Teaching Children About Guns in Minneapolis

A Minneapolis gun store is offering a free gun safety course for children and parents ages 6 and up. In addition to pizza and cookies, the gun shop will teach kids how to safely handle a firearm in order to banish the mystique. The primary message, though, is to teach teach kinds not to handle a gun if they find one. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Koscielski says he's weary of reading stories about shootings based on accidents or foolish behavior.

"We had a boy killed because he pointed a pellet gun at a police officer," Koscielski said. "We've had cases where somebody gets drunk, points a gun at somebody and kills them. When I was a boy [in Minneapolis public schools] we had gun-safety training and it didn't seem like these sorts of things were happening."

Koscielski said he and Rosenberg, who are certified firearms instructors, won't be teaching children how to shoot. Rather, they'll be teaching kids what to do if they find a gun.

"We'll be telling them, 'If you find a gun, don't touch! Somebody call 911.' "

I think this is a great idea. Programs like this and the NRA's "Eddie Eagle" program helps kids see guns in a more practical light. Television shows and movies are filled with guns used in exciting ways by "cool" and sexy people. A child is likely to want to examine and play with the first gun they encounter. If the first time they encounter a gun is under the supervision of a parent and instructor, I think the child is less likely to hurt themselves or someone else if they later encounter a gun without supervision. It is believed that there are about 200 million privately owned guns in this country and somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of the homes in America contain a firearm of some sort. Thus, sooner or later children probably will encounter a handgun somwhere, and it is best if they know not to touch it and how to avoid accidents. People teach their kids both not to play in the street and how to cross a street safely. Gun safety training for children is a very similar process.