Posted on 11/05/2020 7:17:48 PM PST by DoodleBob
Parents have a difficult enough job as it is, making the choices they feel are appropriate for their families and children. Health and safety are a huge consideration in that effort. Recently, one mom questioned whether her stance on gun safety, and potential access to a firearm via her parents-in-law, was needlessly harsh. The internet response was overwhelming: you do you, mama.
The mom shared her concerns on a Reddit platform, asking fellow internet patrons “Am I The A**hole?” She explained the specifics of the ban on her mother- and father-in-law babysitting. "My in-laws (80M and 70F) have a gun for protection," she explained in her message. "They do not keep it locked up in a safe. They will not tell us where it is except that it's in their bedroom, but my husband is fairly sure it's under their mattress.” She had been assured it was not stored loaded, but the couple would not show their adult children where the gun was for their peace of mind.
That’s when, the mom explained to Reddit, things got tricky. With her kids getting older and more inquisitive, she no longer felt comfortable with her in-laws babysitting at their home. "My FIL asked me why I don't let them watch the kids,” she said, and “I told them because of the gun that they refuse to keep locked up."
This caused a huge rift in the family. But mom was adamant the decision was out of concern for safety. "We taught my son what to do if he comes across a gun, but he's still a kid. And so, we only visit if either me or my husband can go too to make sure the bedroom door is locked," she said.
The conflict didn’t end on principle alone. The poster and her husband even bought the parents a safe for the gun, but they refused to use it. Her father-in-law explained, “there is no point in keeping it in a safe because it needs to be accessible for self-defense.” So, the rift deepened. The poster noted, “They will not be watching them until I see the gun in a safe, unloaded and completely out of my kids' reach."
And largely, the internet audience was on her side. The overwhelming sentiment was that her parents-in-law absolutely were within their rights to own a firearm, but not within their rights to leave it unlocked around her kids. Similarly, the parents-in-law had made the foolish choice, not mom: "It is a very simple choice you've asked them to make. And they have made it clear they'd rather have unfettered access to their guns at all times than unsupervised time with their grandchildren."
The viral nature of the disagreement suggests that the hot-button issue of gun control is yet another source of friction for family members who are not on the same page. While the mom went online to seek insight as to whether she was being unreasonable, she was met with confirmation that holding her ground was worth the effort, in this case.
Indeed, my favorite (inevitable) comment on almost every story of a citizen defense of life, liberty, or property with a firearm, where the BG doesn’t die, is “the citizen needs more range time.”
They did
The gp’s understand guns in safes are worthless when you need them right away
The female hive mind is on the internet
Yeah i want to trust that advice
My kids go to a private school...there have been mass shootings of school kids. I fear for my kids safety. California schools are safe because we have a “no guns within 1,000 feet of a school” law, and criminals would not bring a gun inside the 1,000 foot zone, because....if they did, then they would be criminals.....oh, wait...they already are criminals.
Seriously, I would feel better if the teachers were firearm trained and carried at all times.
Police are great folks, but they are like the garbage men...after the crime, the police get there.
As the saying goes:
“When seconds count, help is only minutes away” /s
Every family is different....the mom needs to lock up all knives in her house...dangerous things, knives and kitchens are a real knife death danger zone.
(ban kitchens or at least ban sharp knives....be like in China where one can have a sword, but it can’t be sharp)
Or an M1
Kinda what I was thinking...what kids going to go snooping around their grandparents bedroom. ..unless they have not been taught respect and boundaries...sheesh...
I hope that she doesn’t vote.
> Its a tool
Yep, turn that around and ask here why she lets the kids go in her kitchen with those highly accessible and dangerous kitchen knives. And power tools... and those dangerous electrical sockets... also, do the kids wear a life preserver when they take a bath?
When we visited the GP’s house, we were told exactly where the rifle was, and that we’d better not touch it. I didn’t need to go look to know it was there, and I wasn’t interested in knowing what consequences there were for touching it.
The paranoid mother did and they refuse to use it.
Swimming pools.
They did that, and the GP refused to use it.
“The mom shared her concerns on a Reddit platform, asking fellow internet patrons “Am I The A**hole?”
Sorry Mom, yes you are.
Guns used for self-defense are worthless unloaded and stored in a safe.
Teach your kids gun safety and train them to use guns in a responsible manor.
As of 2018 reddit had 138,000 active subreddits. I think about 1.3 million total.
If they look hard enough anyone can find a nice little bubble to reinforce their opinion.
If you’re conservative the search may take a bit longer.
“Grandparents should give the kid a Marlin model 60 for Christmas.”
Giving the kids 22 cal would be good, but the next best thing to give someone elses kid is a drum. Heck, give both kids a drum.
A tuba is a good 3rd choice.
She’s worse than a mere snowflake; she’s an asshole.
“Dear son: apparently, you married an asshole. You’re out of the Will. And keep your psycho wife away from us; a restraining order has been filed. Sorry about your kids. “
These damn stupid Karens.
now it’s the “parents” say you’re an assh0le for being upset the kids searched through your private areas of the house
Second Inevitable comment if the bad guy didn’t die would be “ bring enough gun”.
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