Interesting (well, I found it interesting) article about how guns are being marketed at youngsters -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/28/gun-lobby-children-us
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/28/gun-lobby-children-us
Young Guns - Firearms Marketed At Kiddie Market
- Thread starter mrtrebus
- Start date
Nothing new.
I know of some kids personally who shoot kid guns and are under 10 years old. I think the parents are responsible, and teaching the same in their kids and don't see a real problem with this as long as they are supervised and in the right environment.
Violence in the US I believe is the direct result of TV, movie and game violence, which not everyone is into. This is really more of a skill like whacking baseballs in a batting cage. People who grow up with this are generally a lot more calm and knowledgeable about it.
I know of some kids personally who shoot kid guns and are under 10 years old. I think the parents are responsible, and teaching the same in their kids and don't see a real problem with this as long as they are supervised and in the right environment.
Violence in the US I believe is the direct result of TV, movie and game violence, which not everyone is into. This is really more of a skill like whacking baseballs in a batting cage. People who grow up with this are generally a lot more calm and knowledgeable about it.
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
Especially in the rural south, guns are simply a fact of life and a part of the culture. What concerns me more than the availability of guns is the lack of parenting that is crippling our society. I believe I was about 6 or 7 when I received my first BB gun. I was probably 7 or 8 when my dad let me fire his shotgun for the first time... and shortly after that, he bought me a .410 shotgun and a .22 rifle. When I was about 10, I was given a P38 pistol that another uncle had taken off a German soldier - he was dead, so I'm guessing he didn't really mind. But my father or uncle were ALWAYS with me when I fired them - I was always supervised. They were the ones who taught me gun saftey and how to properly handle a firearm. If I had ever seemed irresponsible during a session, they would have taken them away from me. I only had to get rapped on the head once, after I handed my uncle a pistol muzzle first. I knew it wasn't loaded. What was the harm? Didn't matter. Crack! Oww! :crying: Lesson learned: "You only point a gun at something that you're prepared to kill!"
I know now that I was blessed and fortunate. Looking at how many kids grow up now, I feel sorry for them... and our society. How many kids even know who their father is? How many kids are raised in dysfunctional households? How many kids still respect their parents? How many parents are even ready to be parents?! How many parents put their own interests and superficial happiness ahead of the interests of their families???
Right or wrong, I'm more worried about kids who sit in front of a monitor for hours on end, playing first person shooter games on PS3's, Wii's and X-boxes, caught up in fantasy worlds, chatting with other socially challenged kids, screaming, "Die muthafucka! Die!" ... than I do the kid who dresses up like a cowboy and spends a Saturday afternoon with his father, shooting at paper or tin targets. Whether it's target shooting or racing go karts, the child who gets that special time with his parent, learning to respect the tool for what it ACTUALLY is, that is a fortunate and blessed child, IMO.
For parents who don't believe in gun ownership, teach your children to stay away from guns and to never handle them. Teach them to walk away from any situation where a gun is present. And for parents who do believe in gun ownership, teach your children to respect the weapon, respect themselves and respect other people. If people actually did that, I don't believe we'd have much of a problem with firearms in the U.S. There are more guns per capita where I now live than where I used to live. And the murder rate (by firearms or other means) is almost nil here. One has to ask why that is.
If our society continues to decline, there will be a greater percentage of people who SHOUDLN'T own guns. And as those people gain in number, there will probably be more of us who feel that we SHOULD own guns. Sad but true. :2 cents:
I know now that I was blessed and fortunate. Looking at how many kids grow up now, I feel sorry for them... and our society. How many kids even know who their father is? How many kids are raised in dysfunctional households? How many kids still respect their parents? How many parents are even ready to be parents?! How many parents put their own interests and superficial happiness ahead of the interests of their families???
Right or wrong, I'm more worried about kids who sit in front of a monitor for hours on end, playing first person shooter games on PS3's, Wii's and X-boxes, caught up in fantasy worlds, chatting with other socially challenged kids, screaming, "Die muthafucka! Die!" ... than I do the kid who dresses up like a cowboy and spends a Saturday afternoon with his father, shooting at paper or tin targets. Whether it's target shooting or racing go karts, the child who gets that special time with his parent, learning to respect the tool for what it ACTUALLY is, that is a fortunate and blessed child, IMO.
For parents who don't believe in gun ownership, teach your children to stay away from guns and to never handle them. Teach them to walk away from any situation where a gun is present. And for parents who do believe in gun ownership, teach your children to respect the weapon, respect themselves and respect other people. If people actually did that, I don't believe we'd have much of a problem with firearms in the U.S. There are more guns per capita where I now live than where I used to live. And the murder rate (by firearms or other means) is almost nil here. One has to ask why that is.
If our society continues to decline, there will be a greater percentage of people who SHOUDLN'T own guns. And as those people gain in number, there will probably be more of us who feel that we SHOULD own guns. Sad but true. :2 cents:
Mr. Daystar
In a bell tower, watching you through cross hairs.
#1) Gun manufacturers don't need to market their product to anyone. Sales are not down, they've increased. Anyone that doesn't know that, should pay more attention to the news.
#2) Kids should know how to use a gun. Responsible firearms handling is something that needs to be taught as early as possible. There is no substitute for safety, and there are no shortcuts to achieving safety.
#3) The article is from the UK. A country that denies the rights of it's citizens to own firearms, and part of a group of countries that would love to see America disarmed.
#2) Kids should know how to use a gun. Responsible firearms handling is something that needs to be taught as early as possible. There is no substitute for safety, and there are no shortcuts to achieving safety.
#3) The article is from the UK. A country that denies the rights of it's citizens to own firearms, and part of a group of countries that would love to see America disarmed.
All good points so far. I did not read the article (flame away for that) but I noticed the .uk in the link which is why I did not. Like revi said they don't allow their citizens to own gun and would like to see America disarmed so I can only imagine how unbiased the article is. I have had a gun since I was about 7 hunted since I was 10 taught most of my friends how to properly handle fire arms and have never seen any accidents or violence involving a fire arm. It's all because my father and grandfather taught me the proper way to use a firearm. I think it's something everyone should know how to use.
Go out and get educated! Guns are a great way to have a lot of fun and it is a great thing to get the youth involved in, when taught properly!
Go out and get educated! Guns are a great way to have a lot of fun and it is a great thing to get the youth involved in, when taught properly!
Facetious
Moderated
All points made above are excellent
People have such a difficult time separating guns and violence it's almost amusing. :hatsoff:
People have such a difficult time separating guns and violence it's almost amusing. :hatsoff:
Especially in the rural south, guns are simply a fact of life and a part of the culture. What concerns me more than the availability of guns is the lack of parenting that is crippling our society. I believe I was about 6 or 7 when I received my first BB gun. I was probably 7 or 8 when my dad let me fire his shotgun for the first time... and shortly after that, he bought me a .410 shotgun and a .22 rifle. When I was about 10, I was given a P38 pistol that another uncle had taken off a German soldier - he was dead, so I'm guessing he didn't really mind. But my father or uncle were ALWAYS with me when I fired them - I was always supervised. They were the ones who taught me gun saftey and how to properly handle a firearm. If I had ever seemed irresponsible during a session, they would have taken them away from me. I only had to get rapped on the head once, after I handed my uncle a pistol muzzle first. I knew it wasn't loaded. What was the harm? Didn't matter. Crack! Oww! :crying: Lesson learned: "You only point a gun at something that you're prepared to kill!"
I know now that I was blessed and fortunate. Looking at how many kids grow up now, I feel sorry for them... and our society. How many kids even know who their father is? How many kids are raised in dysfunctional households? How many kids still respect their parents? How many parents are even ready to be parents?! How many parents put their own interests and superficial happiness ahead of the interests of their families???
Right or wrong, I'm more worried about kids who sit in front of a monitor for hours on end, playing first person shooter games on PS3's, Wii's and X-boxes, caught up in fantasy worlds, chatting with other socially challenged kids, screaming, "Die muthafucka! Die!" ... than I do the kid who dresses up like a cowboy and spends a Saturday afternoon with his father, shooting at paper or tin targets. Whether it's target shooting or racing go karts, the child who gets that special time with his parent, learning to respect the tool for what it ACTUALLY is, that is a fortunate and blessed child, IMO.
For parents who don't believe in gun ownership, teach your children to stay away from guns and to never handle them. Teach them to walk away from any situation where a gun is present. And for parents who do believe in gun ownership, teach your children to respect the weapon, respect themselves and respect other people. If people actually did that, I don't believe we'd have much of a problem with firearms in the U.S. There are more guns per capita where I now live than where I used to live. And the murder rate (by firearms or other means) is almost nil here. One has to ask why that is.
If our society continues to decline, there will be a greater percentage of people who SHOUDLN'T own guns. And as those people gain in number, there will probably be more of us who feel that we SHOULD own guns. Sad but true. :2 cents:
Excellent points!
Just take a look at the name of this thread. It could be called, "Children taught gun safety".
I remember reading an article a long time ago about the incidence of alcoholism in Italy. There virtually was none. The author went on to say how he believed this was probably due to the fact that Italians are allowed to drink wine and exposed to it at every meal from birth, so there is no taboo on it they want to explore when they are older. What a concept! Same of course goes for gun control. There is no good evidence to support gun control. In the areas where there are fewer restrictions as you mention the Southern US, there are no more incidents than where there are strict gun laws. Actually the violence scale tilts in favor of less restriction despite what ignorance the news and politicians want to sell.
(I think I've heard enough of them talking about "assault rifle" availability when as we know, they are already illegal unless you have the $300 tax stamp).
Something else to consider;
John McCain who was vague about what he was going to do in the Middle East if elected president, in typical John Wayne fashion, made the statement, "Bomb, bomb, bomb. Bomb, bomb Iran, (a.k.a. The Beach Boys Barbara Ann). While candidate Obama focused on negotiation and open communication with much of the rest of the world including Iran.
Maybe people are getting a little sick of this obsession with violence in the US and wanted something with a bigger view of the world than hammering your neighbors into the ground?
"If at first you don't succeed, beat the crap out of it"!
It's true. They seem to go hand in hand and it always the fault of a fire arm, you know because they magically shoot themselves in the direction of their target...
meesterperfect
Hiliary 2020
heres a news flash for all the fools who think this is a big deal;
toy guns dont turn kids into killers, never did, never will.
toy guns dont turn kids into killers, never did, never will.
Well maybe you should learn how to handle one and then teach your kid how to, it's really not a big deal...
Rey C.
Racing is life... anything else is just waiting.
And that's entirely your right. I wouldn't allow my (minor) children to play violent video games or watch certain TV shows, as I think they teach the wrong lessons about how to treat others and handle conflicts. But I would teach my children how to handle firearms. Under my supervision, I don't see it as a problem, assuming that I've raised them with a sense of respect for others and themselves.
But if I had a latchkey kid who I barely saw or knew, except on weekends... no, I doubt I'd trust them with a firearm either. But that would be because of my failing as a parent.
Sorry ...
But much of this article is largely bleeding-heart liberal crap.
You cannot apply values of kids that would not respect guns to those that would. And, ironically enough, I bet the parents of these "young gunslingers" are far more responsible than those who fear guns, and don't teach their kids to be responsible.
The #1 problem in American society is that we continue to judge each other ... instead of ourselves.
But much of this article is largely bleeding-heart liberal crap.
You cannot apply values of kids that would not respect guns to those that would. And, ironically enough, I bet the parents of these "young gunslingers" are far more responsible than those who fear guns, and don't teach their kids to be responsible.
The #1 problem in American society is that we continue to judge each other ... instead of ourselves.
Couldn't agree more, I never had violent video games and t.v. growing up. I didn't get introduced to that type of stuff until after I was taught how to handle a fire arm and use it in a safe fun manner. Like has been stated before it's all in your upbringing. If your parents just threw a shotgun into your lap after you played Grand Theft Auto at the age of 10 or 12 I am sure it wouldn't end too well...
Take them to a hunter safety course or a fire arms handling course. They are offered all over the place. Better yet just take your children down to the local gun club they will learn all the proper ways of handling fire arms. Also check out your local fish and game clubs they offer courses that are donation only. Its not that hard to get properly educated, in fact its probably harder to ignore all the proper education that's out there.
Get the facts I am sure most liberal media Narks don't know the first thing about handling a fire arm so why should you believe someone who doesn't know anything except whats on his or her teleprompter?
I was four years old when I was taught my first lessons on operating firearms. I didn't exactly grow up to be messed up. Neither did anybody else I know.
I think it’s hilarious there are actually hardcore anti-gun people out there that think if you handle guns as a minor you're probably going to grow up to be a murderer or at least kill a dozen people accidentally.
I think it’s hilarious there are actually hardcore anti-gun people out there that think if you handle guns as a minor you're probably going to grow up to be a murderer or at least kill a dozen people accidentally.
Facetious
Moderated
^ preach it, D :hatsoff:
Shooting guns, skipping rocks over the lake, swimming in the reservoir, riding yammy enduros, hiking, making trails, digging fence post holes, fishing for rainbow trout, stringing barber wire, riding horses, flying kites, chasin goats, collecting the daily freshly laid eggs and eatin mountain oystersukey:
...it's all fun, yet so very routine stuff for kids living away from the city!
Just live respectfully and responsibly is all..
Shooting guns, skipping rocks over the lake, swimming in the reservoir, riding yammy enduros, hiking, making trails, digging fence post holes, fishing for rainbow trout, stringing barber wire, riding horses, flying kites, chasin goats, collecting the daily freshly laid eggs and eatin mountain oysters
ukey: ...it's all fun, yet so very routine stuff for kids living away from the city!
Just live respectfully and responsibly is all..
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