I guess I was fortunate to grow up in a gentler time. Somewhere our society has allowed reality T.V. to glorify misbehavior and cause the abnormal to become normal. Think about it - reality television would not be filming normal behavior……there’s no money in a Norman Rockwell home life anymore!
Okay, I’ve had my rant! Now we’ll discuss the root of my problem.
I’ve got grandchildren on the way and I want to introduce and pass down to them the privilege, the right, the constitutional responsibility to own or possess a firearm.
I was introduced to firearms at an early age. I had an uncle that loved to see me shoot, not because I was a good shot, but because he loved to see me get the slop knocked out of me. By the age of 10 I was allowed to hunt by myself and I never killed anything by accident in these near 40 years. Around the age 12 I obtained my first gun which was a Harrington & Richardson, model 158 Topper in a 20 gauge with a modified choke. Up until this time all I had shot was a .410 gauge Winchester and a .22 caliber Remington Targetmaster.
I do not want guns to be a taboo item in the lives of my grandchildren. My daughter was only 7 when I bought her the first gun, a Beretta 950BS 4-inch, which she still owns. I started taking my daughter to the indoor target range at the age of 7 and so far she’s never shot anybody that hasn’t desperately needed it.
So you tell me.
What is the appropriate age for kids to learn?
What age did you first learn to shoot?
What was your first gun?
C’mon, it wasn’t that long ago.