I bet you have that Crosby, Stills & Nash song in your head right now. “You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by”.
The song, written by Graham Nash in 1968 was a call for parents and children to try to understand that each generation goes through its own kind of “hell” (growing pains / life issues) and that each should respect that and learn from each other.
I thought I would be writing an article about gun safety for youth. But now I need to include another topic: Assassination Culture.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination has been the single gunshot heard around the world.
I don’t need to remind our civilized society of proud American Gun Owners how to keep your family safe. You have evolved to understand the most potential deadly threats to your kids. Their phones, laptop, gaming apps gave a whole new meaning to being a helicopter parent.
Assassination culture is a term used to describe a disturbing societal shift where violence—especially politically or ideologically motivated murder- is not only committed but sometimes celebrated or justified by segments of the public. The idea is that in a post-truth world, where identity and ideology are deeply entwined, some individuals no longer see a distinction between disagreeing with someone and dehumanizing them.
I suggest this: teach your kids about Situational Awareness. Situational awareness is the ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate what’s happening around you in real time-and then use that understanding to make informed decisions. It’s a critical skill.
All of us can become more enlightened about this tragedy of youth that think if a person disagrees with me, he must be eliminated. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to the kids around our kids.
For years, in my position at The Range of Richfield, we have provided information about how to protect your kids by practicing sound firearm safety in your home. So, I’m not going away from this article without reminding you of this:
SAFETY IN THE HOME
Safety in the home requires thoughtful protection of your firearms. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has Project ChildSafe. It’s a good resource to learn how to talk to kids of all ages about firearms in the home.
GET A SAFE
With the variety of safes out there, you might be surprised how affordable it can be. A compact vault is $200-$300. The Range has been a Liberty Safe dealer for years. Just stop in and talk with Jim or Jay.
And you of tender years
Can’t know the fears
That your elders grew by
And so, please help them with their youth
Author: Judy Babiasz | Range Newsletter Contributor
