If I was smiling any wider, I'd give the Cheshire Cat the creeps.
I had pulled out the .22 rifle to examine it. It's a cheap Armscor M1600 that I got many years ago.
Surprisingly accurate for an inexpensive rifle, and I got it in my head that I should paint it in some sort of girlie colors and give it to my daughters. The Hello Kitty thing has been done to death, so I'm thinking Care Bears or My Little Pony. Of course, I have a plethora of themes to choose from off of Noggin. Wow Wow Wubbzy could be kind of cool.
Anyway, I was working on pulling it apart when I heard my oldest daughter yell "Daddy! I found a gun!!! I'm leaving the room!" I almost broke my leg going to check it out. I was scared that I had inadvertently left the shotgun or my carry piece on the bed. Luckily for me, it was just the gun case for the .22, but she knew enough to not get near it. There is so much pride in me right now that I wanted to share with all of you because there's a very, very important lesson here.
Even if you hate guns and think they should be wiped off the face of the Earth, you should teach your children what to do if they find one. Even at only 5 years old my daughter knew not to touch what she thought was a gun. The very first thing she did was tell an adult. The next thing she did was leave the room. Would your child do the same?
Your children should know this. It should be repeated to them every time you think about it. If you're a gun owner, make sure you sit with your sons and / or daughters and let them see your firearms when you clean them. There is nothing wrong with obsessing over safety with them because as this example shows, it will take hold in their little minds.
I had been wondering how to test this scenario. I don't care if I removed the barrel out of my Glock, I simply could not leave any firearm just sitting around as a "test". I love my girls too much to risk something like that. Thank God this happened because I can't tell you what a relief it is to hear all my hard work pay off. Granted, Georgia is old enough and that's something to be proud of, Irelyn is still only 2 and it's no time to let down my guard. Safety, safety, safety!!!
Please, if you have young children, teach them that if they find a gun to not touch it, leave the room, and go tell an adult. If you have friends who have small children and aren't gun owners, stress to them how important it is - just like telling them to say no to drugs or to never get in a car with a stranger. It just might save their life some day.
rolled out on
Thursday, February 07, 2008 7:47 PM