When I was about 12 years old, I rode my bike to the Army Navy store across town and purchased a 7.62 Russian Mouser and a couple of boxes of surplus shells, all for under $20. I put the rifle across my back and proceeded to ride home about 4-5 miles. I stopped at 7-11 to get a Dr. Pepper and carried it inside. I then proceeded to ride down the main drag in Texas City, Texas called 9th Ave. I arrived home, put the rifle up and went out to play ball with my friends. Not one peep by anyone! No one cared! I took my .22 to school in the trunk of my car in High School to hunt rabbits after school.
I'm 61 now. It was a different time then. I miss it. No one even gave a thought that I might shoot someone even accidentally.
I well remember a friend of mine and I in our early teens riding our bikes with several guns to the hardware store to buy ammo to shoot in the woods. That is where a lot of our grass cutting money went. I don’t think anybody ever gave it a second thought, if they did they never said anything except for my mother telling me to be careful. What has happened to our society?