"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."

I'm sure what you say about your children is true. I know there are many families like yours. But there are many people who have no business handling firearms, and there's nothing to stop them from doing so. And there are rarely charges filed for accidents due to negligence.

The concern with America's relationship with guns is warranted.

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.

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.

There are ranges in the DC area. We took our boys to them when they were first learning to shoot . Dh in particular has been careful to teach them about gun safety and appropriate handling of firearms.

I think any 6 year old who is learning to shoot is, by definition, learning from a dumbass.

And no, I am not anti-gun. I grew up in a hunting family in a state where the start of deer hunting season is basically a holiday because so many people are off work. When I was in high school, tons of kids would be off hunting during deer season, girls and boys.

Again, in HIGH SCHOOL. No one I know started shooting rifles at age 6, FFS. That is simply absurd. BB guns, perhaps. People who give deadly weapons to small children are straight up idiots.

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.

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?

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like everyone else hates him too, and the divorce is coming.

Too bad you didn't stay and watch target practice. He is probably a shit teacher and would have done something stupid or dangerous that would have helped your sister in the divorce.

She won't divorce him. He has walked all over her so many times she has zero self worth. She never stands up for herself, and I can't continue to just watch this train wreck.

Should a six year old have his OWN gun?

Again, I think OP is upset not necessarily because a 6 year old is learning to shoot, but a 6 year old is learning to shoot from a FUCKING DUMBASS.

Sounds like everyone else hates him too, and the divorce is coming.

Too bad you didn't stay and watch target practice. He is probably a shit teacher and would have done something stupid or dangerous that would have helped your sister in the divorce.

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).

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?

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.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what kind of redneck upbringing did you have for your sister to find such a mate to be so attractive?

Where is your parents' home and what did they think?

I think you are making this up as you go along.

He and my sister dated in High School, he was an asshole then as well. He has gotten worse as he aged, he isn't attractive anymore so strives for attention in other ways.

My parents were obviously home, it's Christmas. They seemed nervous when he unwrapped it, my mom kept asking if it was just a BB gun. My dad hunts, but he still seemed uncomfortable.

A bb gun isn't appropriate either! It could blind someone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Your parents permit target shooting in their yard?

It's illegal where I live.

My parents live on about 70 acres of land. We don't live in DC.

So perfect place to give the child the gun then, in other words. Despite your histrionic assignment of malicious intent to your BIL.

A gun is not an appropriate gift for a child.

Ever. Nowhere.