“Before I write anything else, let me preface this by saying this isn’t a political post, this isn’t to stir up a debate about gun control,” mommy blogger Jenny White writes at huffingtonpost.com, “this is strictly one mom asking other moms: ‘What do you do?'” By that Ms. White means what do you — a safety conscious mom — do when you drop your sprog off at a home where guns are stored?
To be fair, this is the least strident article I’ve read on this subject. It cautions Moms not to “make gun safety a bigger deal than, say, pool safety or food allergies” and includes Eddie the Eagle’s advice to young ‘uns re: unsupervised gun encounters.
Don’t worry about offending other parents, and don’t make judgments. If parents get defensive, you can defuse the situation by saying, “I respect your stance and it’s not about that. Can you just reassure me of your storage practices?” Keep in mind, you’re asking a safety question and you can ask in a peaceful, diplomatic way. And if someone does get upset, then that’s a red flag.
What I want to know: what do you, the gun owner, say if a Mom (or Dad thanks) says “This may sound odd, but it’s a safety issue – do you guys have any guns in your home?”
Of course, don’t you?
Right.
I would also let them know that I have a chainsaw, knives, power saw, lots of other things that are deadly.
Not to mention the two cars in the garage. About 200 HP each, weighing around 3,300 pounds empty, capable of going 70 MPH (where allowed by law!) My goodness, think of the danger there!
This is the problem with a small but very vocal subset of gun owners, no fucking respect. A parent has every right to ask about the safety of their child alif being left in your care, and the guy who wrote the article wrote it right. There are a lot of stories in the media about kids getting a hold of a gun and tragedy ensues because gun owners can be assholes just like everybody else. Its highly unlikely a grade school kid is going to get ahold of your chainsaw or your car, even if it’s improperly secured, get it fired up and then run somebody over or chop somebodies head off at a pool party. However, if u r an asshole and leave your loaded gun accessible, a kid could easily grab it and cause a major tragedy. With the way media is today and the power it has over people, parents have a right to be concerned about gun violence, if a parent asks you about any aspect of their child’s safety while in your custody, be polite and understanding, be grateful u r not one of the sheeple, and treat them with respect until they deserve otherwise. If a parent asks me if I have guns while I am hosting a kids party, I’ll tell them yes, I won’t go into details about how I secure my firearms, but I will guarantee that no child will have an opportunity to get at them, but that a firearm will be available to me should some tweaker come around and start causing problems and if that concerns you and you wish to keep your kids home from the party, fine, be respectful and be respected.
While your observations about danger are worth considering, the matter is a parenting problem – on both sides of the front door !
Gun owners should be responsible enough to have their children disciplined about dangerous items in the home, and ever parent who wishes to take their children to a friend’s home for playcation should have raised their own children to be disciplined about dangerous objects in their own homes, and the requirement to not touch anything in another persons home without permission of the visited parent. That doesn’t mean every child MUST complete Eddy the Eagle training (which is unnecessary if your child knows to leave other people’s things alone, and find a parent when the child sees something dangerous lying about, in another child’s hands).
This is not a gun issue.
Achmed is on the right track. We have all sorts of potentially dangerous items at our homes, including electricity and poisons.
If a parent ever asked me about firearms, I would simply say that all potentially dangerous items in my home are secured and inaccessibly to children in any capacity with which they could seriously harm themselves or someone else.
Couple this with Sam I Am ‘s statement that parents must teach their children to respect OTHER people’s property — which means leaving their property alone until you ask permission to play with it — and everyone should be good to go.
II have asked this question as well as asked it myself. I usually word it a bit differently though. I will ask, “Are there any unsecured or child accessible firearms in your home?” Seriously. People shouldnt be offended by the question. Everyone cares about their childs safety. When asked, i respond with “There are no dangerous child accessible objects of any kind in my house.” That can range anything from my M&P to a bottle of bleach or rat poison. Even heavy objects on medium height shelves can be dangerous.
I like your answer.
I don’t think the parent should ask a question, though. Instead of “do you have any guns in the house?” how about “please make sure guns, chemicals, and other dangerous things are secured while my child is at your home” or whatever. It’s not an awkward question, it isn’t a potential judgement or accusation, it isn’t asking for a response or seeking knowledge of what a person does or doesn’t have. It’s just a reminder… there’s all sorts of dangerous stuff; please make sure my kid won’t encounter it.
BTW if I’m asked if there are guns in my house, I think I’ll say, “oh gosh yes, but they aren’t all mine.”
p much.
I don’t mind being asked about owning guns. Rather than being judgmental about parenting skills or values, I see it as an opportunity to make new friends and bring new people into shooting. The father of a friend of my son didn’t own guns but has since become a regular shooting buddy of mine. It was his wife who asked about guns in our house. When she brought up the subject, I was happy to talk about responsible gun ownership and used the opportunity to invite them to the range. It was a real eye-opener for them and I enjoyed being the “teacher” who got to show them how good, responsible people handle gun ownership and how shooting is FUN!
My wife has an aunt and uncle from the Northeast who are dyed-in-the-wool anti-gun liberals. For many other reasons, they are spectacular people, so we love them anyway. A couple years ago I ended a spirited debate about gun control at the breakfast table by inviting them to the range. I put them on the spot and said (in a friendly and enthusiastic way), “Let’s go…right now.” After some hesitation, we went, and they admitted later they enjoyed the experience.
I truly believe the best way to deal with people who are afraid of guns is to expose them to guns being owned and used responsibly. Any excuse to talk about guns should be taken as an opportunity to teach them. By making it a positive experience, they may hopefully learn what we already know.
I inform every parent that I have guns in my house and their kids aren’t invited over.
Do you follow up with: “get off my lawn!” LOL
No but I do.
I think they got their answer when they saw the pistol on my hip when I answered the door. No body has run away screaming yet.
Yes. Could I teach you more about them?
Did Carter have Liver pills ?
Yes sir , Mam , and except for the one I’m wearing , they are all safely stored .
Does your son or daughter have a history of breaking into firearms safes ?
…or playing with matches? (A much more common issue!)
I’ve been asked and I’ve been honest. It’s never become an issue, probably because I keep my guns locked away tightly because of my own kids.
Pretty much my same experience. Never had any issues…….yet.
If it kept other people’s brats out of my house, I’d say, “sure, I keep loaded machine guns right next to the X-Box.”
I wish! Stupid Hughes Amendment….
In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for semi-autos and/or pump shotguns next to the XBox. *sigh.*
I keep a Glock 19 in the cookie jar.
And I keep cookies in my gun boxes. What a small world we live in!
Sure do you want your kids protected right? I mean you don’t want them taken by a child abductor right? I also have a fence around my pool and I keep it locked after all statistically speaking it’s more deadly than firearms in the home.
Personally, if I am not living at home, it is none of their business. I come from a military family, and spent 21+ years in the military myself, where I was armed every day. Today, my father has no problem with firearms. My brother (now deceased) had no problem with firearms even while being a pacifist. He enjoyed going to the range with his .45, but his 2nd wife forced him to get rid of it. My sister, whose son is in the armed forces and has toured Iraq, is rabidly anti-gun even though guns protect her son. My mother is anti-gun and in her later years switched to the liberal side.
My guns are locked up when not worn or in use. My stepson could bring his young children over and never have to worry.
Yes. A lot.
I’d say, “Yes, I have a bunch of them. They are all over the place – in closets, in cabinets, under the guest bed, on the floors. Heck, I can’t even keep track, I have so many. There are some I’ve certainly misplaced around the house. Rest assured, they are all loaded. Always loaded.”
That was a joke, by the way.
Good one! Hehehe..who puts a gun in a cabinet…priceless…:)
Gun in or under kitchen cabinets is a must. Also other strategic places around the house including the doors.
My now teenage kids are trained to know what to do. I trust them to make the right decision and even guide others who are scared or unfamiliar with guns.
My daughter has many friends. Parents who know me, need not ask. Over the years I am aware of one girl not allowed to visit due directly to her parents’ knowledge of my firearm ownership.
Their knowledge or their disapproval?
Well you know which family won’t get any help from you during zombie apocalypse 🙂
Whatever response is most likely to result in kids not being at my house, that’s the right answer.
A couple decades back before I had ever heard of asking about guns at the home of someone else, the mother of two of my kid’s friends came to our home and asked if we had guns. When she asked that question she offered no explanation and as such, I was mildly confused as to where she was going with the subject. My answer to her was words to the effect of “Well, yes I do. Do you need to borrow one for something?”
“Sure. You need to borrow one?” I like that answer.
I don’t know, no one has ever asked me, my sons friends parents are my friends and they got more guns and ammo them me 🙁
My first question would be to ask if the kids (and parents) are familiar with the 4 rules. Sure, it’s a safety issue, so we should have a common understanding of safety that isn’t based on a political misappropriation of that term.
If someone asked me that question, I need to know who’s asking. A POTG? No problem, easy conversation. A reasonable but uninformed parent? OK, we can have a serious conversation about actual safety and comfort levels and make a call whether it’s a mutually good idea to have the kids over. An irrational gun-o-phobe? Not welcome. For *my* safety.
I think I’d tell the truth… Firearms are present but not accessible.
Finally, a reasonable answer.
“Why no, those are dangerous. And rest assured, if a child rapist or kidnapper comes for your child, I’ll be sure and pee on your little one before I run for my safe space.”
The rugs and other mounts are pretty much a “dead” giveaway…
I like that line. I think I’ll use it rather than “piss off”.
Just cause you gots trophies don’t mean you gots guns. You coulda strangled them animals.
Bowhunters keep trophies, too.
Now, granted, I don’t personally know any bowhunters who don’t also own guns, but I suppose it would be possible to have a house full of parts of animals you killed yourself and still be anti-gun.
True enough. One or two of mine were harvested with bow and arrow.
You win the interwebs Tom! Glad my kids are growed-up. Grandkids live far away and daddy’s a fudd…
If you means wins for the most immature response then I agree.
Where did the adults go?
Do you have any drugs in the home? Any pornography? Knives? Electrical Outlets? Swimming Pools?
As someone with two younger kids who has been asked this before, I replied with “Yes.”
Yes, and they are locked up.
Perfect answer.
It sounds like the house where the kid is being dropped off belongs to someone they hardly know or don’t know at all… that’s real safe.
I agree. And in that case there are a whole bunch of questions which would seem to me more important, not least of which would be “what do you do for a living?”, since competing drug dealers or hardened criminals seeking revenge on a cop seem like a greater danger than guns in the home.
If they’re asking the question like that, as opposed to “Do you prefer AR’s or AK’s? Personally, I like AK’s …”
… then the correct answer is “F*** Off.”
Anyone asking me if I have a gun in my home also has guns in their home and we will already be on the same page and know each other have guns so no need to ask. My kids are not allowed to hang around SJW/pro-victim/nanny statist democrats. LOL.
Me: “Do you?”
Their presumed response: “Of course not.”
Me: “Well how are you going to protect your child and mine from someone that would do them harm? I’m going to have to rethink whether I let little Johnny come to your home to play with little Suzy…”
Actually, I’m way beyond the age where such questions are applicable….
So, ignore the above…
Or steal it, whichever you prefer.
It seems weird to ask an adult about something that is such a common household object. I assume responsible parents would tell kids not to handle guns but call an adult, whether they own a gun or not. This is like asking someone what they store under the kitchen sink because they never told their child not to eat household chemicals.
Easy response, “Yes, and *everyone* in the house knows how to use them.”
How do you protect my child when he is visiting your house.
If someone would even ASK such a moronic question you need a new class of associates or need to move to a free state/area.
when asked if I have guns in my house, I always say, “Hell yes, check out the combat sights I just got for my 9 year old’s 10-22, look at the grouping of the head shots on these targets posted all over my garage. I bet your kid can’t shoot this good!”
Shouldn’t your response have been “didn’t Atticus or Lilith (typical names for Libturd’s kids these days) tell you about playing ‘William Tell’ in the backyard with lighted candles atop their heads and rifles the last time they were here?”
It depends on the tone of the question. If this is a safety related question they will get a safety related answer phrased for best answering their question.
If they are being nosy/judgmental/political I will probably respond by asking about the number, type, and storage method of their martial aids. When they get indignant I will say if they aren’t willing to discuss their personal things why should I?
Did you mean “marital” aids? (I can’t type, either.)
It’s a completely reasonable question, I would certainly want to know if you manage a reasonable safe household for my children to be in, especially, I want to know where you fall relative to my standards, BUT only when asked in concert with: pool safety, chemical safety, knife safety, pointy stick safety, pillow safety….etc, etc.
If you just ask about the gun storage protocols, you’re being a bigoted Richard, and I’m going to call you out on it. Ask about all of it, or don’t ask at all.
This is a two-way street.
Just as important, you should ask the parent if their kids are trained on gun safety what to do if they encounter a firearm?
No? We’ll get on that before you ask your question about gun storage.
Having a pool out back isn’t that big an issue of everyone knows how to swim. Meanwhile there are sharp 6″ knives in every kitchen in the US.
+1 on this.
“ALL the dangerous stuff in our house is safely locked up, no worries”
I have been asked , and I told them they were in a locked safe. I offered to show it to them if they wanted to see it. I tried to make them comfortable that my home was safe, and they were satisfied with that.
One thing I won’t do is let the kids near the antiques. And I don’t tell these parents if I’m carrying illegally. I can’t count on LEO parents letting me off with a warning. Then again, I’m not in California.
Uh I wouldn’t broadcast to parents or the internet if you carry illegally… just saying.
tj, you’re engaging a troll. A really weird troll.
His username did give me pause and an eye twitch … Good to know!
He’s been on about this for maybe two months now. It’s getting seriously weird.
He’s mocking a couple of other users here, one who mentions a run-in with a California cop in every other post he writes, and another who often mentions being an antique dealer.
He’s a troll, but he’s harmless, and sometimes amusing.
I think the parent would then look down at my shirt and think to themselves “is that a banana with bullets in it?” and then it would be obvious. I would then reassure them that my weapons are out of reach of children and stored properly. Concealed carry is properly stored and out of reach of children!
If asked, I would say yes…and also, why do you ask? It’s a great conversational opportunity.
Also, when my son was four years old I asked other people that exact question. When the answer was yes, we asked about handguns, talked briefly about storage practices, and asked whether my son’s playmate knew the gun(s) existed and whether they had been told what (not) to do if they happened across one.
It’s a statistically negligible risk, but given the potentially dire consequences, it makes sense that concerned parents would ask.
I would say, “I consider that private information. If you are concerned about your child’s safety, I assure you that I have made every effort to make my house child safe.”
What my evil self would want to say, just for shock value is, “I am an old guy with no kids. Shouldn’t you really be asking why your kids are coming over to my house to begin with? Well, when they come over, I change into something more comfortable, and then take them on my little train through a tunnel to the Land of Make Believe, where puppets can marry people. But it’s perfectly safe and we have a great time!”
That is so sick………..
;^)
Most likely?
“Drop that mask, you alien bastard, and tell me what you did to the real XYZ!”
I mean, how many people know you well enough to be willing to leave their kids at your place BUT don’t know you well enough to be aware of the fact that you own guns? And in case this actually happens, I don’t think it would be a good idea to lie, so I guess I would go something like:
“Yes, we do. We don’t leave any where an unsupervised kid might get to it because we do own a safe and we’re not stupid. We also own swords, spears, axes, huge knives and an assault bathtub. Do you think your little angel would like to give any of that a try?”
actually anyone who’s kids hang out with mine is either jealous of my gun collection, or I am jealous of theirs, we end up talking guns and planning range trips while the kids grab the bb gun and terrorize the neighborhood, but then where I live is still America.
“No”, “None of your business”, “piss off”
It depends on who’s asking. And if they are a-feared for their special snowflake, they can keep their lib-spawn at home.
As someone else said, it depends on the tone of the question. I’ve gotten it once, and it was one among a short list of questions that the other parent said they ask every family that invites their kids for a sleepover. Very matter-of-fact, and so I gave them a matter-of-fact answer. And nothing else happened.
I hope nobody is out there getting picking fights just because a question was asked. Even if you know that on some level the other person is being judgmental, it does our side no favors to gratuitously make an issue when a simple answer would have been the end of it.
My wife has actually been asked this question 4 yrs ago by my sons’ friends mother before coming over. My wife said “no, we have no guns in the house”. she didnt lie, i just went on a spree since then. Now i have between 30 and 35. We joke sometimes about her reaction if she asked now.
Only 30-35?
Why yes. I have a gun. Also a whip and a chair. I’m very experienced at kid wrangling.
“Before I an answer that,… please be assured that I will care for and guide your kids as if they were my own. So if they get disrespectful, misbehave, don’t listen to me, or try to get in the locked gun safe,… they will get the belt.”
I try to lock them up but they keep running around and tend to go off at random.
No kids for me and I tend to surround myself with like-minded people, so the question I get most about guns in the home is “What are you gonna buy next?” I actually have to be much more careful about my militaria collection, as some items are from Nazi Germany. Given the strong SJW climate and high Jewish population where I live, I try to avoid as many headaches as possible.
So glad that I’m past the rug rat days.
Of Course I do, and I will be willing to use them to defend your SJW, Liberal in Training ungrateful window licker of a kid until he/she leaves my property.
I say “Great, then my kid will be defended here just like he/she is at home: with GUNS”
Yes, I do. The guns are locked in a cabinet.
Also, the 1,000 lb horses are behind a simple gate latch, as is the 200 lb ram, and the quarter-million honeybees have the run of the place.
With a shocked expression, I would respond with either:
“Do you SEE any guns in my home!?” OR
“Do you THINK I have any guns in my home!?”
Because getting stupid people to answer their own stupid questions is the best type of argument.
My wife and I would answer honestly and say yes. We have also informed parents of our son’s friends that we have guns in the house before they brought their children to our house. With that said, I don’t care if they don’t like guns, they can always keep thier kids home.
It depends, I’m not very public about my ownership of guns so if I suspect someone is fishing and didn’t actually know I owned guns I would likely just say “i don’t have guns in the home.”
I’ve had the conversation before with friends who do know I have guns and I always just politely say, everything is locked up and under my control and my control only. Which is true, if I am not carrying a gun it is locked up. The only exception is that the EDC goes in the bedside table when I am sleeping, but that level of detail isn’t something that a mosey parent needs to know, fron the standpoint of “can my kid gain easy/unrestricted/unsupervised access” then yes it is “locked up”.
Depending on my certainty of anyone’s political motivations for asking such a question I have even gone so far as to offer if they would like me to bring out a few examples and teach their children the four rules, safe handling, and what to do if they ever find a gun when alone, etc.
Rule #1 is always be polite and that usually difuses any awkwardness of the situation.
No one has ever asked me this question. I am pretty sure my Uber liberal friends follow don’t ask don’t tell policy, because I’m pretty sure they’ve seen stuff in the garage when I open it up.
This is a wildly popular thing on the internet, but I’m not sure real people behave like this. My daughter is a pretty well-adjusted kid. i amm pretty sure that’s the yardsick people use when other kids come over my house. There are some places I won’t allow my daughter to go, has nothing to do with guns, has everything to do with certain other forms of trouble.
“This is a wildly popular thing on the internet, but I’m not sure real people behave like this.”
Absolutely this. These mommy-blogger types will gas on about it online, but I really doubt they ever ask the question to anyone other than those who they are 100% certain will answer “no”. They re-affirm their “progressive” credentials with each other by talking about it in their online echo chambers and with confirmed anti-gun friends, but none of them are going to call little Skyler or Dakota’s new best friend’s parents, who they hardly know, if there’s the slightest chance it would end up with them having to have an uncomfortable conversation.
In any case, just asking a question is feel-good security theater anyway. Unless you ask to come in and inspect the house yourself, you’re just taking someone’s word that there are no guns, or that they are all locked up. I could tell you I have no guns, or that they are locked up and unloaded, but how would you know if that was true, or if I was just telling you what you wanted to hear to end the conversation? It’s the same as the airport ticket agent asking me if I have any explosives in my luggage – pointless and idiotic if you’re not going to follow up with your own eyes.
No?
I’ve yet to be asked this questions, despite often wearing around the house one of the many T-shirts I’ve acquired from local gun shops, one in particular. However, if asked, my response would be something along the lines of, “If I did, I assure you they’d be safely stored and out of reach of your children.” Simple. You’ve admitted to nothing and you’re not being a smart-ass to a parent who my have legitimate concerns about her child’s safety.
“…do you guys have any guns in your home?”
Depends on what ‘have’ means.
It did happen to me. Answered yes. They counter asked if they were all locked AND required to have them all locked or they wouldn’t send their kids over to play with ours.
“Before my kids come over to your house, can you tell me the router settings on your WiFi? I want to make sure liberal bs is blocked out”.
I think that’s where you ask if they have any electrical outlets and if so, are they all locked, because they kill a lot more kids than guns do.
How are they enforcing this demand? Or is it all just posturing? Some people are just tiresome to deal with and are best avoided.
From a liberal point of view, when they ask “do you have guns in your home”, they really mean “do you leave any loaded weapons under your pillow or on your kitchen counter” like shown on the main picture of this article. Interestingly, once you explain that they are actually secured in a safe (or on your person, but you do not need to go that far), most of them seem reassured. My wife worries that some kids wont come home and play because of my Pro2A stance and my answer is simply “I don’t give a sh*t”.
I never get this entire line of thinking.
When growing up, we would visit grand parents. Granddad had a very nice, near mint German Luger in a dresser drawer. When we kids were about 5, granddad let us actually see the Luger. We were told to leave it alone, never touch. That was it. We never touched, We did get to see the Luger on one or two other occasions, but never touched. Why? Because we knew that if we were caught, we could never run far enough away to escape our parents wrath. Our parents (and grandparents) set rules, and took care to enforce them. We had all kinds of other kids over to play, but we never said a word about the Luger; no parents asked if guns were on the property. Why? Because they knew if there were guns, the children were under strict orders not to play with them. In those days, children were seen as a responsibility for the adults, not a fashion accessory to be put aside when the party was over. Setting rules, establishing consequences for violations, certainty of consequence were how we were trained. How I trained my sons. The problem is not guns in the house, it is adult children pretending to be parents.
+1 Teach the children well.
“Um, you know this is Kansas, right?”
this story is all jes made up stuff, right? around here, if there wuz kids who parents think will go pickin’ thru some one elses stuff while visitin’, well, there would not be them kids inside. ifn ya have to ask sech a question, you aughta be asking if yer good enough to be havin them kids.,
There are many potentially dangerous tools in my home.
Does your kid know to keep his hands off stuff that isn’t his?
If not, I’m afraid it’s not safe to have him here unless you’re going to watch him 100% of the time.
If they have to ask we probably don’t know each other very well, and i probably can’t trust them with that info. I’d have to tell the kids to play outside which is usually preferable anyway.
“Absolutely. When was the last time your child attended an Eddie the Eagle class?”
Yes. We also have the New York Times, but I assure you the children will not have access to either.
Fair enough question. I’d then offer to show them how I have them stored, and ask them if they have taught their children to keep their hands off other people’s property unless given permission from an adult, and what they should do if they encounter an unsecured firearm.
The answer I give is “yes, and they’re all locked up, along with the ammo”. Our friends are pretty well aware that I am extremely safety conscious, and have very little tolerance for gun owners who aren’t.
There was a time when my in-laws and their kids visited and insisted I “double check”. I asked them later if they found the (fictitious) loaded Glock 17 I stashed away in their sleeping quarters. They were not super amused, but understood the point I was trying to make – either you trust me to be responsible, or you don’t. Don’t insult me by imagining that I’d leave my own kids in danger, but not theirs…
When my kids, now 18 and 20, were small, several Parenting magazines told us responsible Moms to ask if there were guns in the house. One Mom got this response,
“Yes, there are guns in the house. The ammo is in the attic.”
The daughter was allowed to go to the sleepover.
What, responsible gun owners can’t have a bunch of kids over, and keep them away from their guns?
Oh, this Mom that always asked, had a swimming pool. Wonder if she asked if an invited child knew how to swim. It wasn’t gated. Open the back door, walk ten feet, and jump in.
Is this really a huge deal? Can we not just be open and respectful. I own guns, but I’m a probably a little self righteous about what I feel is safe. I’ll tell them yes and be open if they will. Isn’t that best for everyone?
“I’ll tell them yes and be open if they will. Isn’t that best for everyone?”
In an internet world, where everything is nice, and comfortable, and full of love and good feelings – yes.
I have a co-worker whose son is a full-time cop. When off-duty, he is required to be armed (the co-worker and I have had several discussions about the wisdom of those policies, but…). The co-worker has another son, who is not a cop…and not known to be a flake or snowflake. However, he recently found out his wife is. While at a family gathering in a campground, the snowflake discovered for the first time (after about 9 years), that her brother-in-law had a pistol under his shirt (apparently, a discussion about the off-duty carry started things). Once confirmed about the gun, the sister-in-law demanded her husband gather the children and leave because guns are dangerous (and liable to just go off?) around children. She then made the announcement that her family would no longer participate in family outings, nor would they visit the brother-in-law. In translation, it seems the sister-in-law believed that cops don’t all use firearms, and since her brother-in-law was “a small town cop”, there would never be any reason for him to have a gun. It has been 6 years, and the stand-off continues. Oh yeah…the sister-in-law thinks her brother-in-law should find a new job so he would not be around guns.
So, “…being open…” may not be a universal answer.
Your story drives home a very good point: always make sure that someone is not a moron or crazy person before you have children with them. You can screw ’em if you want, because that’s reversible. But once you bring kids into the equation, you’ll have to deal with their nuttiness and/or idiocy that shit for the rest of your life.
Who in their right mind would even marry a woman like that? It’s just not about firearms, it’s about her being unreasonably insane.*
* (All women are a little insane, so we have to put up with a modicum of insanity). 🙂
My co-worker doesn’t intervene, but it has made for interesting Monday morning coffee breaks.
Me, I’d tell her “tough” and take my kids to visit the family. Of course my wording would be stronger.
That information is only provided on a “need to know” basis and you don’t need to know.
They don’t need to know because if it isn’t on me, it’s locked-up in the vault.
The kid could get lead poisoning though because I don’t lock up my ammo (it doesn’t have a serial number).
Of course. Don’t you?
To be entirely honest, it shouldn’t be a question that needs asking. I understand that not every person owns guns and parents are understandably concerned about their kids coming across an improperly stored firearm. Accidents with kids happen fairly often, far too often. This shouldn’t really be something that is made fun of like some are doing or taken lightly. If a parent drops their kid off at my house to visit with my children and asks if I have guns in the house, I will tell them the truth, yes. I will then reassure the parent that every gun, that is not on my person at the moment, is secure and out of reach from anyone except myself. I would then try and convince the mom or dad that they are responsible for teaching their kids gun safety, even if they don’t own a gun, because not every person will be as open and honest as I was. Ultimately the parent of the child is responsible because there are fucking moronic gun owners out there – and I think we have seen a few here. Every parent should pound it into their child’s head how dangerous a firearm can be and what to do if they come across one. To the person who said, I also have two cars, a chainsaw, and lots of other deadly things. Be real man, you are muddying the waters like a fucking liberal. This isn’t about gun control, it is about gun safety and the safety of children. The fact is that a child is not likely to get into your locked car without the keys and drive away or give a flying shit about your chainsaw. However, if they are not taught properly and they come across a firearm – curiosity will set in. Don’t take a parents concern for their child lightly or this question if it is asked. Not everyone is like you but if you are a parent, you share one very common thing with other parents and that is a constant concern for your child and his/her safety.
Turn it around: “It’s only a safety issue if you never taught your kids not to play with guns.”
Do I know them? Do they know me? If so….Yes.
If I dont know them well, or they are just some random parent from my kids school….No
As someone who usually leaves his 1911 on the nightstand and a P30 in the desk drawer, I don’t want kids (or anybody else) going through my stuff. I’ll get around to getting one of those Rapidsafes or Gunboxes before I have any kids of my own. I’d prefer to keep my weapons and pointy things hidden and unmentioned from nosy neighbors, “parents” bringing their kids over, or anyone else for that matter.
They have. The response has been several hours worth of discussion on favorite guns, models, manufacturers, calibers, accessories, suggestions and “check this out”s. Hey Dwayne!
What I want to know: what do you, the gun owner, say if a Mom (or Dad thanks) says “This may sound odd, but it’s a safety issue – do you guys have any guns in your home?”
If I do not know these people the answer is no.
If I know these people the answer is yes and by the way what guns do you have?
All the years that I have been a parent, nobody ever asked that question and none of the invited kids ever tried to play with my guns.
Yes, I do have guns…plural. I keep them out of reach and unloaded, except for my Glock30s as this is on my hip or out of sight and reach of little ones. I really do think it’s important to keep firearms out of reach of kids… As soon as they’re tall enough to possibly reach, than it’s time to take them to the range and let them feel the power and thus earning the understanding and respect of what a firearm can do. It’s the wrong approach to tell a child “don’t touch this! This is very dangerous and could hurt or kill someone.” and then leave it somewhere where it could be reached. You have to show them the danger by taking them shooting, and not just once, many times! They may need to protect you or themselves sometime.
Years ago I had a neighbor who kept a couple of shotguns unsecured in the back of his bedroom closet. A couple of his teenaged son’s friends broke in and stole them one afternoon.
Never forget that when it comes to kids and guns, security is a two-way street.
Yes but less than 20.
You know, there are a lot of other typical household items that pose a greater threat to a child’s safety. Is there some reason you’re not interested in talking about those?
howz ’bout this. “do you have guns in the house?. “wow, watta great question. do you have porno movies in yer house?”
I would advise them that if they are concerned for the safety of their child in my home, for *any* reason, they shouldn’t bring them over. Let them make of that what they will, but that’s just a commonsense thing.
It all depends on context. I’ve taught at least one of most neighbors kids shooting in Cub Scouts, the neighbors know I have guns and the issue never comes up. If it ever was asked, within my circle of friends it would certainly be in a general safety discussion. The conversation would also likely degenerate quickly to general shop talk and from there planning a shooting date for the kids.
Asked back. “have you or any of your family been treated for mental illness, are you or any members of your family taking prescribed psychiatric medications or any others and if so how are they stored”. That sort of ended things, since I knew the questioner was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.
What Would You Say If A Parent Asks You If You Have Guns in the Home?
Here are a few appropriate replies:
(1) Don’t you?
(2) None of your f***ing business!
(3) How else am I going to defend myself when you discover I’m banging your wife?
(4) Why “yes”, “yes” I do and your wife loves it when I stick it up her *** when I’m nailing her while you’re at marching for “Social Justice” and at your Moms Demand meeting.
Of course i have guns. That’s why i want your kids to come over – so they can help me make more bullets. I’ve found that children really enjoy running my lee loadmaster
Yes, we have guns in the house the ammo is locked away. That answer was a problem for someone once for some reason. We repeated, the guns other than the one on my hip are not loaded and all the ammo is locked away with the only key being on my personal key ring. The idiots still said the situation was too dangerous for their precious newborn. So we kindly told them good riddance.
Don t know if i have children but i don t want one and my dog can t repeat any of my weapons so i m not dangerous ore beware of dog and watch the owner ?! *g*
No and what kind of panties are you wearing.
How about asking them if they have the instruments for making child pornography in their home? Stop being a snowflake.
I would say “Are you kidding? We live in Texas.”
I think the question is ok and there is no reason to get offended by it. For friends of our kids who are over often, I talk with their parents about it before they bring it up to me. When my firearms are not under my immediate control (carrying, cleaning, etc) they are in one of two safes. The only exception is a 22 LR pistol and a .177 air rifle that we need for immediate access for raccoon deterrence (we have chickens). These are stored up high and out of the way. I offer to show parents how they are stored. I would feel fine asking another family how they store their prescription medications and ask to see how it is done. If they became defensive or offended, I would worry that they didn’t store their legal heroin safely.
I say “Yes, I’d offer to show them to you but statistically speaking, that’s how accidents happen.”
A couple years ago I was asked this by my niece’s best friend’s parents(I was living with my sister at the time but she was at the store). Her parents asked if there were any firearms in the house that I was aware of. Proudly standing in the living room wearing my “The best security alarm is a revolver” shirt, I kind of chuckled and said yes. The mother looked appalled but the husband asked what I had. They ended up missing their reservation because we spent the next 45 minutes or so talking about Guns. We went to the range a couple weekends later, both of their first times shooting anything besides a paintball gun, now the wife has more Guns than I do and the husband…well he says they share their collection.
You have a moral obligation to both eliminate any dangers in your household and notify parents of same. You might also have a legal obligation, even if it’s just a CYA.
You do not have a moral obligation to notify a parent of a gun that is not a danger (eg, is secured). In fact, you might have a moral obligation not to on the grounds that you have have the same moral obligations to yourself as others in terms of not hurting reputations and subjecting you/your family to a privacy-violative visit by the police if the parent complains.
A properly secured gun is a non-danger that is best not disclosed to avoid potentially damaging consequences.
Right now, still have some individual rights. However, if not reversed, immigration will directly create a climate hostile to individual rights as well as increased policing amd surveillance necessary to manage the crime and terrorism attendent with mass immigration. Over the coming years, gun ownership will be criminalized. Gun owners will naturally resist compliance, but anyone you’ve told about your guns now might turn you in two years from now.
There’s simply no good reason to risk your own privacy, safety and liberty by disclosing a non-danger to parents. There is every reason to make guns a non-danger by properly securing them — for your own safety and to obviate the need to disclose their presence.
Being a non-parent, I’m pretty sure my response will be “how the hell did you get in my house?”
First it is really none of their Damned Business, if they don’t like the answer tuff shit! your kids are probably assholes any way so don’t let your brats come over too play with my brats which is good because I don’t want my child associating with narrow minded bigot’s, especially when you cannot control you kids actions, nor your own! as for butt-heads like you who believe all the anti gun propaganda grow up, read about cars first lets ban them or Doctors malpractice deaths and a million other problems yoi can’t see because of the smoke and mirrors put on by the Sob politicians!
I don’t have kids. Or a kid.
I did, for about three years, have guardianship of, and responsibility for my niece. My brother and his wife were in a rather bad patch with eachother, and with trying to make ends meet in out of town camp style jobs- so while my brother spent about every waking moment not at work with his daughter at my home, I was effectively raising my niece.
( I helped take care of her from about age 8 to 11, so I got to be the “cool” uncle, she didn’t go into the psychosis known as teenager years till she left)
I owned a number of firearms, and my brother helped me get a good gun safe for them. My niece was taught the four rules, plus the “don’t even think about touching a gun without my active permission and presence” rule.
Some of her school friends did come over to play, hang out, and even a few sleep overs. I got to know her friends parents, and this issue came up a few times. Each time I was asked, it was less of a “do you have?” And more of a “how do you store?” And once a “we don’t have, my daughters never been around, can you teach her how to be safe?”
I was never offended by it, and everyone who asked was polite about it.
Heck, when my niece went for a sleepover at one of her friends homes, I wound up asking how the firearms were stored, and if their daughter was taught not to play with guns.
I assume it’s more of an issue with boys, and their interests generally, but I know my niece loved when we went shooting, and had a great time going with us hunting, even if she really only came a long for camping mostly.
I’ve really got no issues with parents working to ensure the safety of their kids, and we can all be reasonable and respectful adults. Teach your kids good manners through example.
Anyone who knows me well enough to ask the question doesn’t have to ask it.
I’ve never been asked that question and I’ve never asked anyone either. Living in rural Eastern North Carolina everyone just assumes that there is at least one if not several in every house. If I’m ever asked they are all locked in the gun cabinet except the one that I have concealed on me and the one my wife has concealed on her. I get up and put on a 9 mm that don’t come off until I go to bed. My wife never leaves home without her 38 special.
I never get asked that because I always open carry. They already know that there are guns here. Also, it’s a working farm so there’s plenty of potential danger all around.
I have been asked by parents to teach gun safety to their children. A few have also asked me to teach their children about natural rights.
I’ve never had one ask about gun storage in my home or about our safety practices.
“Do you have any guns in your house”
“Why, are your kids that uncontrollable?”
Or
“I don’t do that kind of work anymore.”
“Huh?”
“No women. No kids.”
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