Experiment shows differences between children

[jkurtz]

This is very similar to other experiments that try demonstrating why people shouldn't own guns. The gist is always the same, if you have a gun in the house a child will pick it up and shoot it. One criticism that I remember reading about, and it applies to this situation as well, is that the gun is always placed along side other toys. It is not unreasonable that the child picked up the gun, in a pile of toys, under the impression that the gun was also a toy. I would be interested to see how the results would change if the gun was placed elsewhere, especially if it was put near other items the children knew they were not supposed to play with. As far as this particular experiment went, good for the kids that knew better.

[crazy2medic]

My children were taught from a very young age to shoot, and to not touch the guns without permission, when my son was about 7yo I noticed he was showing more and more interest in his mother's .38, so I bought a box of .38s and we went out to a buddy of mines land and did a little informal shooting, he put ten rounds down range and didn't want to shoot anymore, told him we have 40 rds to go, made him shoot the entire box, curiousity winked out and he showed no more interest in the .38!
I never had any issues with my son or daughter when they were little, now my son is like his father, abosuletly no interest in baseball, football, or those type of sports, but if it throws a projectile it has his undivided attention!

[WildBill]

My children were taught from a very young age to shoot, and to not touch the guns without permission, when my son was about 7yo I noticed he was showing more and more interest in his mother's .38, so I bought a box of .38s and we went out to a buddy of mines land and did a little informal shooting, he put ten rounds down range and didn't want to shoot anymore, told him we have 40 rds to go, made him shoot the entire box, curiousity winked out and he showed no more interest in the .38!
I never had any issues with my son or daughter when they were little, now my son is like his father, abosuletly no interest in baseball, football, or those type of sports, but if it throws a projectile it has his undivided attention!

This sounds like a technique similar to one that was used to keep some children from smoking.

[crazy2medic]

Used a similiar technique to keep him off hard liquor, did that when he turned 17 while on a hunting trip, he's 25 now and still gets sick at the smell of whiskey, or any hard liquor, turns pale and starts getting nauseous!

[WildBill]

Used a similiar technique to keep him off hard liquor, did that when he turned 17 while on a hunting trip, he's 25 now and still gets sick at the smell of whiskey, or any hard liquor, turns pale and starts getting nauseous!

[TreyHouston]

Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

[Syntyr]

Used a similiar technique to keep him off hard liquor, did that when he turned 17 while on a hunting trip, he's 25 now and still gets sick at the smell of whiskey, or any hard liquor, turns pale and starts getting nauseous!

My mom used to manage an apartment complex in El Paso. One of the maintenance men was having a party. I was 17. It was in the complex so mom knew I wouldn't be driving. The guy was serving Budweiser. I probably had 10 or so... I barely remember getting home and getting sick. The next morning we were supposed to go to white sands New Mexico. I didn't want to even seen sunlight. Mom made me go and I had to ride in the maint mans truck which had no AC. This was in May so it was probably 100 in the shade. I have never been so sick. To this day I can't drink beer...

[The Annoyed Man]

Used a similiar technique to keep him off hard liquor, did that when he turned 17 while on a hunting trip, he's 25 now and still gets sick at the smell of whiskey, or any hard liquor, turns pale and starts getting nauseous!

My mom used to manage an apartment complex in El Paso. One of the maintenance men was having a party. I was 17. It was in the complex so mom knew I wouldn't be driving. The guy was serving Budweiser. I probably had 10 or so... I barely remember getting home and getting sick. The next morning we were supposed to go to white sands New Mexico. I didn't want to even seen sunlight. Mom made me go and I had to ride in the maint mans truck which had no AC. This was in May so it was probably 100 in the shade. I have never been so sick. To this day I can't drink beer...

Moms can ruin a perfectly good thing.

I had my problems with drug abuse as a yoot, but never with alcohol. After finding myself face-down in a pool of my own vomit on someone's front lawn the first time I drank without restraint, and face-down in a pool of my own vomit next to someone's toilet bowl the second time, I decided that being that drunk was a losing proposition for me and never did it again. I'm the kind of person that would rather die than throw up because I both hate and fear how completely out of control and vulnerable I feel when doing it - even when I know that I'll feel better if I just let it go and start "shouting for Hughie". So I avoid those things like a plague which will make me feel that way.

[crazy2medic]

I knew so kids in junior high that smoked grapevine, dumb, dumb, dumb, wild grapes also known as muscadine grapes make fantastic jelly but they are highly acidic, even eating a few will make your throat raw, can't even imagine how bad smoking the vine would be!

Back to the original story, parents that bring a gun into the house without taking time to talk to their children and demonstrate what a bullet will do are making a huge mistake! I never child proofed my guns, I gun proofed my children!

[treadlightly]

TAM his the nail on the head, and I'm proud to be able to report similar good judgement.

My first excess came shortly after high school, at a gathering where the sweet, sacramental goodness of rum and Coke was something not to be denied, resisted, or revered in small quantity.

The next morning I wallowed in self-pity. I would have ended it all except for the horror of loud sounds.

A few days later, after helping a friend move the beer and hard liquor ran a flood tide. I was swept up, my poison of choice bourbon and Coke. Apparently rum and Coke's lesson, the source of my previous self-immolation, had not been properly received.

The following morning I had no thought of escaping my misery. Just the click of readying a therapeutic mechanism would have been far too loud.

I learned my lesson. No more Coke. I stick to Dr. Pepper.

I don't think I used that story with my kids regarding guns, but I did stress to them were similar ways to be misled into thinking something that seems fun might be a terribly bad idea.

Guns are a dire part of society, and, serious uses aside, they can be a whole lot of fun. It's fun to take something that involves risk, manage that risk, and stand in safety while great energies are exercised. Dirt bikes, light aircraft, study of high energy physics - it's natural to enjoy the safe, rational use of powerful things. If that doesn't ring true, ever enjoyed driving a muscle car?

But you can delude yourself into thinking you have all the facts and can make your own rules. With guns, you can't do that.

I taught Eddy Eagle's rules. Don't mess with guns without adult oversight - mine or their Mom's - and in all cases be acolytes to the rules, finger off the trigger, call an adult, muzzle in a safe direction, all that good stuff.

I never taught that guns were forbidden things. My kids are now adults and have sterling range etiquette, and they carry safely, responsibly, and lawfully.

[flechero]

Hopefully that opens the eyes of the non gun owning parents.

We started gun safety talk when our son was about 3 and we did a similar experiment with him, when he was about 4-5 years old.

[android]

I had my problems with drug abuse as a yoot, but never with alcohol. After finding myself face-down in a pool of my own vomit on someone's front lawn the first time I drank without restraint, and face-down in a pool of my own vomit next to someone's toilet bowl the second time, I decided that being that drunk was a losing proposition for me and never did it again. I'm the kind of person that would rather die than throw up because I both hate and fear how completely out of control and vulnerable I feel when doing it - even when I know that I'll feel better if I just let it go and start "shouting for Hughie". So I avoid those things like a plague which will make me feel that way.

I think when you have to start specifying exactly whose vomit you are laying in is when things have started getting out of hand.

[E.Marquez]

My concern, no make that fear is, no lesson will be accepted by the parents that need it most. They will watch in horror as those children are needlessly exposed to an evil weapon and will convince themselves it can never happen to THEIR child as they will NEVER allow them to be near a weapon.
Forgetting of course they have no such ability to control that variable. Heck I listened to one such pair of parents state that very thing... and reminded them that there were guns all around them and thier children most anyplace in public....and many times in private, but not your home.

They disagreed and said they would KNOW if there was a gun "within a million miles of our child" .. this was the only time I have ever outed myself, my wife, and three others I was pretty darn sure we're carrying that day from signs I had observed while standing in line.
I offered my business card with contact info and said I'd be very happy to offer some basic gun safety info to them, or thier child if they would be interested...
.......
I got a call a week later.........Nope, not Dad.. MOM called and asked if I would come over for dinner at thier house that weekend and speak to her and her husband, if that went well, would I still be willing to talk teach thier daughter some "g..gu.....gun stuff"
It was clear Dad was not happy with me being there ..and this was moms idea....I think a Moms want to protect her child overroad dads hurt feelings..
But, we did something that worked... I spent a few hours a day with both parents, and then Dad worked with the daughter..me in overwatch...But it was dad and Mom that gave the "lessons"
Ive never spoken to those folks again, never seen them.... but then, Never read in the paper about thier daughter being involved in a ND..so I hope it worked out.

I did not change any minds that day...I doubt they own a gun... All I did did is convenience then the known was safer than the unknown when it came to gun safety.