Life is Dangerous
We talk a lot in our family about hunting and the occasional need to deal with pest animals. If you’re going to have a conversation with your kids about gun ownership, at some point you’re going to end up talking about death. My boy, who is four, constantly invents stories about “the deer we shot on our last trip in the woods”, or the many times he “got that coyote” in defense of our chickens.
As any child his age, he’s always watching and thinking about my behavior and trying to make sense of it. He’s picked up on both the mundanity of firearms use in our home as well as my love for the hobby. And so he tries to mirror this in his imagined view of his own life.
But in all his stories, it’s clear that his idea of shooting an animal is unconnected to that animal’s death.
Recently I had a groundhog tearing up the yard and digging near the foundation. So naturally, I crawled out onto the roof the moment I saw him – bathrobe, slippers, and .22 – and sniped him before he had a chance to see me. I thought this might make a good opportunity to discuss with my son what death really looks like – sometimes it’s a half dressed loon alienating all his neighbors.
How Soon is Too Soon
Four years old may seem way too young for some readers. To someone unfamiliar with hunting or firearms, it may come across as insane.
As it turned out, four was too soon with my son as well. I don’t say this because seeing the animal go from eating apples in our backyard to lying dead on the ground traumatized him in any way, but because he still seemed to miss the seriousness of it all. When we approached the animal, his first words were “great job dad!” with a big thumbs up. No real questions or confusion.
Being a firearms enthusiast connects you to nature differently from other outdoor pursuits . The whole endeavor, especially when hunting is involved, is tied up from start to finish in animal mortality. When you pull that trigger, you’re committing to end something’s life.
If we are to retain these rights for our kids, it’s important to instill certain values in them while we can. An acceptance of our mortality is just as essential a piece of the puzzle as teaching firearm safety and making the shared experience a fun one.
Approaching Firearms With the Uninitiated
My approach when it comes to teaching the next generation has always prioritized the new shooter’s enjoyment. A shooter’s passion for their rights begins with a love of the sport, and current shooters are in a position to help spread that love to those close to them.
Consider the following if you’re going to host an outing with a person unfamiliar with firearms.
- Begin with the Four Rules. Your friends or kids won’t want anything to do with firearms if they witness an accident on their first (or second, or third, etc) outing.
- A .22LR is your friend. Don’t subject a new shooter, particularly one who is at all nervous about the experience, to a heavily recoiling cartridge or load. A rimfire cartridge will be easy for an inexperienced shooter to control and pleasant to shoot. And your wallet will thank you.
- Keep the politics to a minimum. Again, fun is your priority. You may want to discuss how gun-type bans break the presumption of innocence, or how stupid the NFA is. You don’t need to. You need to help this person fall in love with shooting. As it turns out, most people naturally want to defend the things that they enjoy doing, and so the rest sorts itself out.
- If you have them, use steel targets. Who doesn’t love instant positive feedback?
And that’s it! Keep things this simple and most people will have a great time. Even if they never make the jump to gun ownership, a few fun outings can completely break down the most common claims coming from anti-gun activists.
Further Steps
After a shooter gets accustomed to range outings, you might consider introducing them to match shooting. I’m a big believer in what Project Appleseed is doing with foundational shooting skills. When it comes to teaching basics in a low stakes environment, these guys are great.
At an Appleseed event, your kids or friends get exposed to other shooters of a variety of skill levels. They get a fun, low pressure match focused on history and shooting fundamentals that also reinforces most of the considerations I listed above, and a bigger pool of people for competitive spirit.
I’m shooting an Appleseed event in a few weekends, and I can’t get enough of them. They’re a great option for people who don’t feel ready to jump into PRS or NRL or any of the other match options for serious competitors. As a bonus, they’re cheap.
Cultivating a Full Appreciation
Fun, recreational shooting is every gun owner’s bread and butter. But at the end of the day, the firearm is a tool for taking life. In my family, self sufficiency is the end goal. When I feel comfortable with my son’s ability to adhere to firearms safety rules, we’ll begin practicing these skills by hunting rabbits and squirrels and working our way up from there.
The conversation I had with my son will probably get repeated every time I bring home wild game, or when we go fishing, and when he finally embarks on his own first hunt. And I’ll repeat it when he’s old enough to carry his own firearm.
Sometimes we must take life to preserve our own. With animals, we remember to give thanks for the food they provide. When it comes to human life, we can stand confidently on solid moral ground when we act in defense of ourselves or those we love.
Teach them young, ground shooting in optimism and a respect for tradition, and you’ll ensure the future members of our community will defend these rights as we have.