Nancy Lanza Shared Her Interest in Firearms with Son Adam Lanza: Is It OK to Teach Children How to Shoot Guns?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/12/16 18:32:04

Related Topics: Newtown, Connecticut, News, Politics, Gun Control, Connecticut Shooting, Adam Lanza

1,364 votes
Read all 1,995 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	1,048 votes	77%
	No	316 votes	23%

In the midst of the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy is the intensely debated subject of gun control. Political pundits and everyday American citizens are wondering how the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting could have--and should have been prevented. The shooter, Adam Lanza, 20, is now deceased, but his legacy as a mass murderer who killed 26 innocent lives--20 children and six adults--will forever haunt a community.

Many wonder how Lanza could have gotten access to guns that were found at the scene of the crime and used on the victims. Recently, news broke that the guns in fact were obtained by Lanza's mother Nancy. Nancy was killed by her son Adam with one of her own guns, prior to him opening fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Based on various media reports, Lanza seems to have been a disturbed young man, who kept to himself and dealt with mental illness. While some are firm believers in the right to bear arms, as well teaching kids how to properly use guns and the dangers involved, others argue that not everyone is to be trusted with that kind of responsibility--child or adult. No matter what side of the gun control debate each citizen is on, this issue is not going away anytime soon.

Is It OK To Teach Children How to Shoot Guns

+45

Add a comment above

marcuss LIBERALS ARE IDIOTS 2012/12/16 21:56:34

Yes

+31
I taught my son and daughter to shoot. Responsible gun owners are not the problem in this country.
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead News

Ozzyboy 2013/01/19 04:05:05

No

Not when the kid was as seriously disturbed as Lanza's kid was and she knew it. that is the really awful part of this. She KNEW it! Otherwise then it would depend on the kid and that is a parental judgement call.

reply
Ian 2013/01/14 17:13:53 (edited)

No

Actually, I wanted to select "It depends"... but there wasn't such a selection available.

It depends on the maturity of the child.

It depends on the sanity of the child.

It depends on the environment of the child.

reply
SW to Ian 2013/01/27 20:20:52 (edited)

Can you or anyone be 100% sure of any of those factors all the time? Maturity, sanity, environment can all change drastically over time. Not always in a good direction. A really mature sane kid in a good environment gets access and knowledge of firearm use, then something traumatic happens to them or something about their brain chemistry changes or a million things can happen in a year or 2 or a month. Unfortunately when sanity goes away it doesn't take the guns with it.

reply
CorrectOpinion 2013/01/12 23:34:43

Yes

ABSOLUTELY. The only way for people to learn how to be responsible. This helicopter nation of parents are creating a generation of kids with no freaking idea how to work, think, or behave.

reply
deidara.trueart 2012/12/28 19:14:49

Yes

+1
when I was 8 I recieved a 22 semi-automatic with a high powered scope, and 4 cases of amo. I was taught to respect life, taught gun safety, and that guns are a tool like any other it has it's purpose, and needs to be maintained. I have not shot, nor wounded anyone. I am an excellent shot. I have broken up fights that have broken out between drug dealer, and drunks. I am a small woman, and even though I had my gun, I never brought it to a fight, I used words to stop people from being hurt. If, I need to use my gun thanks to training I can use it, and yes, I ill use it. You just have to use your brain.

reply
zebsmom 2012/12/25 02:39:45

Yes

+1
In general, I think it's a good thing to teach children firearm safety. It's fine to teach them to shoot as well. But. If your child has poor impulse control, mental illness, a really bad temper etc-if there are firearms in the house, they need to be secured. Period.
Teaching children with such issues how to shoot is probably not the brightest idea either.
Common sense people.
Adam's mother was afraid of him and was working on having him conserved and committed to a locked facility. Having unsecured firearms in the house with someone who you're afraid of? Someone who has unpredictable temper outbursts? Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

reply
Royo 2012/12/24 19:46:50

Yes

What's not okay is to teach your kid how to shoot someone "execution-style". No kid needs to know that, and the mother was a fool to teach him that.

reply
SW 2012/12/24 19:22:33 (edited)

No

Everybody who's kids accidentally shot themselves thought they were "responsible gun owners" 5 minutes before that happened. Gun owners are 12 times more likely to die from a gunshot wound than non gun-owners.

I teach my kids abstinence only when it comes to "safe gun use" kind of like conservatives teach "safe sex."

But I think Johnny Cash put it best when it comes to taking guns out for protection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

reply
D S 2012/12/24 18:59:46

Yes

+2
I had target practice at the Y.M.C.A. (wasn't there a song?) when I was about 8 years old.
What a great time we all had. I think it was .10 a round.
I'm pretty sure that no mass murderers came from those teachings.
I also had a mom and dad at home. Knew how to entertain myself outside. Only had one T.V. in our home. Had pets I had to care for. Did chores for an allowance...

reply
kage 2012/12/23 15:42:42

No

+1
so the solution to a gun problem is to make sure everyone has guns? sure, firing at targets or some deer is fine, but arming kids and teaching them to shoot at other people is not the solution.

reply
chavezs 2012/12/21 05:09:58

Yes

It is ok to properly teach them the safety and dangers of a firearm. Firearms are part of american history and to take that away, takes away us as americans. Shooting targets or animals legally is a right we have. Does not matter if its a small .22 or a AR-15. Guns save more people then take. Wars?

reply
Mr. Won... to chavezs 2012/12/24 00:14:39

+1
What a load of crap. Buggy whips, stagecoaches and heating homes with coal also were part of American history and culture and or goodness we get along fine without them today. The full blown lunantic head of the NRA the obvious psycho Wayne LaPierre was on Meet The Press this morning and did a fine job confirming a major NewYork newspaper headline which simply read GUN NUT under his picture.

Hey, just take a long look at the the lunantic. No wonder he with a straight face pretends doing anything about guns or ammunition isn't the problem when any damn fool knows THAT is the problem. Too damn many guns and trying to arm teachers or turn schools into armed camps isn't the answer to any rational sane person.

reply
SW to Mr. Won... 2012/12/24 19:24:29

The NRA doesn't represent gun owners... they represent gun companies and their money. Period.

reply
Mr. Won... to SW 2012/12/25 05:48:41

To a point you are correct however they have about 4 million everyday Americans that pay dues and give them the power they have. The NRA like the ASRP others are basically lobyists. They exist to influence Congress and public opinion. If the have a mass exit of member they become defanged and become meaningless. People might some day learn.

reply
chavezs to Mr. Won... 2012/12/29 04:19:16

Your a load of cow dung. There are already tons of guns out there legally and illegally. It is impossible to have a gun control. What are you going to defend yourself if someone breaks into your house? A kitchen knife? Even my granny has a .25 pistol by her bed. I do not live in a super duper nice rich neighborhood like you so I need my protection. Don't pick on NRA cause of an incident by a mentally challenged kid w/ issues. We need more mental clinics free or affordable to weed out the crazy's. Your ignorant.

reply
kdbaker58 2012/12/20 00:54:22

Yes

+3
Young people need to be made aware of gun safety and the damage guns can do. They see what happens in the movies and video games. That doesn't even come close to what a bullet does in real life. I don't think a lot of people realize that. If you've been in a war, you know.

reply
kammi 2012/12/20 00:09:28

No

+1
If you're going to teach a child to shoot a gun, then you might as well teach them about everything else instead of "picking and choosing" what they know. I mean honestly who cares if it was his mother's passion, I'm sure she had other passions but certainly wouldn't share it with him, and this was one of the things she should've left to the wayside. I see no point or reason to teach a child to shoot a gun, no matter how old they are(pre-teen or teen) its not the wild west!Children aren't developed til they reach 24 and the neocortex is fully formed which is how they learn the true consequences of their actions

reply
SW to kammi 2012/12/20 20:44:00 (edited)

Yep. People who own guns are 12 times more likely to get killed by guns than people who don't own guns... So that "protection" thing ain't working out.

With my kids, teaching about "safe gun use" is like how conservatives think about teaching kids about "safe sex."

Abstanence only.

reply
gregory... to SW 2012/12/21 16:40:30

Great stat! since there are about 90 guns in the US for every 100 people.... Well do the math.

reply
SW to gregory... 2012/12/24 19:12:42

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." --Jesus Christ

"Don't take your guns to town." --Johnny Cash

reply
gregory... to SW 2012/12/24 19:46:54

The argument has become a circle. I would love to not feel that i would need protection, but then who would protect us from the people who had guns? Once you can insure that no person or government in he world has guns, I will go to the police station and turn in my guns.

reply
gregory... to kammi 2012/12/21 16:39:12

+1
My dad was a cop, so there were always loaded guns in the house. While he did not teach any of us to shoot (9 kids) he did teach us about gun safety. "Don't touch it!" He also taught us not to touch the Skill saw or the belt sander until we could do it responsibly. But by the time we were sixteen or seventeen we had our own rifles. Most people did. We didn't use them to shoot people, nor to even shine deer. Mostly we used them for target practice or putting down a cow or deer that had been hit by a car. Only one person grew up with that was not a cop or in the military ever used a gun to kill someone. Two guys were robbing his store, and pistol whipped his wife with a shot gun. He got a little upset.

reply
me 2012/12/19 22:45:48

Yes

+3
Define "children". I wouldn't try to teach a 3 year old....but I know several people who taught their kids to shoot in their pre teen years. Its a safe and entertaining sport and you hope for responsible parents. BUT, you can't guarantee every parents acts responsibly.

reply
Tic-Toc to me 2012/12/20 01:51:57

+4
I taught my kids to shot when they were 5 or 6 years old... As my family depends on meat for food, these are tools that we use.

It is the same as teaching your kid to use the phone or a knife or such... A tool is a tool is a tool.

If they are going to be around them, then it is best to teach them the proper use of them. That is not to say they had ACCESS to them, just that they knew how to use them and what damage they could cause.

reply
me to Tic-Toc 2012/12/20 03:34:25

+1
Agreed. My ex spouse would let our kids crawl all over the lawn mower until I taught them all the mower was a tool not a toy! They fortunately have all their digits but after that I made sure the kids learned proper ways to use tools. (as far as ex spouse, ya can't fix stupid)

reply
Tic-Toc to me 2012/12/20 04:24:39

+2
I hear ya there... They don't know until ya teach them

reply
gregory... to me 2012/12/21 16:28:54

There ain't no 12 step program!

reply
ProVega 2012/12/19 22:12:30

Yes

+6
But, children should not be allowed unsupervised access to fire arms.

reply
Tic-Toc to ProVega 2012/12/20 01:52:10

+3
Agreed

reply
joshBigBoss 2012/12/19 20:48:05

Yes

+3
If you teach children about guns properly then I'm sure they'll be less likely to hurt themselves or others with them. If you don't then they will think it's a toy, and possible hurt someone. It's more responsible to educate than to leave ignorance.

reply
llamalife44 2012/12/19 20:11:56

Yes

+2
If they are mature. NOT CRAZY LIKE ADAM LANZA!

reply
johnnyg 2012/12/19 19:55:00 (edited)

Yes

+3

I taught my son how to shoot paper plates and pop cans!!

reply
SW to johnnyg 2012/12/20 20:44:57

Is that an orange tip there?

reply
johnnyg to SW 2012/12/24 21:43:33

Better to see the paper plates and pop cans. It is a 16 shot .22

reply
Farnsworth 2012/12/19 19:25:38

Yes

+2
more teens die of traffic accidents, so by the logic of your question, should we teach kids to drive?

reply
juneathomas 2012/12/19 18:59:22

Yes

+3
children are fast learners. and very intelligent.

reply
chas 2012/12/19 18:23:54

No

+2
Not until a maturing of the MIND to some degree. Maybe somewhere between ages 14-16 , in most young kids. Certainly, IF no mental disorders exist. IF present, forget it.

reply
Red Omega to chas 2012/12/19 19:04:40

+2
That's so discriminatory. Not all mental disorders mean that they are going to go on a killing spree. Likewise, not everyone going on a killing spree has a mental disorder.

reply
chas to Red Omega 2012/12/21 19:58:18

TRUE indeed. But it is still tricky for a parent/guardian to decide IF youn person's mind (decision making ability) is prepared . Yes, parents MUST discriminate, its their DUTY. I had friends go hunting (late 1970's), with few problems. Its common here in Penn's woods.

reply
Red Omega 2012/12/19 18:22:31

Yes

+4
If you are going to have them , might as well teach safety. But it shouldn't be mandatory obviously. To the question in hand though, Lanza was taught about guns and responsibly. You can't predict these kind of things.

reply