Guns And The Children Who Own Them

[Jazzy]

While reading the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, where she works as a freelance photographer, An-Sofie Kesteleyn came across a story about a 5-year-old boy in rural Southern Kentucky who accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister while playing with his gun.

Not a gun, but his gun.

It was a smallish rifle manufactured specifically for young children, in hot pink, orange, royal blue or multi colored swirls and advertised with the slogan “My First Rifle.” Immediately, she knew she had found her next personal project.

Ms. Kesteleyn grew up in Belgium and had never seen a real gun, except on policemen’s belts. But she would soon see more guns in one month than she had in her entire life when she traveled to the United States and went from gun shops to shooting ranges looking for families who had bought these playfully colored guns for their children.

Knowing little about firearms or American gun culture, Ms. Kesteleyn, 26, wanted to learn and decided to take a neutral stance about what she was seeing. She was surprised to find that the families she photographed were all hypervigilant about gun safety, kept the guns locked in safes and carefully taught their children how to carry and use firearms properly. All of the families of the 15 children she photographed fervently believed that by training their children they were ensuring their safety — protecting them both from gun accidents but also from potential attackers.

“The parents of the children I photographed think that all the criminality that happens in America happens because bad people get guns in their hands and if every good person had guns everyone would be safer,” Ms. Kesteleyn said.

Some of the parents hunted, but for most, shooting was “a sport that was fun,” she added. At times, it seemed to her that it was more fun for the parents than for some of the 5- to 8-year-old girls she photographed who wanted to play as their friends did.

Because most of the parents discussed self-defense and their fear of attacks, Ms. Kesteleyn asked the children to write about their own fears, and she presents their writings and drawings next to their portraits.

We highly recommend viewing the slideshow in “full-screen” mode.

Comments about kids owning these guns?

 

[DrLeftover]

I think the comments should be made about the parents who buy these for their kids, or who allow them to be given as a gift to their kid and DO NOT teach the children the proper use for the things.

This series of words should have never been part of this story:

"while playing with his gun."

Working Firearms are not now, and have never been, Toys.

 

[Jazzy]

She was surprised to find that the families she photographed were all hypervigilant about gun safety, kept the guns locked in safes and carefully taught their children how to carry and use firearms properly. All of the families of the 15 children she photographed fervently believed that by training their children they were ensuring their safety — protecting them both from gun accidents but also from potential attackers.

But these are good and responsible parents, no?

 

[Sinon]

I don't really understand how or why it is legal for children to own guns. Here in England, you can't even buy a carpet knife or a kitchen set until you're 18, because knives are dangerous.

I also don't understand this whole "protection" thing. I assume the children are not allowed to act under the open/concealed carry rules, so the weapons won't protect them from attackers in the streets. And if they're locked away when they're at home, they're not going to protect them there either. There doesn't seem to be a valid purpose for giving a child a gun at this point. The original story, regarding the 5-year-old, is something that should never happen, ever. And what's worse, is that the kid probably doesn't grasp what he did yet. I don't know. Do 5-year-olds understand death?

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

She was surprised to find that the families she photographed were all hypervigilant about gun safety, kept the guns locked in safes and carefully taught their children how to carry and use firearms properly. All of the families of the 15 children she photographed fervently believed that by training their children they were ensuring their safety — protecting them both from gun accidents but also from potential attackers.

But these are good and responsible parents, no?

Are they responsible parents? It did not say if the kids had close supervision or not. If the parents were right there giving very close supervision this would not have happened. I myself was not alone with a gun until I turned 12 and had plenty of training and supervision to be trusted. We had many guns in our house but one was always kept in a easy access place in case I or another family needed to get to it quickly. Every kid should be treated differently on there maturity and stableness on how a gun is stored in the house.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I don't really understand how or why it is legal for children to own guns. Here in England, you can't even buy a carpet knife or a kitchen set until you're 18, because knives are dangerous.

I also don't understand this whole "protection" thing. I assume the children are not allowed to act under the open/concealed carry rules, so the weapons won't protect them from attackers in the streets. And if they're locked away when they're at home, they're not going to protect them there either. There doesn't seem to be a valid purpose for giving a child a gun at this point. The original story, regarding the 5-year-old, is something that should never happen, ever. And what's worse, is that the kid probably doesn't grasp what he did yet. I don't know. Do 5-year-olds understand death?

My guess is most people may say they keep them locked up but dont. I have several handguns, shot guns, rifles and military rifles. All stay locked up except the one that goes with me in my work van and the one for protection in the bedroom. And I would think this is the case for most families. But they also have these quick access safes where you can get inside them in seconds.

I always think how miserable it would be to live in a place where I cant have the right to protect myself. And have to depend on police who 99% of the time show up for the cleanup after a crime has been committed.

 

[DrLeftover]

I don't really understand how or why it is legal for children to own guns. Here in England, you can't even buy a carpet knife or a kitchen set until you're 18, because knives are dangerous.

And this law did nothing to prevent this crime last year.

20 May 2013

Pupil at £24,300-a-year boarding school is jailed after stabbing fellow student twice in a row over soy sauce

Langley School in Loddon, Norfolk, rocked by violent episode
Minheng He, now 18, struck after boy refused to lend him the condiment
Victim was stabbed twice and lost two pints of blood
He, of Hendon, North London, locked up for four years in young offenders' institute

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326504/Pupil-24-300-year-boarding-school-jailed-stabbing-fellow-student-twice-row-soy-sauce.html