I know that an 8 year old should not fire any weapon, automatic or otherwise. Anyone who allows an 8 year old to fire a gun should have their gun licence revoked for life.

 

Well. . . here's what I have to say about that.

Bovine Scatology!

I am a firm believer in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I am also a certified rifle/pistol/shotgun instructor.

The BEST time to start teaching marksmanship is to a youngster! You see, they don't have the bad habits that older people (especially guys) have, from watching the westerns and cops/robbers movies.

I started teaching my oldest son when he was SIX! My oldest daughter didn't want to have any part of shooting until she was 24. She was more concerned with 'Barbie' and 'Ken' as a youngster.
My youngest daughter wants to learn, finally, because her boyfriend and I, along with his Dad, go to the range, often.
My youngest son, now 12. . .pushing the heck out of 13, started shooting at SIX!

I am a firm believer that instead of hiding stuff from kids and keeping them (I won't say 'dumb' about guns) un-educated is a better word, I teach them respect for the firearm and the proper way to handle (or not to handle) a firearm, and marksmanship skills.

For myself (and that is the only person that I can speak for), firearms education needs to start early.

 

BS. We had an 8 year old girl shoot a doe at the deer lease this weekend.

 

Well, I live in S. FL and shot my first firearm at the age of 5. I was brought up in the everglades hunting camps that my dad and his buddies use to build. Point is there were a lot of firearms around so my dad took me through very serious training before I was 5 and to be quite frank I knew more about handling firearms in my early years than some adults I know now...that shoot!

 

I guess the eight year old learned how not to handle a fully automatic weapon....too bad the lesson cost him his life and will (I'm sure) destroy the remnants of his family.

The rest of us will ultimately pay the price in needless new laws and regulations.

I agree, if properly taught and supervised, eight is not too young to learn firearm safety, proper handling and RESPECT of the power of weapons of any type.

Letting an eight year old take place in a fun shoot of a mini machine-gun that is known to climb when fired is STUPID unless the instructor had his hands on the weapon as well. And even then I'm not sure this would be a good idea.

We can probably say goodbye to another gun club in this state - between development, insurance, over-regulation and dwindling membership there won't be any left soon.

 

I read of the child that accidently shot himself, last night.
Terrible, terrible tragedy!

If any blame is to be given, it should be directed toward the person(s) not actually having 'control' over the firearm, whether it was the 'owner' of the firearm, the instructor, or the parent.

Again, it is a terrible, terrible waste of life, and I'm sure that the father will be second-guessing himself (and blaming himself) for the rest of his life.

 

I should have explained my comment was in connection with this story which is big news worldwide. From what I understood there was no instructor. It appears (and I may be wrong) it was some kind of bizarre fairground stall at a hunting club. My belief still stands that 8 year olds need no more to be trained in guns than they do to be taught about sex or drugs (that's in response to your comment about teaching adult 'skills' to children early before they learn the wrong way to do it). My children will be kept away from any form of gun until they are old enough to make their own informed choice.

Each to their own, and that's what makes for an interesting debate.

One last point - Carb72 - Just how 'serious' can weapons training be to a child under 5 years of age? Guns aren't for 4 year olds. Really that's just getting into the realms of madness. Please don't tell me you will/do/have 'trained' your children to fire guns before they are 5? What's the point???

 

Why would that be,there are 8 year olds who could handle shooting something like a .22 rifle under adult supervision safely
gun license? what are you talking about? assuming that you dont have any prohibitions from legally owning a gun,owner ship is a right......

 

At what age does a person have the right to bear arms? 18, like voting?

 

I'm guessing this guy has bigger issues right now than whether he'll get to keep his "right" to own a firearm.....like burying his eight year old son and trying to save his relationship with his wife and surviving 11 year old son. Not to mention trying to keep his sanity. He was several feet away when his son shot himself in the head.

In MA, owning a gun is one of those "rights" that the state regulates very strictly (see Chapter 140 Sections 121-132 of the MA GL - M.G.L. - Chapter 140 - Table of Contents ) and you'll see what I mean. It's also a "right" that they can take away from you at the drop of a hat or just outright deny.

 

THe problem is that kids may get exposed accidentally at school,with friends,etc.The parents who choose to teach there kids about firearms at an early age,may very well prevent there child from having an accident with a gun that they might find or be exposed to. Are you around your kids 24/7,can you guarantee that they will never be somewhere outside your scope of control,where a gun might be present?
You have admitted that you dont know all the circumstances of this tragic story,so why do you choose to believe what may be the rhetoric of an anti gun media?
Whether you would like to admit it or not,gun safety is not just an adult skill.... the 5 year old who has been taught about guns has probably been taught that if he sees one without the presence of his parents,he is to walk away from it,dont touch it,and find an adult to tell about it......As opposed to the 5 year old who's parents pretend they dont exist,this 5 year old is likely to pick up the gun and play with it,and the results can be tragic.....

 

I believe there is no limit stated in the US constitution, but I'm certainly no expert.

One thing I do find interesting (and I'm not trolling honestly) is that the constitution also does not define 'arms'... technically I believe you have the right as an American to bear, let's say, a hand grenade or a nail bomb... I stand corrected if I'm wrong on that point.

 

As a foreigner, and in the interest of debate, you'll have to cut me just a bit of slack on US gun laws... my lack of in depth knowledge shouldn't bar me from an opinion that you can correct (a bit more politely rather than 'what you talking about!' ). You get my drift though. In Britain one needs a licence to have a gun, in the US you need a ban not to have one. The two knuckleheads planning to kill Obama were stated on our news as 'illegally' possessing weapons, so you can see the confusion.

 

Had you stated your issue with 8 year olds and guns,rather than including the issue of licenses,i would have responded differently!
As a resident of a country that appears to be anti-gun(i say appears because i dont know much about British gun laws) does your media provide you with an un-biased account of the story in question?
you appeared to be stating in no uncertain terms that no 8 year old shoot shoot any gun,and i asked my question in the same authoritative way.....
Now that i know that you arent from the US,and are just attempting to offer an opinion based on your very different circumstances, my response could be considered rude or dismissive,youve got my apology on that part......

 

Im not saying your wrong, but that doesnt sound right.

A 5 yeah old kid has the right to bear arms, but you have to be 18 to vote?

I would imagine there MUST be a age where that right kicks in.


Anyone know??