The dangers of failing to teach kids firearm safety.

[Albanian 121]

So a few months back I was showing one of my cousins my Glock. She is nine years old. Of course when I take it out I first drop the magazine and show her the chamber is empty (not that she really understands it but you have to start somehwere). I then begin to go over the rules of firearm safety. Always assume the gun is loaded, keep it pointed in a safe direction, keep finger off the trigger unless you intend to shoot, always be aware of your target and beyond etc. Then I let her handle it and she followed the rules well. They were fresh in her mind. Kept it in a safe direction, kept her finger off the trigger etc. Here comes the problem.

 

When she was done looking at it I went to lock it away. I have a G10 tactical light on it. She asked me something, I asked her to repeat herself. She said, "point the gun at me and turn on the light. I want to see how bright it is" I was a little distressed at the request though not exactly surprised. I pretty seriously but calmly explained that such a request is how people accidentally get shot and killed. She tried to excuse it off as "they do it in the movies" so I said "yea in the movies you know damn well are fake and have little bearing on reality". She apologized and was pretty ashamed with herself. I was happy she had the ability to realize she made an idiotic request. I actually quizzed her on the rules a few times after. She seemed eager to get it right this time.

 

Now imagine she went to a friends house who wanted to show their dad's handgun off and she happend to make the same request? She could have ended up shot. It just amazes me that firearm safety is not something taught to every kid in this country. I mean it is written in our constitution you'd think public schools would go over it. Sadly most take the same approach as sex. Meaning they say, "if you see a gun run away and tell an adult!".

 

I will say she was absolutely fascinated. Kids really do seem to be attracted to firearms. She sat and listened to every word I said. Asked intriguing questions about how the firing pin works. She wanted to see it assembled and field stripped. How bullets are fed after each shot. I love teaching (which to me is mainly merely guiding) when a kid is actually interested in the subject.

[greatgunstatenj 32]

Having known someone in HS who died as a result of what most of us would consider "ridiculously stupid behavior" with a firearm I tend to agree that it should be taught to everyone. I highly doubt it will be taught in our schools any time soon though. For as smart as some of our educators are I meet very few who aren't so liberal and open minded that I don't question whether their brain actually fell out of their head. It's a sad state of affairs.

[Hooligan 0]

Funny how schools want to teach kids safety when it comes to sex, but want to teach abstinence or nothing at all when it comes to guns.

[10X 3,306]

Years back, Idaho Fish and Game came to the schools and taught an hour or two of gun/hunter safety to the state's 6th graders.   At least some districts also got to go to the range for live firing with .22 rifles.  I don't know if this is still done.

 

The state has a very high rate of gun ownership, and a very low rate of firearms accidents.  Education is why.

[Malice4you 627]

I've covered National Night Out (I think that's what it's called, it's been a few years) for newspapers a few times.  Various police departments have booths set up, and families are invited to come out and interact.  There are photo IDs done for kids, some cop cars and firetrucks outside, presentations on why drugs are bad [mmmkay?], various other booths about police functions, and some guns laid out that kids can handle.  Without an exception, every firearm that a kid is allowed to handle that I witnessed, their finger went right onto the trigger.  I've also been stressed that chambers were not left open (though this is likely due to someone handling the guns).

 

[On the plus side, the last one I went to, I got to fondle an XM110.]

 

Kids are inquisitive and will emulate behaviors they see...  TV and movies glamorize guns without necessarily showing consequences.  Games allow you to get 'shot' and 'die,' but then you get that second life or come back next round...  A kid that doesn't know anything about guns will pick a gun up and immediately put a finger on a trigger, because that's how they do it on TV and in movies.  Without someone who can teach the proper ways beforehand, or at least correct this behavior, there are going to be tragedies that are 100% preventable.  Schools absolutely should train the basics to every single student, without any exceptions.  Parents that object...their kids are probably at greatest risk...since those kids will not normally be exposed to firearms. 

 

As has been mentioned, this likely won't happen as too many parents are irrationally afraid of guns, without realizing that a lack of experience is one of the biggest risks to everyone...  It's a shame, because all it would take is a cop or two or NRA instructor to go classroom to classroom and do a quick presentation...  A lot of schools have a safety officer these days, so there is already someone in the school who is likely capable of teaching the kids, as well is someone they can trust and go to in the future if there is some kind of potential problem. 

 

But hey, it's much easier to just suspend a kid for making a slightly gun-shaped Pop-Tart than admit that kids are fascinated by guns....

[Barms 98]

Here is what really jumps out at me. I am not a teacher nor do I know anything about the "capacity" at which a 9 year old comprehends thing. But what I want to point out is the false sense that just because an adult "goes over the rules" and the child says "yup, i got it" are we supposed to believe they get it? Was it really processed? Let's review what happened; "careful in trigger....careful where the muzzle is...etc". "understand?". "yes". Then one minute later. "hey can you point it at me?"

 

I am just not sure if the issue here is about different state demographics or culture. I hear the above story an I think "well that's what 9 year olds do". Perhaps someone who is a teacher here or has some real psyche background could chime in. But I for one will remember this story and if I'm ever going to be around a child I will remember if they say they understand I won't be so quick to believe it. Or maybe this is not a good example

[Albanian 121]

Barms a 9 year old does have the capacity to safely handle and even shoot firearms. The issue is when the kid is used to years of video games and movies showing how not to handle a gun. Going over rules for 30 minutes will not enough to get through all that learned nonsense from movies etc. This is why I let her handle it unloaded many times before I ever take her to a range.

[Barms 98]

Agreed. This was all just a good reminder.