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Old October 10, 2012, 05:06 PM   #76
45_auto
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Its an easy thing. Taken from a third party we have some guyw aving a rifle around and letting children play with it. You're going to get a hard look at, at least in my area. Especially when its the scared to death mom calling.
Go out on a few calls sometimes. Many departments have a "citizen's watch" program where they will let you do a ride along with your local PD or sheriff. It'll probably take about an hour into the shift before you figure out that there is no "easy thing". You'll learn pretty quickly what every cop knows - there are two sides to every story, and that the truth is somewhere in between.

Your call of a scared to death mom claiming that someone is waving a gun will definitely get some attention. Once the neighbor explains what happened and the kids tell their side of the story, i.e., he was cleaning the gun and they wanted to touch it, he wasn't waving the gun around, the mom never saw the gun, etc, then the most that will likely happen is that you will be told to keep your kids out of the neighbor's yard. Of course, you can make up any lies that make you feel better and the neighbor can too. In that case the outcome will depend on who is the better liar.

If you don't want your kids touching guns then you should try taking a little responsibility for their upbringing. 10 years old is plenty old enough for you to teach them not to touch a gun and to leave the area unless you are there, not to get in a car with a nice man with some candy, etc.
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Old October 10, 2012, 05:07 PM   #77
shortwave
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Not brain surgery or anything.

Too, doesn't just apply to guns.

Just a matter of common courtesy from one parent to another and knowing, rather then assuming our boundaries with other peoples children. And when there is any doubt as to those boundaries, be an adult and stop to find out boundaries first before proceeding. To overstep those boundaries is wrong whether done intentionally or not.

Maybe I let my kids do or get around things you don't let your kids partake in. If your kids are at my house and my kids or I are doing something that I'm in question of you allowing your kid to do, I'm the adult at my house and am responsible for finding out from you whether your kid is allowed to do so and so. As a parent, I don't feel that's to much to ask of a responsible neighbor.

When I was young, our family did a lot of bow shooting in the back yard. With seven kids, the chance of a neighbor kid being at our house 24/7 was pretty much the same as daylight coming in the morning in Ohio.
When shooting, there where many non-negotiable rules with severe consequences from management(dad and mom) but two where at the top of the list:

1).No shooting without adult supervision.

2)No friends shooting until mom or dad cleared it with the parents.

The instructions to us kids were, "don't even ask till permission was recv'd from parents . Period "!

I don't ever recall a parent not letting their kid shoot but do recall listening to conversations in which the called/informed parent appreciated the courtesy shown.

Last edited by shortwave; October 10, 2012 at 05:19 PM.
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Old October 10, 2012, 07:49 PM   #78
zincwarrior
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There you go, thats what I'm really saying.
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Old October 10, 2012, 09:48 PM   #79
Edward429451
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If you were a nighbor of mine and let them play with a rifle without getting permission from me or the wife, the best option for you is that we would have words at about 90 decibels.
Now hold on a minute, nowhere did I say that he should have let the kids handle the rifle without permission. I said I agreed he did the right thing because the parents weren't there. I said he should be neighborly and go talk to the parents instead of hiding in the closet, lol.

Perhaps you should go read my posts again if you're confused about my position.
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Old October 12, 2012, 09:16 PM   #80
FoghornLeghorn
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Those days are gone and they're not coming back
You have no idea. And therein lies the tragedy.
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Old October 13, 2012, 08:54 AM   #81
Amsdorf
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Interesting how this conversation has proceeded, with now nearly 3,000 views.

By the way, nobody is "hiding in the closet" on this issue. That's just a silly remark.
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Old October 13, 2012, 09:40 AM   #82
Edward429451
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Well, no offense Amsdorf, but if you're not extending an invite to them because of something you know or have heard about how psycho the mommy is, that's one thing, and perhaps prudent. But if you only what-if'd yourself into not going by to invite them having no other knowledge beside just meeting the kids...you could be over-reacting to the situation and perhaps missing a great opportunity to gain new friends and to get to introduce some kids to guns.

You never know when one thing you may say to someone may stick and help them immensely later on. What-if (LOL) the parents are not gunnies but let the kids go with you, you teach them the four rules of safety and two weeks from now the kids encounter a gun in their friends house and don't pick it up and point it at their friend because of the seed you planted in their head about safety? You could potentially save a life in this fashion. There's no safety in ignorance, and every little bit helps.

If the mommy is over the hill type obvious when she answers the door, you can always drop back and punt by telling her that you're there concerned for the kids because they came up asking if they could hold the gun (your words) so you thought she should know so that she can instruct them that it is a bad thing for them to do. ???

Last edited by Edward429451; October 13, 2012 at 09:46 AM.
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Old October 13, 2012, 09:46 AM   #83
Amsdorf
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Ed, you really seem to know a lot about my neighborhood, my neighbors and my relationship with them.

Pretty amazing, since I have not seen any new folks move in lately.



Your speculations are pretty much dead wrong, but...hey, everyone has an opinion.

Last edited by Amsdorf; October 13, 2012 at 10:02 AM.
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Old October 13, 2012, 09:57 AM   #84
Edward429451
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OK.

How about you zincwarrior. If your kids came up my walk asking to hold my gun, what would be my proper response? Tell them to get out and let it go? Come tell you that the kids have not been trained in proper response to encountering a weapon?

He didn't offer the rifle to the kids. They asked. He's minding his own business on his patch of ground, and your kids (sic) came up asking. Should he inform the parents of that or mind his own business?
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Old October 13, 2012, 12:58 PM   #85
Amsdorf
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I think we've reached this point in the conversation...


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Old October 13, 2012, 02:28 PM   #86
shortwave
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Ed, you didn't ask me but my response to the kids would have been something like, "well boys, I would enjoy showing you the guns but lets go ask your parents if it's ok."

We would then go ask the parents.
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Old October 13, 2012, 10:03 PM   #87
checkmyswag
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Invite their dads to the range?
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Old October 14, 2012, 07:36 AM   #88
BigPoppa
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I grew up in the late sixties and early to mid seventies and you really have to be so careful of litigation nowadays. I am in my early fifties now and I had a great childhood. From my Grandmother(mother's mother) to the man that tended our farmland(Mr. Mack Lee) to my Mom and Dad all had a hand in raising me and I think that did a good job with the resources they had, although things were tight I never really wanted for anything that I did not get, and as you get older you realize that it is not the worldly possesions that mean the most it is the time spent with the individual.
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