No one wants to see children get hurt with a firearm. Unfortunately, it happens far too often. Kids, who are naturally curious about all things, may well find a gun and if they’re not sure what to do with it, bad things can happen. This is true whether they find it in your home or out in the bushes somewhere.

That means kids need to be trained regarding guns. Since the schools won’t allow that education, apparently, a firearms training school in Virginia is stepping up to accept the challenge.

Too many children have lost their lives in accidental gun deaths, so it’s never too early to learn gun safety. T4Tactics in Lynchburg is hosting an event on January 13, 2018 called “Kids and Guns – Don’t Touch.” It’s open to all ages. Kids are finding guns everywhere and not being told what to do. This upcoming hour and a half event will teach kids what and what not to do if they find an unsecured gun. They’ll have coloring books and plenty of songs and games to get the point across. Experts say it all starts with responsible gun ownership, especially with adults.

The experts are not wrong.

However, as individuals, we’re only responsible for our own actions. We can’t make other gun owners act responsibly. Sure, we can do the whole thing of calling up our kids’ friends and asking them about guns and whatnot, but is an irresponsible gun owner going to be honest about it? I still remember one of my friend’s mom’s telling other parents that she was collecting keys at a party where alcohol would be present, only to do no such thing. Why would you just accept another parent’s honesty about it?

While many of us have taught our children about guns, in particular how to handle them and what not to do with them, not everyone does and guns can pop up anywhere. Making sure kids have the understanding of what not to do is key.

Let’s be honest, some adults don’t even know what to do if they find a firearm. Why would anyone expect kids to know without being taught?

Marko Galbreath of T4Tactics said, “Somebody’s natural reaction when they pick up a gun if they’re not trained is finger on the trigger, and they point it everywhere. So, we don’t even use a real gun or fake gun in the training, we just have fun and teach them: ‘If you see one, here’s what you do,'”

Unfortunately, my experience supports Galbreath’s assertion. People who don’t know anything about guns don’t even start to exercise common sense when they pick one up without any instruction first. It probably has to do with how Hollywood has everyone running around with their booger hook on the bang switch, like nothing bad ever happens that way.

So a class like this is a wonderful thing, and it needs to happen in every community across the nation. If the schools won’t teach this stuff, then maybe we do.

People in the Lynchburg area should check out the event here.

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