4-yr old shoots, kills 2-yr old brother

reply to post by LockNLoad


Totally agree, and my two cents... I think it is a generational issue. Society is becoming weaker. Notice I didn't say soft. I don't think the two are synonymous my dad was a very soft man when you did right, hell's fury when you screwed up. We are not softening we are weakening, and the PC rubes are calling it soft, and gentle when it is really weak, and ignorant.

I used to go rattlesnake hunting with a Winchester model 18 20ga. (you know the one with the cool choke adapter) at 11 and 12 years old, by myself in a huge field all day long. My mother never worried, I never got into trouble, I never shot anything I shouldn't have been shooting at. I didn't "show off" with ot because I viewed it as a tool not a toy. We lived in the country, and the snakes would overrun you if you didn't cull them. Yes I did enjoy the activity, but back then a 12 year old boy had more common sense than a dozen 20 or 30 something idiots today.

We never owned a gun safe. All our guns were loaded. An unloaded gun is an expensive paper weight, or door stop. My brother, and I would have never dreamed of misusing a firearm. Even if no one was hurt the consequences would have been dire. In this story the failure was on many levels. This was a system failure not a freak accident. At 3 or 4 years old I would go with my father on hunting trips. I knew just from the sound of a gun it was a dangerous thing from a young age I had RESPECT for it, :RULE #1!!! As soon as I could safely handle a gun I was taught to safely use it, and gained first hand experience what it was capable of, I had KNOWLEDGE of it :RULE #2. I had a father that expected certain behaviour, and when it came to things like guns, knives, and cars misbehaviour was not tolerated at all, so I had DISCIPLINE :RULE #3. In my house both then, and now the guns were put up in a certain place, and not taken out unless for good reason. I did buy a gun safe for when my children were very young, but they all now have the 3 rules down pat, and the guns are in the safe loaded, but locked, but the older boys know the combination.

I left an unloaded 9mm pistol out on a workbench one time, and got distracted, and forgot about it. My then 9 year old son proceeded to dress me down for my irresponsibilty. That's when you know you did it right is when they remind you of your own lessons. I can say with 100% certainty my children will never be victims in a home shooting accident in their own home.

Even at 4 years old if that child had witnessed the power of that gun, and had experience with it's destructive power, and then followed up with a parental lesson about what a gun does, and is for, I doubt this tragedy would have happened. Hiding guns is to keep honest, informed kids reminded. Hiding a gun will not keep a curious, uninformed kid safe.

reply to post by Binder


Well said
2nd

reply to post by LockNLoad


I said the same exact thing Brother. People have to educate their children on what a gun can actually do, and how to properly handle a gun.....As if it were loaded....even if its not.