Originally Posted by
Suzanna Turner
I grew up in a house with several shotguns propped up in every corner, and you couldn't open a closet without them falling out.... literally falling out.
My father was a gunsmith...owned and operated a gun shop out of our home. Sometimes his customers couldn't pay for his services so they bartered and traded with him. We had enough to supply a militia, and most of them were not ever registered...with many that didn't have serial numbers on them. A lot of 'kit' guns, many antiques... My father also hosted the weekly gun club for our county, right in our backyard. I had handled so many guns as a very young child. My sisters and I all learned to shoot at the age of 4. We were then initiated into the gun club. We also taught how to break them down and rebuild them. The guns propped up in corners? Finished guns waiting to be picked up, and since both parents worked full-time jobs outside of the home, it was up to us girls to answer the door and give the right gun to the right customers. They all had yellow receipts rolled up and sticking out of the barrels.
Our way of life was passed down to the grandchildren and now the great-grandchildren. My great nephew just learned how to shoot his first gun two weeks ago, at the age of 6...he's getting a late start.
How many accidents have we had? ZERO. How often did we irresponsibly handle a gun? ZERO. Four generations and not one little issue.
It is about teaching gun safety and respecting the power they possess and you possess while you handle them. Yes, but that is all secondary to teaching how to be a respectful, responsible, loving and caring human being. Without that, the gun safety goes out the window.
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