Gun lore

Dean Esmay has a good post up about children and guns.

I think he’s talking a lot of sense. I learnt to shoot a rifle when I was young. And I was lucky enough, the last two times I was in the States, to be able to spend a couple of mornings at the range.

Last time over, I took my eldest along, he was just coming up to thirteen. I spent a lot of time with him going though safety procedures before he even got near a weapon. The one thing I found myself saying to him, over and over again, was “A gun is not a toy.” Because for my boys, that’s all guns have ever been; plastic toys with Bang! Bang! bullets.

In my experience, the first thing most kids do, if they pick up a toy gun, is point is straight at one of their friends and, Kapow! I stongly believe that anyone who leaves a gun within reach of a child, or puts one in their hands without proper training, deserves to lose their liberty. In America today, accidents involving children and guns happen with tragic regularity.

Attempts to reduce accidental injury and death by educating children in the proper use of firearms are criticized on two grounds. Firstly, that firearms should be an entirely adult preserve; guns being, at best, one of those Unpleasant Facts from which children must be sheltered. And secondly, that teaching children about firearms tends to produce another generation of gun buyers and NRA members, which is of course a Bad Thing.

I’m not an NRA member but I support the right to bear arms. I know a lot of people think the Second Amendment is no longer relevant, as it talks about the need to maintain an effective militia. “Yeah right! When was the last time we needed a militia?”

I guess I see things a little differently. The last three generations of my family fought the Civil War and two World Wars; I’m the first chicken-hawk in a long line of soldiers. All of them were pleased they could shoot straight when their turn came.

You’ll excuse me if, not trusting to world peace, I keep my eye in on the range from time to time and teach my kids to do the same.