"AIMING FOR SAFETY"

Children and Firearms Safety

Children and Firearms -

For as long as there have been firearms, there has been the need to protect
and educate our children when it comes to safe use and storage. One of the
biggest problems we have today is that there is not enough firearms safety
training for children. We are as concerned about your children and their
safety as you are. Here are some basic rules
and suggestions for making your home a safe environment for both children
and your firearms.

* Don't try to hide a gun in the house, thinking that the child will
never find it. They will. Children have the ability to find anything
adults can hide. And, the better something is hidden, the harder the
child will look for it, and the more importance it will have to the
child once it is found.

* Avoid attaching any mystique to the firearm through flat prohibition.
Nothing gets a child's attention faster or stronger than being told
"No," without explanation or reasoning. Children are smart, and will
see through flat prohibition.

* If you carry a firearm on a daily basis, be sure to secure it when you
get home. Make sure that your child knows you do this, and why.

* Teach your children these basic firearms safety rules:

1 Always assume that a gun is loaded, even after you have personally
unloaded it.
Never point a firearm at another person. Never point a firearm in
the direction of anything except a proper target at a range or
while hunting.
Never handle a firearm unnecessarily.
Never accept a firearm from another person unless they have shown
it to be unloaded in front of you. Never assume.
Always verify the unloaded condition of a firearm.
Never throw, drop, or otherwise mishandle a firearm.
When encountering a strange gun (say laying on the street), do not
pick it up. Contact an adult (preferably a law enforcement
officer) as soon as possible. When possible, keep other children
away from the gun. Do not make any assumptions about a "found"
weapon."
When firing at a range, always keep the gun pointed down range,
towards the targets.
A firearm is not a toy. Do not treat it like one.
Do not show off firearms to friends and schoolmates. And, do not
tell friends and schoolmates that there are firearms in the house.
Do not take a firearm from its place without a parent present.
Always use proper ear and eye protection when at the range.
A firearm is not a status symbol, or indicator of strength. Do not
use it as one.
Whenever you are in doubt about a firearm, do not touch it. Get an
adult to check it for you.
Remember, it is our right to keep and bear arms, but it also our
responsibility to do so safely.
It only takes one little mistake to cause a big accident.
Let them know that firearms are capable of bodily injury,
destruction and possibly death if misused. Do not "soft-soap" the
truth. Apply the same principles as Driver's Education courses in
the schools do.
* Start your children off right by showing them the ropes about guns.
This includes showing them the proper procedures for unloading,
verifying and handling a firearm. Where available, a certified
instructor should be used to teach proper shooting and safety
technique.

* Make sure to show your children how to clean and care for a firearm. A
dirty, or abused gun is more dangerous than any other.

* Encourage your children to learn these safety rules, and to follow
them. One method that helps is to take them to the range (once they are
old enough to handle a firearm) and let them shoot. Another method is
to use airguns in early training and safety education. This will not
only further strengthen the other lessons, but will also serve to
remove the mystique that has been put up around firearms. It is this
mystique that leads to most firearms accidents today.

* Remember, nothing is as good as education, and open, honest discussion.

* When there are many children visiting, secure your firearms in a proper
lock-box, safe, or unreachable location that you can monitor. Keep all
spare ammo separate from the guns.

* If you're child is alone in the house regularly, consider getting a
small safe or lockbox to keep your firearms in when you are not there.

* Be sure to follow all of the rules you set for your children. If you
violate any of them, the child will feel comfortable in following your
example.