guns in the house

"Tiffany" wrote in message
...
Paul Griffiths wrote in message
...
"steveb" wrote in message
...
"Dusty" lifted the trapdoor, peered around and wrote:

And there is no need to be fearful if you've taken the time to
educate
yourself and your children in the use of firearms.

This will be why 11000 Americans kill each other with guns each year?

Which is a problem because...?

;-)

That is a pretty insensitve statement Paul.

Not at all, your interpretation of it is flawed.

The problem is that sometimes its someone's kid or loved one.

No, that's just an inevitable consequence of the real problem but I don't
believe this is the right forum to discuss this in, if indeed useful
discussion of this issue is even possible, hence my reply.

There could be those on this NG who lost a loved one as a result of an
uneducated gun owner.

Indeed there could and I would sympathise greatly with their loss.

Just wanted to let you know that statement was hardly funny.

It wasn't really meant to be funny so that's okay then, yes?


--
Paul Griffiths

'Kate wrote in message ...
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 01:00:23 -0500, "Dusty"
"Joelle" wrote in message
...

Or are you just popping up to assert your right to own a gun AND be an
asshole?

C. No. I'm exorcising my right of free speech. If that bothers you,
too
bad.

Exercising, BTW.

:-))

And so are those who do not want children in the same house as a gun.
Respect is a two way street.

Or at least it should be.

D. As for being an asshole.. Well, Joelle, you appear to do that quite
well all by yourself.

And evidently, respect isn't in your vocabulary which makes it even more
disturbing that someone like you has the right to own a gun.

That's certainly true.

They should give IQ tests...

And psych tests too.

Simpler would be to just ban private ownership of guns altogether of course.
Nobody *needs* to hunt these days and we Brits are very unlikely to invade,
honest.


--
Paul Griffiths

Paul Griffiths wrote in message
...
"Tiffany" wrote in message
...
Paul Griffiths wrote in message
...
"steveb" wrote in message
...
"Dusty" lifted the trapdoor, peered around and wrote:

And there is no need to be fearful if you've taken the time to
educate
yourself and your children in the use of firearms.

This will be why 11000 Americans kill each other with guns each
year?

Which is a problem because...?

;-)

That is a pretty insensitve statement Paul.

Not at all, your interpretation of it is flawed.

How is it flawed? When someone stated that 1100 Americans kill each other
with a gun each year, you stated "Which is a problem because...?" Then added
a smily with a wink. Then lets not forget the comment of going to run and
hide. If that comment wasn't to be funny or even insulting to Americans.....
what was your point?

I'm from a very small, rural area and everyone I know owns a gun. I was
raised with a Dad and brothers who hunted, as most people do in this
area. In our home the guns were always kept, unloaded, in a locked gun
cabinet. I have several uncles who kept their guns loaded on a wall
rack. Becoming a parent made me really question the gun issue - of
course before I was a parent I never gave it a thought, it 'just was'.
I've taught my child since she was old enough to understand my words
that guns are very dangerous (not bad) and should never, ever be
touched. Certainly if I know of someone who is haphazard with their
guns, leaving them lye around, etc. then my child would never be allowed
there, period. After going to college, getting out there more, I
realized that to some people, this type of reality (living in homes with
guns, everyone in a town owning guns, hunting, etc.) is wild, scary and
a little psychotic! However, being from a small, rural, hunting area
you grow up not fearing but respecting guns in general. I know they can
kill a person - I also know they were used to help feed our family. I
would imagine that a persons beliefs and attitude about guns/gun
ownership is partially (if not heavily) based upon the area in which
they were raised/live.

'Kate wrote in message ...
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 22:54:55 -0000, "Paul Griffiths"


Simpler would be to just ban private ownership of guns altogether of
course.
Nobody *needs* to hunt these days and we Brits are very unlikely to
invade,
honest.

That's not what I heard. I heard that y'all are sneaking in one at a
time via the visa for marriage program. :-)

Shhhhh!

Bugger! Now you've spoiled it. :-(


--
Paul Griffiths

I've taught my child since she was old enough to understand my words
that guns are very dangerous (not bad) and should never, ever be
touched.

You've of course seen all the studies where kids are told that, taught that,
have it pounded in their head and then a video plays while the adult leaves a
gun in the room and what do the kids do? Take it out, play with it, point it
at each other.

It's like telling a kid to keep their hands off the cookies.

But it also has been shown that children of hunters who are taught to handle a
gun are less likely to think it's something cool to play with.

I used to worry about my kids going to homes of people who had guns. I told
them to come right home if they ever saw one, but you know they don't always do
what you tell them. I think they are old enough now...but maybe not - they did
show a video of older boys who played with found guns as well.

Joelle
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page - St
Augustine
Joelle

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 04:47:55 GMT, Alex Nemeth
wrote:



What about guns in your kids' friends' houses?

not sure what your looking for here.

I'll answer that one in another part of this thread.

Do you know?

Usually

Do you care?

Depends on the people involved

There's the rub -- knowing the people.


I currently live in a Rural community more or less. Hunting,
Trap/skeet Shooting are a part of this area, even more so for this
part of the state. I pretty much came back to live in this area
when I was about 15, prior to that I lived in
Cleveland/Akron/Stubenville Ohio. Prior to coming back here ( NY )
Guns were used for other things, usually not so pleasant. And yes I
was "almost" on the wrong end of a handgun ( interesting tale behind
this ) not a pleasant thought at 15.


Alex I think I might be your new neighbor :-) It's a big state and I'm
new to the center of it. It's very different to family visits on Long
Island over the years, that's for sure! Where're you?

I would be interested to hear about that story if you wouldn't mind
telling it.

lm

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 21:21:31 -0600 (CST), (Misty)
wrote:

I'm from a very small, rural area and everyone I know owns a gun. I was
raised with a Dad and brothers who hunted, as most people do in this
area. In our home the guns were always kept, unloaded, in a locked gun
cabinet. I have several uncles who kept their guns loaded on a wall
rack. Becoming a parent made me really question the gun issue - of
course before I was a parent I never gave it a thought, it 'just was'.

I think this may be the case for some of the children around here as
well.

I've taught my child since she was old enough to understand my words
that guns are very dangerous (not bad) and should never, ever be
touched. Certainly if I know of someone who is haphazard with their
guns, leaving them lye around, etc. then my child would never be allowed
there, period.

Yes but how would you know that? This is what my initial question is
developing into. How do you know who is responsible and who is not? Do
you ask? You can't "just know."

After going to college, getting out there more, I
realized that to some people, this type of reality (living in homes with
guns, everyone in a town owning guns, hunting, etc.) is wild, scary and
a little psychotic! However, being from a small, rural, hunting area
you grow up not fearing but respecting guns in general. I know they can
kill a person - I also know they were used to help feed our family. I
would imagine that a persons beliefs and attitude about guns/gun
ownership is partially (if not heavily) based upon the area in which
they were raised/live.

I'd guess there's some truth to that.

lm

Thanks everyone for your comments on this issue. I did fear when
posting my original list of questions that we'd end up with a messy
pile of tangents but for the most part 'twas the locals who responded
and I appreciate your thoughts.

When I was about the age my kids are getting to be now, I used to go
to CCD (Catholic Sunday school) on weeknights. One year my CCD teacher
was Mr. C, by night a mild-mannered CCD teacher but by day a dashing
FBI lifer. Mr. C. would usually come directly from work in his jacket
and tie and gun belt, and as he spoke he would put his hands in his
pockets or maybe take off his jacket and right along there with "turn
the other cheek" was this GUN! I was frozen solid and couldn't listen
to the lesson for watching that gun move back and forth across the
front of the room, but the contradiction was clear to me. Man oh man I
can see it even now. Mr. C's daughter ended up being my college
roommate and I told him about that one day. He had no idea he was even
wearing the thing, it was to him not much different than wearing
shoes.

(On a side note that was about the same time I was asking around
church about "if Adam and Eve were the first people, then what about
the cavemen?" and nobody would give me a straight answer, so it could
well be that the seeds of my disillusionment with the Catholic church
were planted earlier than I thought. I assumed it came out of typical
teenage rebellion stuff.)

So not because of that experience alone, I'm staunchly anti-gun and
that was hardly a problem living inside the Beltway. There are
definitely some "weekend warrior" types but in my observation they're
satisfied with paintball. But where we live now presents several
problems. I have to reconcile my fear/aversion/pacifism with the
reality that this is a gun-using community. I'm quite sure that the
majority of the gun owners in this community handle their guns
responsibly. That's not to say their children do/will and it's not to
say mine will either. So surely it would be a dangerous mistake for me
to not have the boys -- and me, and their stepdad -- trained in gun
safety.

But separate from that is the question of knowing the gun situation at
their friends' houses. Several people responded by saying they would
never let their kids play at irresponsible gun owners' houses. How do
you know? The fact that someone is a conscientious plumber doesn't
make him a responsible gun owner. That he's a caring basketball coach
doesn't reflect on his attitudes toward gun safety. So do I scope out
everyone's house before I let my kids in? Do I create an issue where
there is none? Last night was my just-about-8-year-old's birthday
party and a half-dozen moms dropped their kids off at my house
(finally, enough room for a birthday party!) without even getting out
of their cars! These people don't know me, we're just "the new kids,"
so I was pretty surprised. When kids are small, kid-specific
safety-related comments are expected -- the host parents even ask them
("any food allergies?"), but I'm sitting on the fence here between
allowing my kids to make their own connections and jumping in every
time they take a step and saying "let me test the waters first."

Dilemma. I'm working through it. That first part, about overriding my
own philosophy, is a toughie. I know the effect of prohibition though,
and it's the lesser of two evils I guess to eliminate the mystique
about guns.

Bleh.

lm

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:34:04 -0000, "Paul Griffiths"
wrote:

'Kate wrote in message ...
On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 22:54:55 -0000, "Paul Griffiths"


Simpler would be to just ban private ownership of guns altogether of
course.
Nobody *needs* to hunt these days and we Brits are very unlikely to
invade,
honest.

That's not what I heard. I heard that y'all are sneaking in one at a
time via the visa for marriage program. :-)

Shhhhh!

Bugger! Now you've spoiled it. :-(

What's all this then? Someone's going to face up to the Department of
Homeland Security and try to get in here?

I've got some experience with the K-1 visa if you're interested. :-)

lm