I was taught to handle guns when I was 5 years old like many here. They have been a joyous addition to my life. What is lacking today is proper education for the children about gun handling that my father taught me. That includes lessons about respect, civility and RESPONSIBILITY so lacking among the youth in today’s world. Excuses made by the idiots who think the 2nd Amendment is out of date should be totally refuted and put down hard. In Europe the Brits have given up their guns while the French happily hold on to theirs.
Pretty sure that while the French may have a better set of freedoms than the Brits, they still have very prohibitive licensing, registration, and very few place they can legally shoot.
Switzerland is better, but less so lately.
I bought my son, age 8, his first rifle, a .22 clip “Boy’s Rifle.”
I kept the bolt until we went out......