GOP Politician Buys Pistol for 4-Year-Old Daughter
Not a headline from The Onion. Or a plotline from The
Simpsons.
No, apparently Georgia State Rep. Sean Jerguson — a real live elected
official soaked in the gun lobby’s Kool-Aid — actually boasted of purchasing a
pink .22-caliber pistol for his 4-year old daughter, according to reports.
But what about his son, you ask? Not to worry. On reaching the ripe old age of 4, he too will apparently receive a pistol of
his very own. A blue one, of course.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
…The politics of packing heat in public places is difficult for Georgia
Republicans. While the base is often gung-ho, many strategists worry that the
idea of hidden pistols at PTA meetings and prayer services is a middle-class
turn-off.
Last week, [gun lobby group] Georgiacarry kindly provided the audio from [a]
summer panel discussion.
One of the participants was state Rep. Sean Jerguson
(R-Holly Springs), a Georgiacarry member, who said he
believes so strongly in gun ownership that, when his daughter turned 4
years old, he gave her a “pink .22.” His son was about to turn the same age, and
would get a blue one, the lawmaker said…. [more]
In response, this comment from Strollerderby, a parenting blog:
…If you want to convince the rest of us that gun ownership is a good thing,
how about showing people how a gun is useful to your family rather than
flaunting your taste for flirting with danger at your kids’ expense? [more]
Stories like this make even the world-weary cynic realize they haven’t seen
it all. And they leave the average parent incredulous.
One would think that when gun advocates act out their own Stephen Colbert
scripts, they would begin to understand how jaw-droppingly bizarre they’ve
become.
Right?
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
OV Social
Wasn't it Mrs. (Hollier Than Thou Brady) who bought her nephew a lever action rifle some years ago? I know it is off topic a little bit, but still. I just like pointing out hipocracy. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with buying a firearm for their child . As long as responsibility is involved. Parents buying their kids fiearms is nothing new. In fact, the sooner the better. By the time they get old enough to make their own living, they will already have keepsakes and things that can be handed down from generation to generation. The most important thing of all about this is, this guy has taken it upon himself to guarantee that his kids will grow up around firearms , and not have a mundane fear of an in-animate object. The lessons learned from safe , proper and responsible firearms handling last a lifetime. And can be adapted to almost every aspect of life. These are refered to as: Responsibility, Respect, and Accountability. Maybe he won't stop at just these little plinksters.
First: a single shot, bolt action rifle is hardly a hand gun. Get your facts straight. Secondly, who are we to judge the actions of a responsible parent. Maybe we would not do the same thing, but the last I saw, we did live in a free country where the 2nd Amendment still exists. Remember the 2A does not give us our right to self defense, it guarantees that natural right we are given by our Creator.
I would only let a 4 year-old shoot a pistol if my hands were helping her hold the gun on target. If she were careful and obedient, I might let her shoot a single-shot .22 rifle unaided -- but I'd sure be standing right behind her ready to grab her if she started to do anything wrong.
As for hidden pistols at PTA meetings and prayer services, we already have that when off-duty cops attend. It cannot be any more of a turn-off than pistols carried openly -- which is our Constitutional Right.
Maybe she will take the little pink gun and shoot the idiot who gave it to her..
Your comment is pointless. Why did you even try? If you're going to disagree at least bring up some points to support your opposition.
child a gun is an idiot ...so if that is pointless so be it...who cares most people who are for guns just dont see any other point..
I do see the other side of the argument, but let me put my example here again to reiterate why I think the other side is wrong this time.
1) Little Jimmy is at a friend's house and comes across a loaded pistol left on a table by a negligent parent. Jimmy's parent's don't believe in owning a gun for protection and have always taught him that guns themselves were bad, only on the earth to kill, and can only be used for good when in the hands of the police or military . They also told him never, ever to touch a gun if he finds one. But little Jimmy is curious. The gun holds a certain mystique because they are forbidden to him. He's never seen one fired in real life, nor has he ever touched one. So he decides that while no one is looking he'll pick up the gun and check it out. He holds it, looks at the various parts, fiddles with the slide release, pretends to shoot it, makes "pew" sounds, looks down the barrel to see if he can see the shiny metal bullet inside, and then puts his finger on the trigger to see what it feels like. I'll stop there.
or,
2) Little Tommy is at a friend's house and comes across a loaded pistol left on a table by a negligent parent. Tommy's parents have many guns, and have involved Tommy in shooting from a young age. They taught him how to safely handle weapons and also instilled in him a healthy dose a respect for guns as a tool that, when used wrong, can be deadly. They also taught him that they, as responsible parents, will never keep guns out of locked storage unless they are carrying or cleaning them. They also told him to always tell an adult ANYTIME there is a gun out that's not attached to someone's hip or being cleaned. The gun holds no mystique for Tommy, and he goes into the backyard where Mr. and Mrs. Potential Negligent-Homicide are arguing about the amount of chlorine to throw in the crappy above-ground pool and informs them that there is a gun out in the open and that they should put it up. They go in and put the gun up.
Tell me which is more dangerous?
My 4 and 6 year old girls know the Eddie the Eagle rules about guns . Never touch, leave the area and find an adult. They also know that Daddy wears a gun every day and nothing about that is odd. They know they can touch Daddy's gun if they want to, just ask. Guns are not foreign to them. They are as familiar as TV and books. Right now, they show some interest in learning to shoot. But more importantly, they know guns are serious and that as long as they follow the rules, nothing can go wrong.
My 6 year old has even taught her 8 year old neighbor the rules so she knows what to do if she comes over to our house . How cool is that?
My kids are older, 11 and 15, but they also know about my guns , and both have shot with my wife and me. As a result, I don't have to worry about them around guns, mine or others. They are not curious enough to start playing around with them, because they know the deal. When they grow up, both will likely get their own guns and teach their kids about them. Therefore, I will have less worry about their safety - not zero, because I am a parent - but at least they will have a chance.
This kind of fearmongering drivel has no place in any sort of avocational organization that wishes to promote successfully.
The fundamentals for successful early childhood education are well known; they do not include any of the implied goals of this post.
gun control: the belief that a woman raped and strangled with her own hose is morally superior to one who defends herself with a firearm.