Voluntary gun safety program. Would you participate?

[HardDrive]

Absolutely no need for this to become a political discussion. In fact, the whole point is to transcend the current miasma.

What if there was some sort of voluntary gun safety program for gun owners? One that specifically targeted gun owners with children. The program would set out a series of guidelines for gun safety. Basically just a rehash of what a safety minded person probably already does, ensuring that all guns are locked up.

The point would be to create a brandable certification so that parents could feel more comfortable asking about guns.

Do you think something like this could get any traction?

[porsche4life]

Sadly not in today's political climate. . They'll think it's a ploy to get their guns and use it as a reason to get rabid.

[id10t]

Been done - Eddie Eagle

Eddie Eagle GunSafe|Eddie Eagle GunSafe

That said, I taught my kids about what a gun can do same way my grandpa taught me. Took 'em to the range, put a gallon jug of water on the berm, and popped it with the biggest gun I had at the time (grandpa used a 12ga, I used my FAL).

Oldest daughter goes to the range with me 2 or 3 times a year, son goes more frequently. Youngest is only 3, so she has a few more years to wait.

[Dantilla]

Anybody who would participate already has their guns locked in a safe.

[Rusty914s]

This is the reason that I sold my guns when we had our baby.

I felt if I were to need the gun in a hurry, it would be next to impossible to get to it locked/locks/unloaded. Maybe I am wrong but I just sold the guns.

[Arthropraxis]

That is pretty much what the CCW classes are and the NRA has gun safety classes.

[widgeon13]

This has been circulating on the internet. Is it true?? I don't know but I would love to know the truth. Source unknown.

"The United States is 3rd in Murders throughout the World.

But if you take out Chicago , Detroit , Washington DC and New Orleans , the United States is 4th from the bottom for Murders.



These 4 Cities also have the toughest Gun Control Laws in the United States .



ALL 4 are controlled by Democrats."

[Seahawk]

It is funny, we teach our children about so many things but want to protect them from guns, which are inanimate objects.

I taught my children about the dangers of cars, and tractors and bad people. I wanted to make them aware, not frightened. I also educated them, when they could understand, about guns.

I live on a farm and guns are tools: We regularly hunt, kill varmints and view guns as a means to our security since we live in a very rural area. The time from recognition of danger to a first responder other than me can be measured in 10's of minutes.

When my children were young, all my guns were in a safe, either a large device or my bedside box with a code only my wife and I knew. With dogs downstairs, my response time to recognition of danger was seconds.

When they were old enough, I taught them to call me if they saw a gun, to not touch it, always assume it was loaded. I kept my guns in safes still.

Then, when they were older still, they learned how to safely handle and shoot guns, the mystery uncovered.

I guess my point is that if you have to teach a gun owner how to properly store a weapon so that their kids are safe, there are more immediate risks to the children than the gun: Their parents.

Distracted driving (phones, testing, etc.) is the number one cause of auto accidents, so far ahead of accidental gun deaths as to be a statistical joke. I'd rather we focus on what is really killing our youth.

[Gogar]

There's plenty of voluntary gun safety programs out there. You just don't hear about them because they don't support the current popular narrative.

I grew up in a small town, and I think 10 of the 12 boys in my HS class took Hunter's Safety.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Gogar

There's plenty of voluntary gun safety programs out there. You just don't hear about them because they don't support the current popular narrative.

Yep. The NRA has done more to promote gun safety than all the "gun sense" astroturfers put together.

On second though, I personally have done more to promote gun safety than all the "gun sense" astroturfers put together.

[gacook]

My dad kept a loaded .357 in his dresser next to his bed. Oddly enough, none of us kids (6 of us) ever shot one another with it...

Wonder why?

[onewhippedpuppy]

I like Paul's take, exposure is the key to making kids respect guns. Remove the novelty, help them understand the dangers, teach them how to use them safely. When I'm at the range, my 10 year old is normally with me. When I shoot at my in-law's farm all three of my kids participate. Even with that, they stay locked in my safe.

Want a class? There are numerous options, many either for free or dirt cheap. I'm not sure what a "brandable certification" buys you in this context.

[Eric 951]

Took hunter safety in middle school. Don't know if it still is, but at the time it was a school-sanctioned elective.

They did a thorough job of reviewing gun safety(just as my parents did).

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

This has been circulating on the internet. Is it true?? I don't know but I would love to know the truth.

The stats are readily available on the internet. The states of IL, NY, CA, and FL are responsible for less than a quarter of the overall gun deaths numbers for the country - 3000 out of around 14,000, iirc.

And what people tend to do is focus too much on guns. The USA has around 10x as many gun-related deaths as other 1st-world countries, though we're way behind Russia, China, Mexico, South America and Africa. If you go by all homicides, rather than focusing on just guns, we move much further down the stats. Other countries have just as many murders as us - after all, people are people; they just don't use guns. I think what skews US numbers over other countries is the high number of accidents with guns. We're not more violent that other countries - we're more careless.

[Z-man]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

Anybody who would participate already has their guns locked in a safe.

This.

Responsible gun ownership involves a lifestyle change and an attitude change.

When I purchased a firearm, BEFORE I LOADED OR SHOT a single bullet out of my spoon, I attended an NRA basic safety course.

There are plenty of opportunities to learn and understand gun safety, but unless a person adopts gun safety guidelines into their lifestyle, it won't make a difference. Those who sign up for gun safety courses are most willing to adopt this lifestyle - or they have already adopted that lifestyle.

BTW: here are points that everyone (not just gun owners) should know:

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
2. Finger off the trigger until you have aquired your target.
3. Don't point the muzzle at anything you do not wish to destroy.
4. Mind your target and what is behind it.

-Z-man.

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

It is funny, we teach our children about so many things but want to protect them from guns, which are inanimate objects.

I taught my children about the dangers of cars, and tractors and bad people. I wanted to make them aware, not frightened. I also educated them, when they could understand, about guns.

I live on a farm and guns are tools: We regularly hunt, kill varmints and view guns as a means to our security since we live in a very rural area. The time from recognition of danger to a first responder other than me can be measured in 10's of minutes.

When my children were young, all my guns were in a safe, either a large device or my bedside box with a code only my wife and I knew. With dogs downstairs, my response time to recognition of danger was seconds.

When they were old enough, I taught them to call me if they saw a gun, to not touch it, always assume it was loaded. I kept my guns in safes still.

Then, when they were older still, they learned how to safely handle and shoot guns, the mystery uncovered.

I guess my point is that if you have to teach a gun owner how to properly store a weapon so that their kids are safe, there are more immediate risks to the children than the gun: Their parents.

Distracted driving (phones, testing, etc.) is the number one cause of auto accidents, so far ahead of accidental gun deaths as to be a statistical joke. I'd rather we focus on what is really killing our youth.

I agree with Paul 100%!

[scottmandue]

Problem is the people who most need the safety class won't take it.
I grew up in a home with no guns, when we visited my uncle the ex-Marine in Kansas he taught us about guns and took us city kids skeet shooting.
I never had any formal gun safety training but needed to take the test to get my first hand gun... I picked up a pamphlet at the local gun store and walked two doors down to the pub for a few beers, after two beers I had finished the pamphlet and said to myself "pfft, this is easy!" and returned to the gun shop (curious what they would think of smelling beer on my breath) and took the test. Checked off the boxes and handed the test back... whoo hoo 100% you pass! Next to me at the counter was a guy who just failed the test.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by azasadny

I agree with Paul 100%!

Art!!!

Here is a pic of Jack with an Browning Auto 5 12 gauge. I think he is ten. Second pic is a .410.





And yes, we worked the finger on the trigger issue out.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Scott, you know that wasn't a safety class, right?

[glewis80SC]

Originally Posted by dantilla

anybody who would participate already has their guns locked in a safe.

+1