For Marie: First - please convey they thanks and appreciation from this old sailor to your husband, for his (and your) service to our country. If you'd like me to send him one of VetsCoR's Support the Troops CD or VCD, send me a FReepmail with his name and address. You can see a short clip by going to VetsCoR's website. Scroll down the main page and click the link. (that link to our website will open in a new window so you don't have to leave this page)
Second, you didn't mention how old your kids are, but they are NEVER too young to start learning gun safety. Unload your weapon, let them look at it, then instruct them FIRMLY, they are never to touch it. Letting them look at, and even handle it, removes the mystery from the weapon, and will satisfy their curiosity about it. Then you can load it and keep it nearby at all times. When you leave your house, I presume your children will be with you, or if you're working, they're in school or day care. Unload and secure the weapon when you're out of the house (unless you have a concealed carry permit in your state), then load it and keep it close to hand while you're at home alone with the children. If your children are old enough, take them to the range and let them shoot it and see what it does. If you're a good enough shot to hit a small can of tomato juice on the first shot, shoot a can of tomato juice, so that the kids can see, graphically - when the red juice sprays over everything, what happens when a bullet hits a body. They might have nightmares for a day or two, but that's a small price to pay to reinforce the fact that guns, used improperly, can have spectacularly devastating results.
For Silicon Cowboy: your comments have been adequately address in other replies to this thread. Personally, if guns scare you that much, I would not suggest you ever own one. Let better people than you protect your sorry butt. As to trussell's kids, you can see videos and pics of them shooting real live guns, with real live bullets, at my website. Scroll down and click the link to my Shooting Sports Pages. Included in the Texas Memorial Shoot, are pics of trussell's 11 year old daughter's target, shot with real live bullets, from a real live rifle, from 100 yards. If you open the Cortez Shoot page, you'll see videos of her 11yo shooting a .45acp pistol, a .22 rifle and a 9mm carbine. You'll also see video of me helping her 6yo son shoot a .22 rifle. The kids had fun, punched holes in paper, and learned valuable lessons in safe gun handling and gun safety. If you have kids, what have YOU taught them about safe gun handling?
For all: if you're ever in the neighborhood of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, call me and we'll go shooting!!!!!
for myself: PROOF READ HARDER next time!!!!!
I wanted to tell Silicon Kowboy the same thing but you did it much better than I would have. Thanks,
No .. guns do not scare me a bit, having owned several, having used them in the course of my duties when I was a Deputy Sheriff. Lack of parental responsibility does, however, scare the hell out of me.
I agree with training your kids with the gun, letting them fire it, etc... but with regards to leaving it loaded and unlocked? That is the act of a simpering moron.