2007-04-21 14:00:49 · 13 answers · asked by yetanotherday 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
When they have reached the age necessary to assume the proper RESPONSIBILITY and TOTAL PERSONAL accountability for their actions. There are people that are 50 that should be precluded from firearms in ANY WAY.
Gun ownership should be like receiving and keeping a pilots license; pass the annual test, physical and mental records etc.
Ownership of any kind should be treated as a permit to carry with all the paperwork and background checks. My reasoning; you can go into a store, buy a shotgun and then CARRY it until you are CAUGHT. It should be ASSUMED that ANY firearm purchase is going to be CARRIED with the same due dilligence.
Who buys a 9MM Glock to hunt? I don't think so because they are designed to KILL PEOPLE VERY effectively. You get my point.
I received my first shotgun when I was SEVEN, knew how to use it and accepted the responsibility. I also had a 30'06 and a second shotgun before I was in 9th grade. I hunted with my dad, we respected nature and completely understood the responsibilities of gun ownership.
It just has NOTHING to do with AGE!
2007-04-21 14:21:59 · answer #1 · answered by jacquesstcroix 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Everyone in my family and my husband's family let the kids start shooting (at ranges and with adult supervision) at 8 or 9. My family the boys were given rifles at 12 and in my husband's family somewhere between 8 and 10. This doesn't mean that they are ever allowed to take them out to play with them or that they can run around shooting at whatever they want. Both families just happened to at some point live in rural areas where you occasionally had to shoot a snake, possum, fox etc and also for home protection. There haven't been any issues with anybody hurting anyone else either because gun safety is stressed. I haven't decided when I'll get my son his first gun but he does know how to shoot several types (and he's pretty good at it too!) and he's just turned 11. Overall I think it depends on maturity and if they really seem to understand that you can seriuosly injure or kill someone with it. If they don't understand that it isn't a toy then they shouldn't be anywhere near one!
2007-04-21 21:15:33 · answer #2 · answered by . 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Under supervision the child should be in school first. A pellet gun is the first place to start. I think the unsupervised use should happen when the child is responsible and has responsible friends to go with. There is no age for an irresponsible child. It is not like a drivers license where an age has been established. You have to know how he will act with a gun.
2007-04-21 21:09:47 · answer #3 · answered by Pablo 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
12-13 with direct supervision only. When they've demonstrated a pattern of safe gun use you can let them take their rifle or shotgun out in the field or woods unsupervised but they never have free access 24/7.
2007-04-21 21:10:08 · answer #4 · answered by gunplumber_462 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No child should ever be given a gun to use. Besides knowing the capabilities and potential damage, there are the consequences for shooting a weapon. Most children are too young to fully understand a clear cut definition of self defense or how much "kick" a weapon has. If they can't wait until 18 or 21 then maybe they should never be given one period.
2007-04-21 21:11:30 · answer #5 · answered by bwonder48 4 · 1⤊ 4⤋
A 45 pistol, I learned, was designed to kill Moro's or Muslim Filipinos who run amuck/berserk with knives or a kris, a native sword, in a killing rampage. To me therefore, a real gun is designed to kill, a person or an animal perhaps, but just the same, it is for killing. To my mind, a gun should never be in the hands of a child. A toy gun is different... cougar
2007-04-21 21:33:14 · answer #6 · answered by cougar 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
At NO age should someone defined as a "child" be given or allowed to use a gun. I do believe in teaching gun safety, as soon as they are of a reasonable, more responsible age (LATE teens).
2007-04-21 21:06:33 · answer #7 · answered by mixpix777 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I have actually seen kids practising with guns and I don't know how old they were and what the law says, but they looked too young, and that did not make me feel too well.
2007-04-21 21:07:08 · answer #8 · answered by VPOC 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My father began teaching me weapon use and safety at age 7 and took me hunting at age 9.
Never been arrested.
Never committed a crime.
What's the purpose of your question?
2007-04-21 21:09:28 · answer #9 · answered by chuck_junior 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I child should never be given a gun let alone use it. Neither should most adults.
2007-04-21 21:06:25 · answer #10 · answered by jromnipotent 2 · 1⤊ 6⤋