I grew up in the country. We learned to fish and to hunt quite early in life. My generation was trained to use weapons for hunting, practically from the first grade. I had shot several calibers of weapons by the time I was in third grade, including a 16 gauge shotgun, a .22 pistol and a 30-30 Winchester. I owned my own .410 bolt action Mossberg shotgun (which I still own) by the time I was 10.
I learned above all things, gun safety. It was no problem to be a well armed child, as long as you were a well trained child who understood the magnitude of a loaded weapon and was taught and learned how to respect that power and acted responsibly. All my friends were equally well armed, equally well trained and equally capable and responsible with their weapons. It was the norm, not the exception to be well armed and well trained at a very early age, and to also be hunting shoulder to shoulder with your Dad and other friends and family members.
I had moose, bear and bobcats traverse our lawn at home. I never felt at a disadvantage, because I was well armed and confident in my ability to safely and effectively use that weapon to protect myself, and/or our home, even at the age of 12.
I am amazed at how much our society has changed and how, even in rural areas, there are children who are not armed and not trained. Times do change. One time is not necessarily superior to another. They are just very noticeably different.
Being expected to be responsible for something important, helped to instill a sense of responsibility and maturity in us. We were, in essence, not just becoming well armed in the ballistic sense, but we were also being well armed in moving forward in life by being counted on to take on more responsibility. We were being called up to something bigger. We were being armed to handle life.
I am not trying to indict the present or suggest that everyone should go out and buy their children guns, only that we see the merits of calling the next generation up to something greater by finding the means to arm them for the challenges that lie ahead of them in life. This can be accomplished through our efforts to instill in them a sense of empowerment through additional responsibility. This will require our input, our guidance and our trust. Nothing, however, could ever pay greater dividends, for them, for us and for society. Blessings!

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