I turned 31 today. I had a pellet gun with supervision from 5-7 unsupervised from 7-10 and a .22 from 10-13 then full access to anything in the house at 13+. I spent my entire summers pretty much alone in the hills abound and in Lake Cumberland, Ky. Never shot anyone. Never pointed a gun at anyone. Never even pointed it at anything I didn't want to kill. Every house I have ever lived in has had loaded weapons laying around. I never played with them. You don't get knives out of the block and run around with them do you???
My daughter is 5. She will be 6 next month. I have loaded guns in the house. I have shown her where they are, and I have explained that they are not toys and that they can hurt or kill someone. She is not afraid of them, but she knows to not play with them, the same as you don't play with a stove, knives, band saw, gasoline, etc.... I will be purchasing trigger locks, but not because of her, but because she has asked to have some friends over and I don't trust OTHER peoples kids. My daughter has a pellet gun and it is a favorite warm weather passtime for us to go slaughter some Coke and Pepsi cans. It is kept in her room along with the pellets. My daughter has gone hunting with me, she often hold's a deer's legs while I gut it, and does not complain at all, or think it is gross or mean. It is all in how you raise your children. If they are raised by the TV or video games where guns are glorified and killing has no consequences, then you should lock up your guns. If you raise you child with the understanding that guns are tools and to have a healthy respect for them you are good to go, unless your child is evil (they are out there) and in that case they will achieve their objectives despite your greatest efforts...
