guns & television

[redhawk41]

lots of children are raised in homes where there are no firearms, therefore the child has no exposure to fireams.

except from the television.

does tv in general give positive or negative exposure to firearms? how is one who learned everything they know about firearms from television expected to act when they are put into a situation where they have to deal with a firearm? Especially in an uncontrolled situtation, ie finds gun somewhere?

 

[USP45usp]

Any responsible parent, gun owner or not, should teach their children about all facets of life, including guns.

When a child asks about a power tool, or picks it up, and it is taken from them, it is explained why they shouldn't touch such things until you, the parent, thinks that they are ready.

The same should go with guns. They are only a tool. Like cars, you teach your child how to drive and take the keys away until they are ready, the same goes with guns.

Television is bad for the brain IMHO. I stick to the Arts: SciFi, Fox News and local broadcasting when either Church shows are on or Lars Larson.

 

[Sir William]

I recently visited a friend at his aunts. His cousin was also there with his four kids. I had taken a S&W along to show my friend. We were both rather surprised by the kids wideeyed reaction. Is that a REAL GUN!? It would have been a good opportunity to have a positive firearms experience. The four kids were interested. My friend and I would have enjoyed showing and teaching about firearms. The cousin was an idiot. He gathered the kids up, went to another part of the house and closed the door. Opportunity lost. It isn't TV, it is the ignorant parents. No matter what anybody says, kids are nosey, they do find things. They wonder, What if? Our schools should be required to teach firearms safety, have state DNR hunter safety programs, distribute NRA Eddie Eagle, JPFO Uncle Jack comics and allow JROTC on campus for older students. Their tax support and funding should be tied to providing a well rounded awareness and general education.

 

[redhawk41]

does tv in general give positive or negative exposure to firearms?

what i have seen on television with regard to firearms is mostly a lot of pointing them at other people, with fingers on the trigger. what i have not seen a lot of on television is addressing the four rules of safe gun handling. guns are treated as what they are in television, a prop.

how is one who learned everything they know about firearms from television expected to act when they are put into a situation where they have to deal with a firearm?

i would expect someone who only recieved firearm exposure on television to behave just like they do on television, which means a lot of waving the gun around with finger on trigger. i seem to see that alot. and just where did these gangsters learn to shoot sideways? i don't see that in the NRA course, i would have to say they learned it from television.

Especially in an uncontrolled situtation, ie finds gun somewhere?

sadly this happens, and the result is often a deceased youngster. usually it is because the gun is being pointed at someone with a finger on the trigger, just like they do on television.

USP45usp and Sir William,
i realize that most folks on this board will have similar opinions of how children should be raised around guns. i share them as well. however, what i am after here is what types of problems do we see in society because alot of people learn about firearms by watching television, which just does not portray responsible gun handling.

some kids are told that the way they handle guns on television is not the good way, some kids are not. let's talk about the kids that are not.

i have answered the above questions as i can (in short), anyone else?

 

[USP45usp]

Red,

You are correct in so many ways but it's still the parents job to teach their kids and tell them, "honey, that's a fools way of shooting, lets go and get an NRA (or other) course to see how it's done and to respect the tool".

Parents need to give up some time and sit down with their children and explain and teach. Heck, I grew up in a home full of guns. Not counting Holland (the have their own gun laws so all guns were kept on base), I grew up in a home ripe for accidents to happen, guns, a fireplace, stairs. Yet at no time did I remove or use a firearm in the house. I know where they were, I know the 4 rules, and if Mommy or Daddy needed help, I knew which ones were loaded.

It was nothing more then simple teaching, explaining, and then setting the rules. I was a child/teenager once and I know that many will say, well, do you trust your kids in this situtation and the answer when I was growing up was Yes, without a doubt.

I don't know if it's the TV or video games that are the cause, or explained to be the cause, of some of the things that are going on. Yet it still comes down to the parents. You can buy a TV with a V-Chip, you can set passwords on the comcast box, you can be in the room or buy the games that your kids play.

As well as you can listen to the music that they play. Yet you have to be there for your kids, to watch them, to understand them, and (if it's not illegal in your state) to give them a "whatfore" on their rearends.

 

[BreacherUp!]

The uneducated...

RedH, unfortunately I mostly deal with the ones who've never been taught the right way to deal with firearms. A few examples:

#1) Use a gun to settle disputes: I got in fist fights all the time when I was younger. In high school, people would get shot b/c they wore some clothes another wanted (Air Jordans were the big thing). Too afraid to take a beating and learn from it.

#2) The gang banger style of shooting (pistol held with one hand, canted 90 degrees down): This is good in one respect, the chances of one of those rounds hitting me is low. They hadn't figured out the sight thing yet.

#3) Weapon handling safety rules: The big 4 is a sports shop to a lot of these people, not the bible of safe weapons handling. Safety is only the thing they switch before they "pop a cap in someone's a*s."

#4) Unfulfilled Curiosity: How many kids have self inflicted GSWs due to what they saw on TV?

#5) Glamorization of having a pistol: The "juice" on the street of having a pistol is a badge of honor. Youngens see this on TV and in life. Revolving door on that one.

I hope I answered what you were asking.

 

[USP45usp]

BU, I have to agree with you:

#1) Use a gun to settle disputes: I got in fist fights all the time when I was younger. In high school, people would get shot b/c they wore some clothes another wanted (Air Jordans were the big thing). Too afraid to take a beating and learn from it.

**There was a time (when I went to school) that disputes were settled with fists and not knives or guns, even though everyone carried a knife (even the girls) and some had rifles in their trucks.

#2) The gang banger style of shooting (pistol held with one hand, canted 90 degrees down): This is good in one respect, the chances of one of those rounds hitting me is low. They hadn't figured out the sight thing yet.

**True. The only bad thing is that you (or I) may not get hit but with that style of shooting I would only hope that I (or another CCW person or LEO) could stop the criminal before others get hit. I guess it would give alittle more time to aquire the sights for a good hit.

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#4) Unfulfilled Curiosity: How many kids have self inflicted GSWs due to what they saw on TV?

**This one is were the training (over and over) comes into play and also allowing your child to be able to ask you questions. As well as keeping an eye on what you allow your children to watch. And you have to know the developmental aspects of your children.

#5) Glamorization of having a pistol: The "juice" on the street of having a pistol is a badge of honor. Youngens see this on TV and in life. Revolving door on that one.

**Sad but true. It has been glamorized in "gangsta" shows/movies and in music videos and everyone wants to be like *insert music star here*.

I think that too many parents are using the TV as a babysitter and aren't watching what they are watching. And if they are doing this then they aren't teaching the child about guns, drugs, sex, right and wrong. So the child learns all this from the TV.