I think it's dangerous to assume your experience with firearms is necessarily representative. One of the defining features of children (including teens) is that they don't have the experience or judgment to understand what's a bad idea. Even when you give them intensive training on respect for weapons there's still the issue of impulse control.
Ultimately, the most reliable way of preventing accidents with firearms involving children is to keep them out of the hands of children. I'm glad you had a good experience but I don't see that as a reliable model for the rest of the nation.
I think Tawsix is right, though. All the stuff I've seen/heard/read/etc. from actual gun owners with kids ( and people who grew up around guns ) is exactly the same; teaching children to respect guns is the only way to keep them safe.
I think it's dangerous to assume your experience with firearms is necessarily representative.
Maybe I'm biased, I grew up in a rural community and I didn't know anybody who didn't have guns. I hate to extrapolate my anecdotal evidence but I'm going to: I think there are many communities like that, and they have few if any problems with guns.
Ultimately, the most reliable way of preventing accidents with firearms involving children is to keep them out of the hands of children.
We don't disagree on the end, but rather the means.
I think it's dangerous to assume your experience with firearms is necessarily representative. One of the defining features of children (including teens) is that they don't have the experience or judgment to understand what's a bad idea. Even when you give them intensive training on respect for weapons there's still the issue of impulse control.
Ultimately, the most reliable way of preventing accidents with firearms involving children is to keep them out of the hands of children. I'm glad you had a good experience but I don't see that as a reliable model for the rest of the nation.
I think Tawsix is right, though. All the stuff I've seen/heard/read/etc. from actual gun owners with kids ( and people who grew up around guns ) is exactly the same; teaching children to respect guns is the only way to keep them safe.
Maybe I'm biased, I grew up in a rural community and I didn't know anybody who didn't have guns. I hate to extrapolate my anecdotal evidence but I'm going to: I think there are many communities like that, and they have few if any problems with guns.
We don't disagree on the end, but rather the means.