Posted on 11/27/2008 7:53:58 AM PST by marktwain
“I imagine the idea is to go after gangsta types who are unlikely to have said parental permission.”
unlikely able to find ...Dad.
I think it depends on the kid.
I’ve got at least one daughter who I would have happily trusted with access to a firearm at that age because she was mature and sensible enough to handle that type of responsibility.
But I wouldn’t trust my youngest son in the same way. He’s a good boy for the most part, but at 15, he is still a child in the way he acts and the way he thinks. I’m fairly confident he wouldn’t misuse a firearm, but not quite confident enough that I’d want him to have access to one if I wasn’t around.
Now I live in Australia, so the law doesn’t give me any choice on this anyway - I can’t allow a minor to access one of my firearms unless I’m present and I have to keep the weapons secured. He does have a junior firearms licence (which allows him to use a gun in my presence or that of another licenced adult actively supervising him) and I have taught him how to handle a firearm carefully and safely and to use it appropriately, but at his age and level of maturity I regard those skills as backup tome actively supervising him - I intend to prevent him acting unsafely but if I, for some reason, am not there I want him to know what to do.
When he gets a little older, I’ll expect him to be primarily responsible with me as the backup, and further on, he won’t need me as backup (well, no more than I’d expect any man to look out for the safety of those around them), but at the moment, I’m Dad, he’s a child and I will give him the freedom and responsibility he’s ready for and reserve to myself that which he isn’t ready for.
All this is a long way of saying, you have to know the kid. If you’re not sure your son will be ready at 15 to have access to the gun safe, then as a parent you are definitely right to restrict that access regardless of any other factors.
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