Experiment leaves Iowa kids alone with a gun -OR- Educating is Key

Recently in Iowa a bill was passed to allow children under the age of 14 to use handguns under parental supervision. Previous to this bill it was a felony to allow this, although it was fine for rifles and shotguns. The media, as usual, has been dishing out the hyperbole in opposition of this.

‘We do not need a militia of toddlers': If Iowa law passes, children can use handguns

In this short video below they leave a group of kids alone in a room with some toys, and a handgun (non-functioning and no ammo, obviously) to see what happens. Not surprisingly, it doesn't take long before the kids are playing with the gun and even pretending to shoot each other.

It's interesting though, turns out that 2 of the kids didn't pick it up, and those two kids are growing up in a house with guns and have been taught proper safety.

The cop in the video mentions this; Lieutenant Aaron McClelland said it was typical behavior “for young kids. Curiosity. Everything is a toy in their world. Unless we educate them and let them know sometimes it’s not.”

Notice though, how the report was put together. They focus on the negatives of the experiment more than the positive. Lots of images of the kids playing with and pointing the gun, shots of the parents horrified at what's happening, then a brief gloss over at the very end "Those two children are the ones who have guns in their homes and their parents have talked extensively about guns so therefore their curiosity is gone." I'm surprised they left the part in where the mom was saying they taught her son to respect guns.



For me, this solidifies my long time stance that proper education at a young age is the best way to handle guns.
What do you think most people will take from this experiment though?

Reading threads like this makes me thank GOD I was born in Canada.
When are those walls going up? I would feel safer.

Been posted.

Most people will take away the obvious.

If you teach someone something, they will act upon it.

originally posted by: Jefferton
Reading threads like this makes me thank GOD I was born in Canada.
When are those walls going up? I would feel safer.

I'm also Canadian, and although I'm glad about that, I don't feel unsafe or wish for a wall to separate us.
Which part of this video and/or post made you feel the way you did?

The topic of gun regulation/control/safety/violence is extremely interesting, especially when comparing Canada and the US. For the most part Canadian laws are stricter, yet we've never had laws in place in regards to children using any firearms while under parent supervision.

RCMP-GRC.gc.ca | Firearm Users Younger than 18

Using Firearms Without a Minor's Licence

Without a minor's licence, the minor may still use firearms of any class, providing they are under the direct and immediate supervision of someone who is licensed to possess that class of firearm. This generally means that the licensed person must be close enough to them to take immediate action to prevent any unsafe or illegal use of the firearm.

originally posted by: Psychonautics
Been posted.

Most people will take away the obvious.

If you teach someone something, they will act upon it.

My apologies if I'm duplicating topics. My ATS search yielded no results on this video, perhaps my searching skills are lacking though. Could you provide the link to the other topic so I can see how the discussion is going?

Unfortunately I don't agree with you on the take-away. I believe the masses will react much like the mothers in this video did, horrified that the children would point guns at each other, and the belief that keeping guns out of the hands and minds of children is the only safe thing to do.

"Those two children are the ones who have guns in their homes and their parents have talked extensively about guns so therefore their curiosity is gone."

That was exactly how I taught my kids not to smoke!
I do smoke, but I didn't want them to smoke, so I thought about what it was that really got me smoking. Now, apart from the tv commercials that told me smoking was good for me, what really started it was curiosity!
So, my kids while only about 4 years old were allowed to play with my Rizla packs, they messed about trying to roll them and stuck them all over the house, but very soon they lost all interest in them. They're now in their 30's and to this day have never touched a smoke.

Here is the thread

www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: Psychonautics
Here is the thread

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Thank you very much.
Hopefully the mods will notice and merge this into the first one.

originally posted by: Jefferton
Reading threads like this makes me thank GOD I was born in Canada.
When are those walls going up? I would feel safer.

Did you even read the OP or watch the video? Do you have anything more to add than taking a quip at the US? Also, how does it make you feel that the two children know more about gun safety and how to conduct themselves around guns more appropriately than you do?

Wasn't there a story about a mom who is pro-gun, and her 4 yr child accidentally shot her in the back?

originally posted by: farmville
Wasn't there a story about a mom who is pro-gun, and her 4 yr child accidentally shot her in the back?

Yes. and it's a ridiculous story.
Dailymail.c o.uk | Pro-gun Florida mom is accidentally shot by her four-year-old son while driving after the boy found her pistol in back seat - just a day after she bragged about his shooting skills

A high-profile pro-gun activist was shot in the back by her four-year-old son after he found her pistol lying on the back seat of her truck just 24 hours after he boasted about his shooting skills online. Jamie Gilt, 31, who posts about firearms on her social media accounts was driving through Putnam County, Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday in her truck when she was wounded after the toddler picked up the weapon and shot her in the back.

A normal person would realize that a loaded weapon in a vehicle is dangerous, especially if the loaded weapon is just laying in the back seat, and within reach of a small child. Clearly this woman was/is a complete idiot.

Proper gun training includes the right way to store and transport the weapon. Clearly this woman wasn't serious about firearms, treating them more like toys - thankfully she was the only one injured. Although, this woman should be charged with endangerment of that child.

a reply to: Fut004

I have some older relatives in east Texas. Their experience with guns growing up would support the notion that training and teaching gun safety is possible. But here's something else to consider: what other differences are there? A lot of parents wouldn't even want their child to even see a gun. There's probably a lot of cultural difference between them and the parents who actually teach their children how to use them. I suspect they would have some differences of opinion about more than just gun safety. They probably have different approaches and expectations about personal responsibility. If we redid this experiment, giving everyone lessons in gun safety before setting up this situation; would the training lessons alone be enough? Would you still have kids playing with the guns and pointing them at each other? Would you have as many? The world may never know.