Arming 6-year-olds won't win Dems the White House

Union Leader ^ | May 5 2002 | Roger Simon

[2Trievers]

Food for thought

[DugwayDuke]

Since when are strawmen "food" for thought?

[Leisler]

When Clinton was first with the 11 midgets in New Hampshire and a unknown, I turned to my democrate female cousin who graduated from Harvard with a degree in Russian and worked for the CIA and said "that guy will win the nomination." She asked why and I said he was tall, good looking( comparitivly) and all the women would vote for him. She is still eating crow at every family gathering. As an aside, she now loves GBJr.

[B. A. Conservative]

This country doesn't need any more Democrats. What we need is to educate the ones we have, thereby eliminating Democrats all together.

It is also clear that there is no shortage of moderates or moderate Republicans that could use some refresher education as well. History suggests that Democrats may be uneducable. If this is true, separate countries maybe preferrable.

[raisincane]

My family was raised with guns. We all learned how to shoot before age 6. Dad's guns & ammo were stored in a rack readily available to all. We had respect for the arms because we knew how to use them and what they could do. We then taught our son the same respect for arms at a young age. This fine family tradition made lots of joyous times, and put lots of meat on the table. I agree with Sen. Zell Miller, it's about values.

[2Trievers]

2A Amen!

[backhoe]

This fine family tradition made lots of joyous times, and put lots of meat on the table. I agree with Sen. Zell Miller, it's about values.

Same here- got a single-shot bolt-action .22 at age six. And carefully rationed .22 shorts...

An aside? I was raised around water- on the ocean and boats.
I literally can't recall not being able to swim or float on my back.

Yet around here, with the ocean & rivers & streams & marshes & borrow pits everywhere, hardly a year goes by without some poor devil drowning, and the first thing out of friends & relatives mouths is, "He was so scared of water he never learned how to swim..."

My point being, my parents, rather than trying to "make me safe around water by avoiding it" chose the other route to "make the water safe to be around" by teaching me to swim.

It was the same with firearms- when I was really too little to learn, they were kept??? I never knew where- didn't know we had any...

But when I was old enough to handle a rifle, my Dad took an orange, a .22 long rifle, blew up the orange, and explained how "That could be your head, or mine, or your Mother's, or Smokey Joe's ( the dog )"-- and for me, that was sufficient. Not all children have that grasp at that age, but parents generally know these things.

[DugwayDuke]

Well, according to this article I wasn't raised in the South since Oklahoma wasn't on the list of southern states which must explain why I didn't "understand" this. However, I was raised in very southern Oklahoma. One could see Texas from the roof of Dad's trailer. (Dad wasn't particularly proud of that.) Right now, I'm typing this from Alabama where I've lived since 1973. BTW, my Dad didn't buy me a shotgun until I was 10 which was probably due to the liberal influences so prevelent in Oklahoma. Dad did buy me a BB gun when I was six or so. No, I guess I don't "understand" this article at all.

[itzmygun]

When I was about six, my Dad bought me a BB gun and explained the rules that I had to obey if I were to use it on my own. One day he caught me pointing at our dog. The BB gun wasn't even loaded, mind you, but he whipped the **** out of me and I didn't see the gun again for quite some time.

I've never had a problem with being a responsible gun owner ever since.

Now, here's the problem we see today: Because guns are taboo or locked up or whatever, this little lesson either never happens with kids or happens when they are too old to learn. Get a gun and teach your six-year-old these lessons while he or she is still impressionable.

[tomkat]

oh, and the 'south' is the sole repository of such beliefs ?

surely you don't really believe that ??

[Lee'sGhost]

"If you weren't raised in the south, you wouldn't understand this."

I Agree, but I'll take a stab at it anyway. Basically, libs and most northerners see the gun issue as being about keeping guns out of the hands of street gangs (kids), criminals and other people who might hurt them. Southerners see the gun issue as being about keeping the right to bear arms and protecting the family. Funny thing is, I believe ALL of us are for keeping guns out of the hands of criminals -- Southerners can understand that and agree with the concept. On the other hand, libs and most northerners can't/won't see our side -- therefore they want to dictate to us on guns. Big mistake.

[RJCogburn]

that guy will win the nomination." She asked why and I said he was tall, good looking( comparitivly) and all the women would vote for him.

Well, then:

As an aside, she now loves GBJr.

Apparently that swings both ways.

[tomkat]

Not the sole repository, just the primary repository

i'd likely buy that,
but all your previous statement tends to do is piss off your northern allies ...

[Savage Beast]

Like most Democrats, Barnes doesn't bother to get his facts straight (to be charitable about it).

I grew up in the South, and I never owned a gun until I was and adult, married, and a father.

Come to think of it--I had many friend, and I never knew anyone who had a shotgun as a child--and especially at age 6. None of my numerous friends owned a gun at age 6. None owned a shotgun as a child.

As far as I know, Barnes is the only person who experienced this "right of passage"--but he's certainly not the only Democrat who doesn't bother to get his facts straight.

[raisincane]

My gun happy family of 8 siblings were raised in central Indiana. Hoosier values still include gun ownership. The problem with the gun issue is: the gun laws are not properly enforced and the criminals who misuse guns are not properly punished. We should all study our judges before elections, and vote only for the judges who believe strongly in our Constitution.

[Savage Beast]

I was raised in the South, and I don't understand it. Owning guns, for me, means being able to protect myself and my family.