I actually find this fascinating. I strongly believe that ALL children should learn gun safety. NOT so they know how to shoot, but so they know what to do if they run across a gun in someone's home. I was 11 when I took a gun away from my friend's older brother, broke it down and refused to give it back. I told their dad he was being an idiot for storing it outside a locked gun safe when he had his own kids and half the neighborhood tramping through his house unsupervised while he and his wife were out shopping or whatever (his wife didn't work, but there was rarely anyone home with their kids from the time their oldest was about 9). He was offended, but when he realized that EVERY kid under 15 knew where that gun was, and that the older kids HAD gotten his kids to let them come in and 'borrow' the gun with-o telling anyone, he turned really really pale. He got even more pale when he realized he had no idea how to put his gun back together but I did, and his 9yo did, and I didn't teach his kids how to do it, another kid did.
I think parents should have to take their kids through gun safety courses and prove they have gun safes and trigger locks or they should not be able to have guns in the house with their kids.
I grew up with guns. Have had the safety classes as a kid, also spent quite a lot of time target shooting as a kid. I don't have a gun now. Before I ever own another one, I will take another safety class because it has been way too many years since I shot or handled a gun or took a class. I have chosen not to have guns in my home because I don't trust myself. I own guns that my grandfather left me. I have chosen to not have them in my possession because first I had young children and could not afford the level of gun safe that I felt was needed. When my father offered to buy or make a gun safe for me, I declined an chose to not have guns because I don't trust myself. When my migraines get really bad, I get very tempted to remove part of my head. I know it isn't rational, but I want the part that hurts to go away NOW and I do not trust myself not to use a gun or power saw not to remove it. Yes, power saw. When we bought a saw it was one with a removable battery that takes hours to charge and it is not kept charged even though you have to replace the battery more often. This is because otherwise I just might use it to end a migraine. After a few days of excruciating pain, that even a trip to the ER only stops for a couple of hours, I become less than rational. I think most people would with that level of pain, and mine can last from days to weeks or more. So we don't have guns in the house. I also have a husband who is not interested in guns, and would not take a safety class, and that is another reason I won't have a gun in the house.
Of course if I want a gun and have a good reason, my dad is a gun nut. He was a nationally ranked sharp shooter in college (competed on a national level for his university rifle team). He had quite a few, and after he retired he started acquiring more of them. He made sure we did not mess with them at home and we knew how to not hurt ourselves if we came across one at a friend's house. I cannot count how many guns I saw at friends' houses - either their parents or older siblings. I was the only one I knew, other than my brother and one cousin, who had a gun safety class. I have a different cousin who lost an eye and was lucky that he only lost an eye. He and some friends found a gun under a bed at a party. He got shot with it. Until then,his mom INSISTED that gun safety classes for kids were the worst thing ever. She sure changed that tune, and all 3 of his brothers got gun safety classes that same summer. He got one the next fall because he was still recovering and adjusting that summer.
We actually held off on gun safety for my kids. First because we all felt that Wiz being comfortable with guns was a bad idea, and Wiz agreed and still wants nothing to do with guns. Jess hasn't had gun safety classes because of her health issues. thank you has asked to put them off until next year and we allowed that. I would have pushed it if we had guns in the house, except with Wiz.
I don't feel I can make the choice for the general public. I think assault rifles are not something people need. I have heard people argue that they use them for hunting, but not anyone who has actually tried to eat the meat they shot with one. Well, I heard one guy talk about it, but he was griping about pulling so many bullets out that much of the meat was unusable and the hide was decimated. I think assault rifles are not good for hunting anything but people and that isn't something I am interested in. I do think more in depth checks of medical records should be done if you want to purchase a gun, but I doubt it will happen in the near future.
But this is all just my opinion and experience.
