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Let's face it: Guns are going to be a part of American society whether we like it or not. Even if we choose not to have guns in our own homes, they still exist elsewhere. They could be in your son's best friend's house, they could be on the streets somewhere - they can be anywhere at any given time. We can't ignore guns because they, in all reality, are virtually everywhere.
Nothing says that, just because firearms exist, we are in danger. No, that's not the case at all - we can be perfectly safe if we choose to apply ourselves just a little bit, if we choose to teach safe practices to our family and friends.
For example, teach your children the "Get away, tell an adult" safety rule. Basically, it goes like this: If you're in somebody's home, or out playing in the neighborhood, or anywhere else, do not stay there if you see a gun. Get away and tell an adult that you trust. Teach your children that getting out of the situation the moment it arises is safe, not to mention acceptable.
Remember that, should this ever happen - should your child ever come to you to let you know that he or she saw a gun - you cannot go ballistic. You have to keep calm and deal with the situation in a logical, cool manner. You don't want your child to think that you're upset, frightened, or angry because he or she did something wrong - reinforce that they did the right thing by coming to you.
Should you decide to have guns in your own home, trying to hide them from your family could very well create a dangerous situation. People in general are curious creatures - we're going to explore what we perceive to be forbidden territory. If a child finds a firearm hidden in the bottom of Dad's sock drawer, he or she might try to get a closer look at it. Teach your family that firearms are NOT toys and should NOT be treated as such! Teach your family that guns CAN kill people - this isn't television.
Many people choose to secure their firearms with trigger locks, locking gun cabinets, and other mechanisms. I recommend doing this when children who aren't old enough to use the firearms at the gun range are present - I also recommend locking the ammunition and the firearm separately as a sort of double defense against danger.
Teach respect for firearms. If you ALWAYS treat the weapon as if it's loaded and ready to fire, the chances of an accident occuring lower dramatically. Also teach respect for other people - just because somebody cuts you off in traffic doesn't mean you have the right to pull out a handgun. If you treat the firearm and the person with respect, then you've created a very safe environment for yourself and your loved ones.
We take responsibility. We can lock our gun cabinets, install trigger locks on our firearms, or a host of other things. We can also, in some cases, allow our family members to handle the firearms so as to remove the curiosity. In some cases, allowing the fifteen year-old to go take target practice with Dad is more than enough to keep him or her away from the guns when there isn't an adult present. Whatever the case, the adults HAVE to take responsibility for their firearms as well as for their family members.
Regardless of how you personally feel about guns, they will still exist. There's no sense in not teaching the family how to be safe around guns that could turn up outside of your home. Please, use your heads and think about safety and responsibility so that you and your loved ones can continue to enjoy a long, safe life together.
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