Hoplophobes and kids

[Bruce]

WTF, exactly, is the problem with Hoplophobes and kids?

I recall my childhood vividly (its a curse - trust me).

I was raised in an anti-firearm home in an anti-firearm suburban community in an anti-firearm state. As a child, I was taught: "Guns are bad." and "Guns kill people." and even the occasional "Cops will shoot you just for being [fill in the ethnicity]."

My parents were (still are) down-to-earth, um... 'basic' people? I guess it wouldn't be too rude or insulting to call them 'simple' people. Apart from the terrifying newscasts from the radio and television and what they saw in movies, they knew nothing about firearms growing up in near suburbs of New York City. Raising me and my siblings (I am the oldest of three) in the deeper suburbs only seemed to cement their philosophy that firearms were a totally unnecessary part of life. Firearms were dangerous and should be left only in the hands of fictional characters - if anywhere.

When I was a young boy, I was discouraged from even playing 'Cowboys and Indians' or 'Cops and Robbers' because it was just 'too violent'. I wasn't allowed to have a 'cap pistol', or even a 'water pistol', no matter how much I begged for one. And I finally did 'just forget about ever getting' a BB gun. I barely 'got away' with water balloons!

A lot happened since then. I discovered that weapons did not possess 'evil spirits'. I learned that it is what is in the heart of the person holding (or carrying) a weapon, and not the weapon itself, that dictates what weapons do (and don't do). Luckily, I grew up.

What I can't seem to understand is why so many adults seem so preoccupied with a child (any child) being exposed to the sight of a firearm? I didn't understand the persistence that adults all around me had back then, and I don't understand the anecdotes I read in these forums now.

What is it, exactly, that adults seem to want to shelter these children from? From the stories I read through the forums, it seems to be perfectly 'okay' that you are armed, but you should just conceal your firearm 'lest a child actually see it!'

WTF??? I'm just not getting it. I didn't understand it as a child and I really don't get it now.

Would someone please explain this to me; like, slowly?

[PennsyPlinker]

I think there are a lot of things going on in this case, but one of the biggest reasons people use children is because they can point to someone else rather than themselves and claim fear. In other words, they are the ones afraid, but they can transfer that fear onto a child who probably isn't until he or she is taught to be afraid. But when they do it that way, they avoid confronting their own fear, or even admitting it to their own self or to others.

[Bruce]

Originally Posted by PennsyPlinker

...one of the biggest reasons people use children is because they can point to someone else rather than themselves and claim fear. In other words, they are the ones afraid, but they can transfer that fear onto a child who probably isn't until he or she is taught to be afraid. But when they do it that way, they avoid confronting their own fear, or even admitting it to their own self or to others.

Makes sense... In a sad, pitiable, unsettling way, this does makes sense.

In such cases, I suppose nothing can be done and no simple resolution is available. Not that much can be done about an 'irrational fear' outside of a therapists office anyway.
.

[shooter357]

What exactly is a Hoplophobe?

[PisnNapalm]

I feel bad for you man... I had a whole arsenal of toy guns when I was a kid. At age 10 I was given my first bb gun for my birthday. I was given the gun, a carton of bb's and told to go have fun in the woods. I had 3 bb guns before I graduated high school.

I shot target rifles on the high school rifle team. That's where I met my future wife on the rifle team.

I played with all kinds of "violent" toys as a kid. All my friends had them too. GI Joes, water guns, cap guns, etc... We played War, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, etc...

I am one of the most laid back non-violent people you'd ever meet. I dislike confrontation but I'm not afraid of it either. I also do not believe that exposing children to firearms will make them into bad people. It's how they are taught that matters most.

[PisnNapalm]

Originally Posted by shooter357

What exactly is a Hoplophobe?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoplophobia

Hoplophobia, (pronounced [ˌhɔpləˈfoʊbiə]), from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, is defined as the "fear of firearms" [1] or alternatively, a fear of weapons in general, and describes a specific phobia.

[ihunt49]

Originally Posted by shooter357

What exactly is a Hoplophobe?

Firearms instructor Colonel Jeff Cooper coined the word in 1962 to describe a "mental disturbance characterized by irrational aversion to weapons". Cooper employed the clinical-sounding term as an alternative to slang terms, stating: "We read of 'gun grabbers' and 'anti-gun nuts' but these slang terms do not (explain this behavior)." Cooper attributed this behavior to the irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry. He stated that "the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user."

[shooter357]

Originally Posted by PisnNapalm

I feel bad for you man... I had a whole arsenal of toy guns when I was a kid. At age 10 I was given my first bb gun for my birthday. I was given the gun, a carton of bb's and told to go have fun in the woods. I had 3 bb guns before I graduated high school.

I shot target rifles on the high school rifle team. That's where I met my future wife on the rifle team.

I played with all kinds of "violent" toys as a kid. All my friends had them too. GI Joes, water guns, cap guns, etc... We played War, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, etc...

I am one of the most laid back non-violent people you'd ever meet. I dislike confrontation but I'm not afraid of it either. I also do not believe that exposing children to firearms will make them into bad people. It's how they are taught that matters most.

Me too except for the BB guns. My Dad would not let any of us have one. He would tell us they were dangerous, more dangerous than "real" guns. I agree with him and won't let my kids have them either. They will learn to shoot starting with a .22 just like I did.

[ricbri69]

Not trying to thread jack, but I am curious if anyone has any insight into curing holophobes... my wife grew up in a gun-free environment, then spent the rest of her teen years in a big city suburb where guns were a big no... needless to say, I wasn't as big into guns in the early years of our relationship because of other responsibilities and a shift in my priorities. Anyways, I am getting back into shooting and trying to convince her that guns are not bad...She's getting there, and has *once* shot my p22, but still seems to have that mentality that guns are taboo and acts nervous around them... I am doing everything I can to foster her seeing guns as OK, including spending my new pistol money on a shotgun to shoot trap with, because she seems more comfortable with a long gun and trap is a good "fun" shooting activity.

Once again, not that I want to threadjack, but any insight into helping out with holophobes is greatly appreciated.

[XD40coyote]

I was rather boyish as a kid and I proudly had the Lone Ranger gun belt set with the ranger badge and the mask as well ( probably the cowboy hat too, and maybe even cowboy chaps, and Tonto costume stuff). In preschool I played cowboys and Indians with the boys, and back then kids were still allowed to have toy guns at the schools. I had other toy guns too, mainly water pistols or sci fi laser gun things. Never once was I "afraid of guns", since I never saw any real ones, except on cops, anyway. I never liked cops, but it wasn't the gun, it was the vibes, and some cops are such huge hulking guys, that they would indeed seem scary to a little kid for that reason alone.

Now my parents never really talked about guns, but I am sure that somewhere/sometime they told me what to do if I found a gun, and more than likley it was " don't touch it, tell other kids to not touch it, and go get an adult". The lefty news media probably did more to make me skittery of guns than my parents, however not once can I recall seeing a real gun anywhere as a kid, except on a police belt in a holster.

My parents also taught me all the other caution stuff, the gun safety as above was just part of the whole deal, along with " look both ways before crossing a street" and " don't talk to, take candy from, or go somewhere with a stranger". I think my inner sheepdog was just plain honed with the look both ways part, more like look in a 360 arch LOL.

The hoplophobe deal with kids - well I was thinking it is not so much the sight of the gun, but the irrational fear that their untrained brats would try to go grab it out of the holster. If someone has a kid that out of control, I think they have more to worry about, like the kid running into a busy street or plain wandering off. And if a kid did try to grab your gun, even if you have a holster with no retention device, I think you could easily remove a kid's hand from it or hold their arm down before they can actually pull it out. Kids are just not going to be that strong until they are teens. Hoplophobes don't realize that OC entails alot of watchfulness and quick reflexes, but I guess you just can't expect a sheep ( or guinea fowl) to think like a sheepdog. Alot of you guys/gals use retention holsters as it is too.