.... and responsible gun ownership. Allowing access by children is gross negligence. And I think already is subject to legal action. What more does one need than the responsibility of the harm to his own child or another child to practice safe ownership? If he needs more then he needs to go to jail.

Please keep in mind that accidental shootings and particularly by children is exceedingly rare. But even one is too many. lock em up to protect not only your own but others who may visit. Teach gun safety as well.

 

From the time I was a toddler, dad kept a loaded .38 revolver in the nightstand. My 4 siblings and I knew not to touch it, and we didn't. A "locked up" weapon is useless when needed.

It all comes down to parenting (the hand that rocks the cradle...). There are too many people having children today that shouldn't. I call them: "negligent parents."

 

This is the way i was raise too... but many of the incidents of accidental shootings of kids occur because little johnny brought home a friend and the friend was not so schooled in them and was abnormally curious about them but yet had no understanding of them. I worry more about the visitors than I do about the children who grow up around them. We certainly started young learning about them. But how will a child act that doesn't? Your also responsible for THAT child if he is in your home.

There are many MANY new and innovative ways to keep them locked up/secured and out of the hands of children while making them available for self defense. Times have changed.

 

If you look at some of the laws and legislation on the books concerning gun control they have not evolved as fast as society has or they are a knee jerk reaction to some horrific event that happens. The other thing is it comes down to the lobbying groups in Washington and the ugly truth that some people refuse to see is that votes are bought and paid for every day and until someone does something about the lobbiests in Washington nothing is going to change.

 

This right here^^^

It's all about gun education, we have my wifes ten year old son that lives with us and his father teaches him about fire arms and I reinforce it when ever I can. I keep my 1911 in a drawer in the bedroom with a clip in it but when he has a friend over I take the gun and lock it up and there are only two people in the house that know the combo to where it's kept and that's me and my wife.

 

I disagree wholeheartedly and consider that statement foolish. I, like many others have said, grew up with loaded guns all over our home.

My grandparents grew up through the Depression, so they waste absolutely NOTHING; they reuse foil, plastic baggies, etc. The “waste not” idea is something my dad practiced as well, so shooting for fun was not something we did. The only time we shot firearms was while hunting, and it was always long guns. My dad kept a loaded pistol on his nightstand, and because we never shot it I had the curiosity factor working. I would regularly handle it when the opportunity presented itself, but because of the parental direction, and firearm education, I had been given I was completely safe with it.

I removed the firearm curiosity factor while raising my son. By age six he had fired, with my help, nearly every gun I own and he still does to this day. I have always kept a loaded pistol on the nightstand, and a loaded 12-gauge beside the bed since he was very little. Due to his raising he doesn’t view those firearms any different than the alarm clock on the nightstand, or the lamp beside it. The only time they are locked up is when he has company over.

The fact is firearms exist, and by the grace of God they will continue to. I’m not telling anyone how to raise their children, but by sheltering kids from firearms, as opposed to teaching them how to handle them safely and responsibly, you are making them unsafe. The possibility exists that your kid could stumble across a firearm one day. Do you want them to approach it with curiosity, or with responsibility and a sound understanding of its operation? I can tell you how my son would. If you yourself do not understand gun safety and operation, and you have children, I can assure there are many people who are willing to help teach you and your kid(s). In my opinion it’s part of being a responsible parent. If your kid (not specifically you, just saying that in general) doesn’t do too well with basic instruction, then it’s another issue altogether and as a parent you should be able to recognize that.

 

Tell it to the jury...

Your responsible for what happens with your firearms. You figure out how to keep them safe in your situation... Nothing foolish about that beyond your denial. Your responsible for them. That cannot be changed no matter how much you protest.

I grew up under exactly the same conditions you did but not all all kids do. And even then, kids did stupid things.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nurM0mY9N10