• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Is this irresponsible parenting?

Is this irresponsible parenting?


  • Total voters
    12

Goobieman

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
Messages
17,343
Reaction score
2,876
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Very Conservative
Please watch the videos

10-yr old w/ M14/M1A
YouTube - ‪Nick and the M1A‬‎

10-yr old w/ Mosin-Nagant
YouTube - ‪The M28/30 is "Awesome!"‬‎
(I -love- the "gimmie another one!")

10-yr old w/ .357 magnum revolver
YouTube - ‪Nick and the .357 magnum‬‎

10-yr old w/ .44 magnum revolver
YouTube - ‪Nick actually seems affected by this one. :)‬‎

12-yr old w/ USP-40 compact
YouTube - ‪Greg with the same German pistol.‬‎

Is this irresponsible parenting?
Something worse?
Something better?
 
Last edited:
As long as you have a discussion with your kid about the dangers of firearms and feel he's mature enough to handle them, I say go for it. You want to maximize the probability of your kid's survival if he gets conscripted into the armed forces.
 
Looks like he's being very responsible and safe. If children don't learn to handle weapons, how will they know as adults?
 
I don't know enough about gun safety to really properly judge, but if the question is whether showing a kid how to properly handle weapons, I would not consider that irresponsible in any way. Seems like a positive thing.

Note: my answer only applies if the underlying question is about teaching children gun safety, if there is some extra gotcha to this, or some thing being done improperly that I do not see as far as gun safety, my answer does not apply.
 
Bordorline
We would be better off without guns,IMO, much as England is today....
But I am on the edge....
 
Oops, I accidentally hit "yes" when I meant to hit "no". :3oops:


Yes, of course I'm okay with it. I started my son on basic gunhandling and safety at age 4. By age 10 he'd shot almost all my guns and was on his way to becoming a competent marksman.

The majority of my friends are raising their children to have similar skills. Many of them take their first deer before age 12.

It's all a matter of teaching them the right values and making sure they understand the seriousness of any endeavor involving guns. Just like teaching a kid to drive a Bobcat or operate a chainsaw (also things my son has already learned to do}, its a GOOD thing as long as you teach them responsibility and provide the needed supervision.
 
I don't know enough about gun safety to really properly judge, but if the question is whether showing a kid how to properly handle weapons, I would not consider that irresponsible in any way. Seems like a positive thing.

This ^^^^

I was show how to safely handle, respect and fire weapons at age 10. I was taken hunting my first time at 11, and went on my own with a 12 ga. during small game at 13. As long as children are show that weapons can be fired safely, should always be respected, and one should never point a weapon at someone, I think this is a great thing.
 
Please watch the videos

Is this irresponsible parenting?
Something worse?
Something better?

Is this one of those set up questions? Im trying to see the downside in any of this. I was taught to shoot hand cannons at a much younger age. My kids were too...as soon as they were old enough to ask to go. My oldest daughter is an absolute marksman with her (ummm...that used to be MINE dammit) Ruger .45. She has been shooting since she was 5. None of my kids were 'fascinated' with firearms because there was no stigma. One doesnt like shooting at all, two quite enjoy it, and one doesnt care either way.
 
Oops, I accidentally hit "yes" when I meant to hit "no". :3oops:


Yes, of course I'm okay with it. I started my son on basic gunhandling and safety at age 4. By age 10 he'd shot almost all my guns and was on his way to becoming a competent marksman.

The majority of my friends are raising their children to have similar skills. Many of them take their first deer before age 12.

It's all a matter of teaching them the right values and making sure they understand the seriousness of any endeavor involving guns. Just like teaching a kid to drive a Bobcat or operate a chainsaw (also things my son has already learned to do}, its a GOOD thing as long as you teach them responsibility and provide the needed supervision.

Easier to teach an 8 year old firearms safety with a Beretta .22 then it is to teach em axe handling skills!
 
Nope. Not at all, it's not the kid who knows how to properly handle a gun that accidentally puts a bullet in their, or a friends head.
 
Parent is there.
Safety precautions are used.
Proper instruction is being given.
No one's being shot at.

Stellar gun-safety and education being provided.

I do have a problem with children hunting, though.
 
It's not responsible nor irresponsible... it just is. If a parent wants to teach their kid how to properly use weapons, that is their business.

I personally would have loved it if my dad taught me how to use weapons when I was younger.
 
I voted 'other'. There's nothing wrong with teaching kids how to properly and safely handle firearms if they're mature enough to take it seriously. Whether that particular kid was mature enough, it's hard to judge from those short videos. I'm also not experienced enough with guns to say whether he was being given proper instructions.
 
I wouldn't say it's irresponsible, but to me guns will never ever be a good thing. Ever. Unless you're a hunter, a soldier or a police officer, there is absolutely no reason for you to own a gun and I'm 100% supportive of the strict rules regarding gun ownership in Sweden (where I'm from).

If I knew that my neighbors had guns in their house (even for protection) I'd flee the neighborhood because I wouldn't be able to sleep safely at night knowing that there was such a dangerous weapon within close proximity of my house.

I realize it's a different culture and mindset over there. But it still doesn't change that you have the highest gun violence rates (among developed countries) in the world. If you say that it's not the gun that kills people but people, then does that mean Americans are a more violent people? If so, then all the more reason to NOT have such lax view on gun ownership! It's like giving a match box to an arsonist. But if Americans are not more prone to violence than other developed countries, then it must go back to the gun being the source of the problem.
 
I wouldn't say it's irresponsible, but to me guns will never ever be a good thing. Ever. Unless you're a hunter, a soldier or a police officer, there is absolutely no reason for you to own a gun and I'm 100% supportive of the strict rules regarding gun ownership in Sweden (where I'm from).

If I knew that my neighbors had guns in their house (even for protection) I'd flee the neighborhood because I wouldn't be able to sleep safely at night knowing that there was such a dangerous weapon within close proximity of my house.

I realize it's a different culture and mindset over there. But it still doesn't change that you have the highest gun violence rates (among developed countries) in the world. If you say that it's not the gun that kills people but people, then does that mean Americans are a more violent people? If so, then all the more reason to NOT have such lax view on gun ownership! It's like giving a match box to an arsonist. But if Americans are not more prone to violence than other developed countries, then it must go back to the gun being the source of the problem.

Wow....just...wow...
 
I wouldn't say it's irresponsible, but to me guns will never ever be a good thing. Ever. Unless you're a hunter, a soldier or a police officer, there is absolutely no reason for you to own a gun and I'm 100% supportive of the strict rules regarding gun ownership in Sweden (where I'm from).

I'm interested to know why you feel that law-abiding citizens aren't entitled to use maximum force available to protect themselves, their families or property?
 
I'm just not used to people owning guns. I've never seen a gun in real life and I hope I'll never have to. Not even the police force carry firearms on a regular basis in Sweden.

This is probably not nice since you apparently frighten easily, but a quick search of your crime picture shows that while you still got nothing on us in the gun violence arena, your criminals still got them guns...and drugs...and apparently violent crime is rising...you got some problems with some neo-nazis and muslim youth brewing...so...Im not suggesting you should move...but you might want to start stockpiling boxes...
 
Yes just because I would wait until he is a little older, like driving age.
 
This is not irresponsible parenting.

You can tell from the comments that the adults present have given the kids training with regard to the safe and accurate use of the weapons.

The kids are aiming at clearly marked targets on what is obviously a gun range.

They are using appropriate ear protection and support mechanisms for the recoil.

The adult not holding the camera doesn't hesitate to step in to help, but also steps out of the way when the kid's ready to shoot.

In short, they're doing everything right when it comes to training a child to safely and accurately handle a firearm.

As to whether or not that sort of training is appropriate to begin with is a judgement call for which there is no right answer.

I happen to think there's nothing wrong with this, but I can see other people having objections. I don't mind those objections, so long as the objectors only try to apply their decision to their own kids.
 
I'm interested to know why you feel that law-abiding citizens aren't entitled to use maximum force available to protect themselves, their families or property?
I don't see why anybody should need a gun in their home. But I'm also from a different culture where most would feel the same. We feel our families and properties are safe and secure without firearms.

This is probably not nice since you apparently frighten easily, but a quick search of your crime picture shows that while you still got nothing on us in the gun violence arena, your criminals still got them guns...and drugs...and apparently violent crime is rising...you got some problems with some neo-nazis and muslim youth brewing...so...Im not suggesting you should move...but you might want to start stockpiling boxes...
I don't frighten easily. I just wouldn't feel comfortable or safe in the close proximity of a firearm. And I wasn't being literal when I said I would actually move, but I said so to make the point that guns wouldn't make me feel secure and protected but uncomfortable, paranoid and unsafe.

Neo-nazis have been a problem since the early '90s but it's not made any of us want to 'protect ourselves' with weapons. The 'muslim youth' troubles are in immigrant-only suburban areas of the larger cities, Malmö in particular. Where I live there's nothing of the sort. And even with all those numbers rising on violence, drugs, rapes, murders etc - I still wouldn't get a gun. I don't live in fear of being a victim of a crime.
 
I wouldn't say it's irresponsible, but to me guns will never ever be a good thing. Ever. Unless you're a hunter, a soldier or a police officer, there is absolutely no reason for you to own a gun and I'm 100% supportive of the strict rules regarding gun ownership in Sweden (where I'm from).

If I knew that my neighbors had guns in their house (even for protection) I'd flee the neighborhood because I wouldn't be able to sleep safely at night knowing that there was such a dangerous weapon within close proximity of my house.
WOW.
And they say that Hoplophobia is a made-up term.
 
I associate firearms with shooting mush melons, beer bottles, and getting some free meat for a few months (the deer limit is like 3 in Kentucky now). Of course, that isn't proper training or proper safety when using guns, the whole shooting mush melons thing.

I doubt (for now) I will ever run into this issue. Chances of my little girl wanting to shoot off firearms is probably going to be pretty slim.
 
I don't see why anybody should need a gun in their home. But I'm also from a different culture where most would feel the same. We feel our families and properties are safe and secure without firearms.


I don't frighten easily. I just wouldn't feel comfortable or safe in the close proximity of a firearm. And I wasn't being literal when I said I would actually move, but I said so to make the point that guns wouldn't make me feel secure and protected but uncomfortable, paranoid and unsafe.

Neo-nazis have been a problem since the early '90s but it's not made any of us want to 'protect ourselves' with weapons. The 'muslim youth' troubles are in immigrant-only suburban areas of the larger cities, Malmö in particular. Where I live there's nothing of the sort. And even with all those numbers rising on violence, drugs, rapes, murders etc - I still wouldn't get a gun. I don't live in fear of being a victim of a crime.

Im fine with people not comfortable around firearms. I've taught defense courses...some people have no business being AROUND firearms, let alone owning them or God forbid ever being ina place where they needed to USE them.

I dont live in fear of being a victim either. I just recognize the reality of the situation and respond accordingly. Prepared isnt fearful. And I HOPE you guys maintain your peaceful community. Truly. Dont let any of your artists draw pictures of Muhammed or any of your politicians speak out against the prophet and you should be fine. Well...except your jews...they are kinda being targeted right now...
 
Back
Top Bottom