I’m concerned that there might be a nugget of truth to this, and here’s why:
I’m a girl, born and raised in NYC, but with the bulk of my extended family coming from (very) rural Pennsylvania.
I, along with most of my cousins, learned to shoot a .22 when I was 10 years old, up in back of the lake cottage. We were given explicit instructions either by Grandpa, the uncles, or one of our older cousins. Girls and boys all learned to shoot.
So anyway, I grow up. I marry a cop, and I continue to shoot whenever I can (not so easy in NY but VERY easy in PA). My own boys are of the proper age to learn, and have been, under the direction of their father, and with my blessing.
Last week, I went to Uncle Joe’s funeral. He was the uncle who probably taught me the most about the art of shooting. He has 12 children — 10 boys, 2 girls. One of the topics of conversation was “what to do with Dad’s guns?”
Stupidly, I thought the boys would just divvy them all up and pass them down to their own kids (dozens of them, all boys except for one). But no...it seems my cousins’ WIVES won’t allow their children to handle firearms. I was shocked to learn that only a very few of them had EVER fired a gun.
So, if the gun culture is “winding down slowly,” I can see why: Mommy won’t let little Johnny learn. I can’t tell you how sad this whole episode made me. I was really appalled.
What happened to the guns you ask? I told my cousins that if nobody else wanted them, I’d take them and hold them in safekeeping until MY boys were old enough to have them. And I said it right in front of all their wives, too.
Regards,
I'm quite blessed. Dear Old Dad (G_d rest his soul) taught me quite early, and even went hunting with him. (quite fun!) Anyway, the other two never did, and now that they are a little older, I told them I would take them and show them. (esp. since I inhereted my father's collection.)
I sleep quite easily now that I have his collection at the house.