Originally posted by: Arnie.d

Originally posted by: lordjedi
I think The Patriot would fall into a strictly conservative category. I remember the outcry from the left when they showed the kids using guns. Oh the horror!

For the record, I have a son now. I'll be showing him how to safely handle firearms at a young age (he's 4 months old, as soon as he can hold things is when I start). Children shouldn't, imo, be taught to fear firearms. They at least need to be taught to get an adult if they find one. At best they should be taught how to use and/or disarm one. Even if you don't want your kids using guns, at least teach them to get an adult if they find one. Not knowing what a gun can do and not knowing to get an adult if one is found can be disastrous.

They bitched about that? Incredible.

Showing children how to safely handle firearms seems good to me. But as soon as they can hold a gun? Seems a bit soon to me.

I am a living testament that you need to teach your children about firearms if you plan to have one around. I am a cop now and my Dad has been for 36 years, whenever I was about 4 or 5 years old, my Dad took his really big and shiny .357 Magnum revolver from his duty belt, took all the ammo out of it, and handed it to me. He said, "Now, look at it, pull the trigger, see how it feels, but it is not a toy so you cannot play with it because it can hurt you and other people. But if you ever want to see it, just ask me anytime and I will let you see it." That whole experience pretty much crushed any curiosity I had about the gun and made it just another thing I saw that I'd already discovered. It no longer had the forbidden fruit aspect tied to it because I knew if I ever wanted to see it, I'd just ask Dad. I even had him show it to some of my friends, of course that was after my Dad had called their parents and got consent, but seeing as how my Dad was the Police Chief of the city, they all took his advice that it was better to explain guns to kids than hide it from them. Later on, whenever I was about 9 or 10, I asked him if I could shoot it because I was curious about what that felt like. Within hours, we were in the woods and he was showing me how to load, shoot, and safely handle the weapon. That had a profound effect on me and I carry on those principles today on the firing range it is also one of my many fond moments growing up and a cherished father/son moment that I often recall. I also learned that the gun is a one of the most elegant, powerful, and potentially disastrous things created by man and it had to be respected. I am now a Police Officer and have to carry a gun and have few around the house as well, and I know I will do the very same with my children whenever the time comes.