tell yourself all you want to that your kid would never touch a gun. You might be right. But kids are curious. If a gun is an unknown and especially if there is peer pressure involved, you don't really know what your kid might do. I watched a television show not too long ago where kids were tested. Every single parent swore that their child would never touch a gun. The kids were left alone in a playroom with a gun hidden under an attractive book. Every. Single. Kid. picked up the gun.

My boys would probably not touch an unknown gun. They would probably yell for an adult. However, if they did pick it up it would be to ensure that no one else touched it and to make sure it was not loaded. Guns are not a novelty to them. They've grown up around them. They see them as a tool. A dangerous tool that requires very careful, safe handling. But a tool nonetheless.

You do not know how your kids would react if they saw a gun lying in someone's house. I'm not sure I do either. But I do know that my kids have safely handled firearms. They have taken gun safety classes. They have seen first hand the damage a gun can do because they've seen a watermelon blown to pieces as an example of the devastating affects of a bullet. They know how to pick up a gun. They know how to safely unload a gun. They know to always treat every gun as if it were locked and loaded.

There is no research or data that supports your idea of your children or children in general being responsible with guns. The rule is: DO NOT TOUCH IT EVER. A better rule is DO NOT HAVE ONE AROUND. And if there is a "realistic" expectation that your child or any child will come in contact with a gun, then we have a very serious policy problem in our nation that this is even something we think should be part of reality in a child's life. In other words: Gun control now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

You do not sound particularly intelligent. Guessing you have very young kids. You can tell yourself all you want to that your kid would never touch a gun. You might be right. But kids are curious. If a gun is an unknown and especially if there is peer pressure involved, you don't really know what your kid might do. I watched a television show not too long ago where kids were tested. Every single parent swore that their child would never touch a gun. The kids were left alone in a playroom with a gun hidden under an attractive book. Every. Single. Kid. picked up the gun.

My boys would probably not touch an unknown gun. They would probably yell for an adult. However, if they did pick it up it would be to ensure that no one else touched it and to make sure it was not loaded. Guns are not a novelty to them. They've grown up around them. They see them as a tool. A dangerous tool that requires very careful, safe handling. But a tool nonetheless.

You do not know how your kids would react if they saw a gun lying in someone's house. I'm not sure I do either. But I do know that my kids have safely handled firearms. They have taken gun safety classes. They have seen first hand the damage a gun can do because they've seen a watermelon blown to pieces as an example of the devastating affects of a bullet. They know how to pick up a gun. They know how to safely unload a gun. They know to always treat every gun as if it were locked and loaded.

There is no research or data that supports your idea of your children or children in general being responsible with guns. The rule is: DO NOT TOUCH IT EVER. A better rule is DO NOT HAVE ONE AROUND. And if there is a "realistic" expectation that your child or any child will come in contact with a gun, then we have a very serious policy problem in our nation that this is even something we think should be part of reality in a child's life. In other words: Gun control now.

And here is your reality check. All the men/boys in my family hunt. I have three boys. One of my sisters has three boys and the other has two. Plus countless cousins. We probably have 15 or 16 kids in our family under the age of 20 that hunt on our land. They have all been shooting since they were seven or eight. My dad is out in the woods with my 12 year old right now checking on the deer stands and setting up game cameras. They'll certainly be doing some shooting while they are out there today. That will not change. Everyone does not live in an urban area like D.C. This is a temporary home for us. Back home hunting and shooting are part of life. That is not going to change no matter how much you might want it to.

There will never be "gun control". It won't happen.

The irony? How many people were killed in D.C. by handguns just in the last 24 hours? This despite some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. In my hometown, we haven't had a violent crime involving a gun in almost three years. And I am not from a small town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BIL sounds like a piece of shit, and his gift to his son also sounds like a crazy-stupid idea. Is it illegal for 6 year olds to shoot guns? It should be. If it's not, clearly we have an insane gun-nut society. We don't live in Sherwood Forest where we're all trying to hut to survive... The cost and risk of arming a 6 year old is higher than not (meaning, we won't starve if a 6 yo doesn't know how to participate in a hunt).

My kids are also taught gun safety. Specifically: If they see someone with a gun and he/she is not a police officer, they are to run in the opposite direction as fast as they can. They are not to approach or touch (or clean or 'safely handle' WHAT??? IS??? THAT???? STUPIDITY????) a gun for any reason, including if their classmate sharpshooter insists that he/she is highly trained in the firearm arts. I cannot roll my eyes back far enough....

Your kid can outrun a bullet? Awesome. Mine aren't that fast so I would rather mine be calm, informed and able to tell his friend "That's not a toy! Stop playing with that!"

Of course, if they see a crazy person on the street with a gun, they will know to get down and make themselves as small a target as possible. Not sure how much good the shrieking and running away in terror that you're teaching your kid would do. Might want to rethink that, kwim?

You want to rethink. Your ideas about children and responsible gun safety is out of line with research--kids cannot be trusted in any way, shape or form.

From http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/er/gun_safety.html#

If you come across a gun at home, you may be tempted to check it out — but DON'T! Instead, follow these important safety rules:
•Stop what you're doing.
•Don't touch the gun.
•Leave the area where the gun is.
•Tell an adult right away.

Not touching the gun is very important, but don't forget to also leave the area and tell an adult. By leaving the area, you can keep yourself safe in case someone else decides to touch the gun before an adult can remove it. Remember, a baby sister or brother may be strong enough to pull a trigger!

From http://www.gossiprocks.com/forum/news/456-nra-teaches-kids-what-do-when-they-see-gun.html

Jagels, who is the Bakersfield district attorney, is a member of the NRA (search) and said he was astonished by his son’s reaction. His little tyke wanted to watch the videotape over and over again, and quickly repeated the instructions sung by Eddie Eagle in the cartoon.

Jagels thought the project was so good, he took it to the superintendent of Kern County Schools, who liked the idea.

“The fact that we're teaching a child not to touch a gun, to walk away from it, to tell an adult about the gun, that's going to make a child safer,” said Superintendent Larry Reider.

But others disagree. Local emergency room doctor Art Kellermann has treated his share of juvenile gunshot victims. He’s skeptical of any plan that puts the burden on a young child to make a critical judgment about firearms.

“Nobody should trust Eddie Eagle to make their child any safer than before they took the program," Kellermann said. “Rather than try over and over again to gun-proof our kids, I think we ought to child-proof our guns."

From http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/guns.htm

What if I've taught my kids not to touch a gun if they find one?
A number of studies [9], [10], [11], [12], suggest that even kids who are trained not to touch guns can't resist, and that parents have unrealistic expectations about their kids' behavior around guns. That's why parents are encouraged to keep guns unloaded and locked separately from ammunition , and to ask about guns at the houses where their children play. Here are links to the full text or abstracts of the studies:
##What do boys do when they find a real gun?
##"They're Too Smart for That": Predicting What Children Would Do in the Presence of Guns
##Teaching firearm safety to children: Failure of a program
##A firearm safety program for children: They just can't say no

Yes. They would tell their friend to put the gun down and they would leave a room and tell an adult - or that is what they have been told to do. My point was that they would recognize immediately that the gun is not a toy and they would communicate that to their friend. They wouldn't excitedly scream, panic and run away as their friend "bang, bangs" the gun. Nor would they play with a gun like a toy.