Kids and guns: Markel on 4H

So – this has been stirring up a lot of conversation (as might be expected). Teaching kids how to shoot (not just the fundamentals of marksmanship, but gun safety as well). Some people are all for it, others not so much. At least one assclown actually compared this to pictures of Arab children dressed up in assault gear or explosive vest and reckoned them the same. Many RECOILweb readers have seen pictures of me teaching my son, nieces and nephews, aged 7 on up, so you can probably guess what my opinion is.

Kids and guns are a logical and rational combination. Young people have a natural curiosity about firearms. They seek them out. Whether or not you allow firearms in your home, you cannot be with your child 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When your child first encounters a firearm, do you want them to treat it like a toy because they are ignorant or would you rather them treat it with respect based on education?

In addition to organized county 4-H clubs, the Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports program has been holding a Shooting Education Camp for 17 years running. In 1998, a small group of dedicated instructors and a few dozen young people participated in a pilot program to see if they could put on a weeklong camp centered on the various shooting disciplines of archery, muzzle-loading, pistol and rifle shooting and the shotgun sports.

Read Paul Markel's original article in its entirety and weigh in.