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Is That A Gun In Your Pocket? |
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Gregory Morris, 9/8/08 10:14:53 am |
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Jay examines the problems surrounding "the question".
I've come across similar situations myself. Normally, I will just lie, or use some form of misdirection unless it is a close friend asking, in which case I simply reply, "you are unlikely to find me unarmed." Even my liberal friends (who, by and large, are not anti-gun.) Although, I often get the "you must be paranoid" angle, at which point some of Jay's smart-ass responses play nicely.
The one time I was caught off guard, is when I found myself preparing to dine with my wife and 10-year-old niece in North Carolina. NC requires you to be disarmed anywhere alcohol is served, which means most restaurants. I almost walked into the restaurant, when I remembered that, so I walked back to the car, and went to lock my firearm in the glove box. I didn't notice that my niece had followed me back to the car, and was staring wide-eyed at me as I closed the glove box.
Long story short, I explained to her that I always carried a gun because I am responsible for my safety, and also hers. I also explained how North Carolina had a law that made armed self defense illegal in most restaurants. I then explained (after some expected questions) that her daddy wasn't allowed to carry a gun (even though he carries one at his job) because he lives in Maryland where evil communists are in charge. Perhaps some of the nuances were lost on her, but her curiosity was assuaged.
So, Jay and I disagree slightly on how to handle children. When you are dealing with other people's children, there are a lot more concerns about discussing just about any topic.
However, I believe that in general, children (by the time they are 8 or 9) should be spoken to as you would speak to an adult, especially on matters as important as this. A few weeks later, the topic of firearms came up again (kids remember random things at random times) so we got to do the entire gun safety briefing (four rules and all.) She already knew the Eddie Eagle bit, but she was interested, so I couldn't in good conscience say no to her inquiries. After letting her handle an unloaded gun (under my supervision, and only after she could state the four rules from memory) her curiosity faded (kids also have a short attention span.) Like Cornered Cat, I believe disarming a child's curiosity about guns is the absolute best way to keep them safe. |
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| | [Comments are closed after a month.] |
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