Playing with, showng to friends, etc

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What intelligent person would play with a gun?

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"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves." ~ Lord Byron

Kids who dont know better?

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I'd blame the parent, not the child.

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"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves." ~ Lord Byron

Semper Fi to you and your Pops. Seems like he was a hell of a role model for ya. God Bless.

I got my first gun when I was 8. I knew how to handle a gun at a very early age.

You have to know how to "mess" with a gun in order to shoot the freaking thing. What is the age of responsibility in order to be able to handle a weapon? My daughter is 4, and she is allowed to handle my pistol, shotgun, and AR... under my supervision. Next year, I am buying her an airsoft to teach her how to shoot. She will probably get her first real gun around 8 also.

Blame the parents. My daughter knows she will get a belt spanking if she messes with the guns without permission. Belt spankings are a serious consequence. She has recieved about 6 of them so far. 3 swats, and a stern talking to, followed by an hour of time out... no talking allowed. That's the part that kills her. She just can't keep quiet, she even talks in her sleep.

Just like a woman.. always saying something.

Me too, I was shooting in NRA competitions as soon as they let me. I never understood this fear of guns.

I would have never handled one without permission as a child, and my kids are the same way.

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"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves." ~ Lord Byron

Good parenting alleviates a lot of fears, like the closet monster.

There is a clear and distinct difference between "messing with" a gun and "using a gun safely and properly".

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it's word context. You can mess with a gun safely and properly also.

I understood what you meant when you said "messes with the guns". I don't know where you're from but in my area, kids understand that when they're told "don't mess with..." what we're saying is "don't touch...".
I can't wait to take my 9-yr-old grandson to the firing range with me. He's shot guns with his dad, his uncles and one of his grandfathers but never with his grandmother. I'll probably get him a .410 for Christmas and I can't wait to take him squirrel hunting. Afterwards, I'll teach him how to make the best squirrel fricassee in the south.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

I apologize for not reading the entire thread, but I thought I would post a few statistics, just in case anyone is interested.........

Teen Suicide Rate: Highest Increase In 15 Years

ScienceDaily (Sep. 8, 2007) — Following a decline of more than 28 percent, the suicide rate for 10- to-24-year-olds increased by 8 percent, the largest single-year rise in 15 years, according to a report just released in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

An increase in the suicide rates for three gender-age groups accounts for the increase in the overall suicide rate, the report said. Rates rose for 10- to-14-year-old females, 15 -to-19-year-old females and 15- to-19-year-old males from 2003 to 2004.

* For 10- to-14-year-old females, the rate increased from 0.54 per 100,000 in 2003 to 0.95 per 100,000 in 2004
* For 15-to-19 year-old females the rate increased from 2.66 to 3.52 per 100,000
* For 15-to-19 year-old males, the rate increased from 11.61 to 12.65 per 100,000

Prior to 2003, the rates for all three groups were generally decreasing.

The analysis also found that changes had taken place in the methods used to attempt suicide. In 1990, firearms were the most common method for both girls and boys. However, in 2004, hanging/suffocation was the most common method of suicide among girls, accounting for 71.4 percent of suicides among 10- to-14-year-old girls and 49 percent among 15-to-19 year-old girls. From 2003 to 2004, there was a 119 percent increase in hanging/suffocation suicides among 10-to -14-year-old girls. For boys and young men, firearms are still the most common method.

Teen Suicide Rate: Highest Increase In 15 Years

Ban firearms if you want to, but it will do little to deter suicides. The fact that so many girls are willing to hang themselves should be enough to make people realize that firearms are not the problem.

Discuss the topic and not one another.

Man, I am getting really tired of saying that.

Matt

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De duobus malis, minus est semper eligendum