As a lifelong gun owner, I’ve always recognized the importance of treating firearms with care and respect. We’ve all heard the horror stories about what can happen when people are negligent or foolhardy; when a gun is involved, there’s no room for horseplay. From the moment my daughter was born, I vowed to pay extra attention to firearm safety. I purchased a gunvault safe and kept all my pistols under lock and key.

Still, I think it would be a mistake to promote a child’s ignorance about firearms. Once they are old enough to uphold certain responsibilities, I believe they should be ingrained with an understanding of the power guns contain. That way they learn to operate guns safety and with great care. It should be up to each individual parent to handle that situation the way he or she sees fit, of course.