New PSA advocates locking up your guns... with a twist

[AWick]

This truly is buzzworthy, btw...

Evolve -- Playthings:

http://moms.popsugar.com/Gun-Safety-Ad-Uses-Sex-Toys-Convey-Message-35093113

[OnTheFly]

My immediate response is...

That's pretty funny!

Though I think that some children might have been harmed (long term psychological damage) in the filming of this commercial.

Thinking about it, it is not necessarily a bad message, though everyone should be able to make up their own mind on whether their guns are locked up.  My fear is not my children doing wrong with a gun.  It is their friends that I don't truly know that worry me. 

For myself, as is the case with many on this forum, my father never locked up his guns.  We didn't live in a rural environment where I might be tasked with dispatching a varmint, but there was no need to have a gun safe, trigger, cable, etc. lock on any of the guns.  This is probably still the case in much of rural Nebraska.  Children are taught young to respect the gun just as my children have.  Whereas I have no idea what their friends have been taught or what their mental state is.

Fly

[whatsit]

Yeah, the group that put this out is really close to anti-gun / gun-grabber status. One of the founders was quoted as saying we should not be able to own any type of gun -- referring to "assault rifles" (paraphrased by me).
They present themselves as a gun safety group just like many anti-gun groups do.
I'm going to take their stuff with a grain of salt.

[OnTheFly]

Yeah, the group that put this out is really close to anti-gun / gun-grabber status. One of the founders was quoted as saying we should not be able to own any type of gun -- referring to "assault rifles" (paraphrased by me).
They present themselves as a gun safety group just like many anti-gun groups do.
I'm going to take their stuff with a grain of salt.

I don't doubt that, but outwardly the message is not presented as a "All guns are bad and should be banned" message.  Apparently they decided to take a more subtle approach since they know that a call for a ban will only result in their message being disregarded.

Fly

[OnTheFly]

I couldn't resist.  I don't know why I even waste my time, but I posted a reply to a reply at the link provided.  Here it is...

Mike...have you ever lived in a truly rural environment in the midwest?  Or even a rural area of California 30 years ago?  Because this example of human nature you think doesn't exist has been proven for generations.  Guns and ammo are in no shortage in these areas, and it is most often accessible by anyone in the family.  Children are taught at a young age to respect guns, how to handle them, and what they are capable of.  The mystique is gone for them. 

Many people I know grew up going to school with a firearm in their vehicle for hunting in the early hours before school, or just having fun plinking with their buddies after school.  Something in society, predominantly in the larger and more liberal cities, has desensitized the mass killers of late.  I'm not going to blame video games.  I couldn't begin to guess what sets them off.  Regardless, you don't hear of mass killings in the rural communities. 

My children grew up with their grandfather's loaded service pistol in a holster slung over the back of a chair.  They knew not to touch it, and they never did.  It wasn't just my grandchildren that were exposed to this irresistible (as you seem to deem it) temptation.  It was ALL the grandkids, and not a single one ever touched his gun. 

Even though I don't live in a rural area, there are guns everywhere.  I can look down my street and probably only see a few houses that don't have at least one firearm.  Despite this, our crime rate is quite low, and we definitely don't have children shooting their parents.  I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but it is probably statistically about as likely as being hit with a semi truck while walking down the street. 

Many non-gun people teach their children to react in fear, sometimes with absolute panic, if they ever see a gun.  This is lack of education pure and simple.  You wouldn't see a child of good mental health that was properly taught about guns reacting in this same manner, but you also would not see them pick it up and start killing simply because it is there. 

The problem here is that you are speaking from an experience level of absolutely zero.  However, the media you choose to listen to supports your beliefs that this is a rampant problem everywhere in the US.  This is called "Confirmation Bias".  Many of us on the other hand have lived a life around guns, and we have seen no carnage because of it. 

Is one mass killing one too many?  Absolutely! But don't blame the availability of guns as the problem.  History and real (not perceived) experience has proven you uninformed.

Fly

[Mntnman]

The flaw in their logic is that firearms in the house should not be relegated to taboo status. Kids are naturally curious and super curious if they come across something they think is being kept from them. Don't make the mistake of having guns in the house and assigning them mystic status.

I expose my girls to guns often by having them shoot, load mags, and watch me clean them. We have discussions about what to do if they find a gun in our house or a friends house, what would they do if they saw one outside or if a friend was playing with one. I don't want to have that discussion with them about adult marital aids.

I probably could trust them with having unlocked guns in the house, but probably is way too uncertain with how much I love them.

[Gary]

I tell my students if they have two handguns and no safe, sell one gun, and buy a safe if that is what it takes. 

Locking one up secure is better than having unsupervised guns laying around. 

[Lorimor]

We were always a blastin' something on the farm.  Guns were readily available to us six boys, 24x7.  The deal is, we had involved parenting.  It was instilled into us early and often that guns weren't toys.  And growing up on the farm, we knew that death was for keeps. 

Our first fall on the farm, coyotes nearly wiped out our small flock of sheep.  The next night, Dad sat up on top of the hill with the .243.  Wile E. sauntered in to clean up.  Bam!  A 60 grain Sierra HP at 3600 changed his meal plans.  Dad drug the 'yote up to the house to show us kids.  It was blown up pretty good.  Guts were hanging out everywhere.  He explained to us little knuckleheads that was exactly what would happen to us if we were shot by a rifle.   

It made quite an impression on my 10 y/o mind.

We shot all manner of varmints over the years in protection of our chickens etc.  (The worst were stray dogs that folks dumped "out in the country.")  Guns and ammo were readily accessible to us 24x7.   

It can be done.  Kids and guns can co-exist with no problems if done right.

Still, I recommend that guns be locked up for a variety of reasons.  But the how and why of it should be left up to the individual household. 

Government and other busy bodies need to butt out.