I carry a gun all the time, (1) because I'm a free man and it's my right, (2) being prepared is a good thing and (3) it simplifies life - I don't need to go through an IF-THEN flow chart to decide if I should carry or not carry, ie if I think it's going to be dangerous or not, or what mood I'm in that day.

Awake? Yes. Some clothes on? Yes --> then carry. And lets be honest, predicting the future is impossible, you can only try to set conditions for the success you would like to have.

My kids don't have the run of the neighborhood either. We have a large private yard and they can go out front without me, however I need to know about it and they typically have a large dog or two accompany them. We have other residential safe guards to monitor the property and their safety - and they don't go very long without getting watched by me.

I live by the adage that you, your family, and your residence want to be viewed as an unfavorable target. So if evil lurks nearby, it will pause at the thought of being opposed and won't want to work hard to break into your house, assault you, or take your children.

So odds are evil will look elsewhere, away from my kids and dogs, maybe towards those kids who are by themselves, far from home, and whose parents have no idea where they are.

Life is full of choices.

Holy, balls, imagine the horror of a boy wandering the neighborhood! I got my first 10/22 when I was 8 and was wandering the foothills "hunting" with my cousin every spare minute we had. I mowed lawns and gathered eggs for my grandparents in exchange for ammo. Seriously, we left at sunup and didn't return until sundown, not a care in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:

quote:

Originally posted by PossibleZombie:
I did this everyday when I was a kid and most of us here probably did as well.

I did. I also rode in the open bed of my dad's pickup. NOBODY wore seat belts. Child seats? Weren't invented yet. When I was 14, I played with sticks of dynamite. Unsupervised.

We did a LOT of stuff back then that I would never allow a child under my supervision to do. This isn't 1975 anymore and things that were ok then aren't necesarily ok today.

I doubt that much (if anything) that was truly ok then is not okay now. We've just decided as a society to put foam padding on everything to protect everyone. In most cases this is probably a good thing, but darn we are making it hard for Darwin to do his job...

We've commented often about concealed carry when we're out and about. Many of us have commented on carrying around the house. So there's a real and present danger lurking around, otherwise we wouldn't do it. So I'm with you on this one wolffy, a 7 year old needs adult supervision. Better to be safe than sorry.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
Holy, balls, imagine the horror of a boy wandering the neighborhood! I got my first 10/22 when I was 8 and was wandering the foothills "hunting" with my cousin every spare minute we had. I mowed lawns and gathered eggs for my grandparents in exchange for ammo. Seriously, we left at sunup and didn't return until sundown, not a care in the world.

Yeah, except Mr. Wilson doesn't live in the neighborhood anymore. The "when I was a kid" stories aren't applicable anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
Holy, balls, imagine the horror of a boy wandering the neighborhood! I got my first 10/22 when I was 8 and was wandering the foothills "hunting" with my cousin every spare minute we had. I mowed lawns and gathered eggs for my grandparents in exchange for ammo. Seriously, we left at sunup and didn't return until sundown, not a care in the world.

We've come a long way since the Great Depression.


<ducks>

The thing about "nice neighborhoods", is that it is easy for bad folks to go there.

We just called that "living" and "being a kid".

Everyone I knew had a few to several block radius as SOP.

And no, I don't believe life is any more dangerous for kids like that nowadays.

Sorry it's bothering you, though. Your kid. Your decision.

Me, I'd give mine a bicycle and a phone and send them on their way.

I agree with the OP that a 7 year old requires more supervision. I would allow a 10 year old to engage in the type of behavior described. It really probably depends on the individual child, level of maturity, and personality. I have peers that would benefit from adult supervision.

quote:

Originally posted by wolffy88:

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
I was allowed out by myself when I was that age.

How long ago was that?

I have seen it debated here before that the world is just as dangerous now as it was back whenever, but the way news and social media are today, it is more publicized.
I don't believe that is the case. I think the world we live in now is much more dangerous for a 7 year old, much less a 32 year old man, and I, like Rhino, take the safety of me son to be my number one job in life.

I don't think his mom walking with the boys would keep them from thriving in their adult lives.

about 56 years ago, but it was in the "scary" city of Detroit.

Statistically, our children are MUCH safer than we were. I have read many articles over the years about it, but this one was easy to find on The Google.

I live in a gated subdivision with nary a sex-offender within ear-shot. I have no personal issue letting my 9 year-old girl roam the neighborhood unsupervised. I was doing much the same when I was 9. Probably more.

Sadly, I DON'T let my kid ride her bike alone because of judgy helicopter parents that might call the cops on me. So we go to playgrounds and parks, and she doesn't have the same opportunity to explore the world unfettered and unsupervised that I did. I think she will be worse-off for it, but I don't want to get the cops or DCF called on me and my wife.

quote:

Originally posted by wolffy88:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by SBrooks:
That is not what I asked. I asked if you carry a pistol, or have one available to you in your home?

I don't feel unsafe either, ever. I grew up in Memphis. I live in one of the most tame areas I know of, now. But I still have a gun in my night stand.

Yes, always. Why? That is the wrong question. The right question is "Why on earth wouldn't you?" The safest place for it is on my hip. Most times when something needs shot on short notice here it is a coyote getting too close to the house and I go to the safe and grab an AR rather than using the pistol. Though I saw mountain lions on the property six times before we moved out to the ranch, I have not seen one in the eleven and a half years since. However, I have seen stuff that they have killed and I know they are still around. If one were to decided the dogs look tasty, I'd prefer to be in a position to respond very quickly with more than a stern word. Am I likely to ever need to use a firearm defensively? Of course not. Not at home, and not out and about. That said, it costs me nothing to always be armed and I'd rather carry every day for the rest of my life and never need it than just once need it and not have it. If there is any benefit to not carrying, I don't know what it is.

As for your kids, only you and their mother can decide what is appropriate in your environment. There is a real benefit to them learning to be independent and self-reliant, but there are risks to everything and instilling those traits while keeping them safe is the goal. Only you and their mother can figure out where the right balance is. I don't know what has worked for you in dealing with your ex-wife, but I've had the most success with my wife when I acknowledge her concerns or considerations and carefully try to get her to see my viewpoint without raining on hers. It doesn't hurt that when she has considered something I didn't think of that changes my mind, I acknowledge it, tell her she is right, and thank her. An entirely different approach may work better for you, who knows?

Good luck in figuring out the right balance for your family, and in convincing your ex it was her idea.

I'm glad I grew up when I did.

Talk to him, have an adventure with him and help him be safe. It's out of your control so worrying doesn't help.

Any salamanders in the creek?

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
We just called that "living" and "being a kid".

Everyone I knew had a few to several block radius as SOP.

And no, I don't believe life is any more dangerous for kids like that nowadays.

Sorry it's bothering you, though. Your kid. Your decision.

Me, I'd give mine a bicycle and a phone and send them on their way.

Yes, years ago meth dealers lived on every corner as well I'm sorry, but it's flat out disillusion to think that life isn't any more dangerous today than it was years ago. Even if we assume kids don't live in a more evil society, a lot of the evil that existed years ago was kept in check because everyone watched each other's kids. Half the people don't pay attention to their own kids, let alone who little Jimmy from down the street is talking to.

If life is as safe as years ago then leave your doors unlocked. Not a fan of that? Then I guess we don't live in Mayberry anymore.

I think things were different when we (most of us) grew up. WW2 vets and families saw much ugliness and many killed. The tolerance in society of those who did evil was much lower. Today's society's wants to "understand and help these predators" which just encourahges it. I still live near where I grew up and because of the density change in population,legal and not, would never do what I did as a child now. Too dangerous.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
I got my first 10/22 when I was 8.

Well I guess he's got you beat, he has a Remington pump 22 in a corner of his room.

The question of why you carry a gun is absolutely the right question.
If there was no evil in the world you wouldn't, but you do, and since that's the case a 7 year old should be supervised also.

That's my opinion anyway.

I understand both points and it is a balance between safety and experience.

I am glad I wasn't 'shackled' as a kid.
Set some limits but let the kid be a kid.
IMAGINE the horror of it all > wandering the neighborhood at age 7.

reminds me of my childhood - when I got my bike out, we measured our radius of action in miles, not blocks

If the documented rates of bad things happening "have never been lower" then one cannot draw a conclusion until one has a valid comparison group. How low would the rates of such things happening been when we were children if children were out no more often than they are now? It's apples & oranges.

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
If the documented rates of bad things happening "have never been lower" then one cannot draw a conclusion until one has a valid comparison group. How low would the rates of such things happening been when we were children if children were out no more often than they are now? It's apples & oranges.

Good point.