Grumble stupid IE and bad cookies)

Anyway. Adam, I am not holding your comments as law of the land, simple discussion only. Besides most of you are all old enough to have developed your own values and beliefs, with the foundation your parents gave you, what you learned from a respected teacher or coach, and finally friends and peers.

A couple of things that I tried posting before IE took a dump at work. Even though parents may teach a child right and wrong, not to touch a gun, get help or tell an adult etc. Kids will still touch a firearm, whether or not it is real or a toy if they are left alone with it.

As an example of this; I came back home after one of the asylum games. My wife was in the back yard with the dog, my daughter who was eight at the time was playing one of her computer games, my son was at grandma's. As I was unloading, I dropped the case off on the couch which contained my MP5, and told my daughter not to touch it as I left to finish unloading. Big mistake. In the couple of minutes that I was outside getting the box containing the magazines, my vest and locking up my truck, she figured out how to unlock and open the case, and was trying to figure out what she was looking at. I know I've told her not to touch guns, I know my wife has told her not to touch guns, and I know grandma and grandpa told her not to touch guns. Yet there she was touching a gun.

Another example, back in the late 1990's early 2000 time frame, one of those news shows like Dateline ran a special report about kids and firearms. On it, they had some anti-gun woman from, if I remember right HCI (Handgun Control) prattling on and on about she taught her son not to touch a weapon and to get help, and he would never touch one. As an experiment, said news show went to her son's daycare center with three unloaded and unfireable weapons, along with unloaded magazines. The center even had a gun safety class before the experiment began. (Barrels were plugged from the chamber side). These three handguns and magazines were placed in areas where the kids have access to, and at their height.

Then the kids were led back into the classroom three at a time by either the teacher or center director who left them alone to get a ringing telephone. Within three (3) minutes, all of the guns were found.

ALL of the children at least touched or held one of the guns, some attempted to load the weapons, and some had 'shootouts' complete with sound effects and 'death scenes'. Those that wouldn't play were 'executed' by one of the others. The one that was by far the worst, anti-gun mom's son. Not only did he attempt to load a weapon, he 'shot' two other kids in the classroom, then re hid the gun and magazine he was using when the door was being opened.

( In a recent episode of ABC's 20/20, the network hid a camera along with three guns in a day care center and allowed viewers and shocked parents to watch as the children, ages 3 to 10, found the guns, aimed them at themselves, aimed them at friends and pulled the triggers over and over. Just days earlier, the children had seen a gun safety video produced by the National Rifle Association and been lectured by a police officer. Of those 20 children, only three called for an adult as they had been taught to do.

One 3-year-old who first repeatedly yelled "Don't touch it" was soon trying to load the spent shells that were also found among the toys. www.sptimes.com/News/9...ghbo.shtml )

So you can't tell me a five, seven, or ten year old knows the difference, or knows not to touch a gun. Guns are a curiosity, 'why is mommy and daddy upset that I touched this'. The only thing parents can do today is hope that they gave their kids the right tools to know how to get out of a bad situation, even if that means being a 'narc' or telling on someone, or better yet not to get into those types of situations.

BTW the Illinois standard for a minor juveniles culpability and mental state, basically when he/she is responsible for their own actions: Seven years and older.

On the topic of purchasing. Back when I was in high school as a junior/senior (1988/1989-1989/1990) there was a rash of vandalism reports in Downers Grove and Woodridge. (Paint damaged signs, cars, dented or shot out windows.) What stopped it, not police work.

The major sporting goods stores where the guns and ammunition was available changed their policies. It was still legal to purchase, (prior to the ordinances) however, all purchases were tracked and provided to the local police. You want three containers of bb's, pellets, and 3 packs of co2 cylinders? Sure sign right here in this book, plus we need state issued id, and a phone number and address. You would be surprised on how fast things out by me quieted down within two months.

(Edit 11/30/06 0155 inclusion of news story and weblink)

i remember that news story, one kid knew where to put the bullets in the revolver but did not know how to get it to open up. The last part in intrestind i worked at the DICKS in glenview in the camping department and i sold so many airsoft and bb guns. The majority of BB guns were sold to adults, i think i sold one to somone my age. About half the paint ball guns were sold to adults who were giving them as gifts to kids, the other half was to adults who came with their kids to the store. All the airsoft guns were sold to kids, the majority were either late highschool or like 6th to 8th grade, and many were sold to kids 18 years old, and then given to the kids in the parking lot. There was no forms to fill out and there was no questions asked, only are you 18.
I think that if there was a sign in sheet for every purchace the sales woudl have dropped and peoeple would have used them in an safe mannor. I came out to my car one night to find kids shooting other cars with their guns, so i told the cop that works the mall and am pretty sure the were busted.