When I was a kid, my father had guns. I knew this. My older sister knew this. It was never a secret, and we were never scared of guns — because Dad made a point of showing the guns to us, showing us how they worked, and letting us handle and shoot them under his supervision. The one rule above all others was this: We could look at, touch, and handle any gun that we wanted to — as long as we asked Dad to do so. If we ever touched a gun at any other time, hell would ensue.
And you know what? We never messed with guns without Dad’s permission. We didn’t even want to. Why would we? It made no sense. If we could safely handle them while he taught us, and if we respected their power because we’d fired them, what temptation did we have to defy such liberal (in the pure sense of the word) rules?
As I matured, I realized what a wonderful thing my father had done for us. He took the mystery away from guns and made them real to us. For so many, guns are things they see on television, in video games, and in the movies… and perhaps glimpse in a nightstand drawer or safe from time to time. They’re not real… and if guns are treated as taboo by their parents, kids will automatically attach mystique or allure to them.
Teach your kids about guns. Please. They may need to use one someday… and regardless of that, we all want your sons and daughters to make the right decisions when they encounter a gun. And let’s face it — more and more households have guns in them (as well they should). Education is the key to safety.
The short video below shows a wonderful thing: People bringing guns to school in order to teach children about them.
As one student says in the video, “You should never be afraid of a gun. Never, ever. You should have confidence around a gun.”
And he’s right.
Teach your children well.
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