this is the mentality we are up against - I actually saw this on Facebook

[Douglas Carpenter]

posted by someone from my little town in Western PA who I once a child attended a church youth group with



I might add that whenever I have attempted to engage this person who posted this - they always end it with a "come home to Jesus" sermon and telling me that they are praying for me - - Now how do you connect Jesus and teaching little girls barely above toddler age to shoot to kill?

[VanillaRhapsody]

1. You can't reason with that....

[JI7]

2. they must not have much faith in jesus

[eqfan592]

3. i have a daughter, and she will learn how to shoot safely.

I see no problem with this.

[RichGirl]

4. Why not...

Teach your daughters self-respect and self esteem so they don't hook up with abusive guys who will require a restraining order!!!

This ad assumes that your daughter lacks all good judgement in her choice of men.

[eqfan592]

6. your post assumes that a woman will only need a restraining order against somebody they know...

...our hooked up with. My wife had to deal with a stalker prior to our marriage. Scary stuff.

[GP6971]

10. A restraining order is just that

a piece of paper not often enforced. My first wife was a therapist specializing in sexual abuse, battery and rape. All too often,the restraining order was either enforced too late or not at all. And no I don't condone the shooting of someone. It's the culture that has to change

[eqfan592]

13. Trust me,i know. the paper did nothing to keep him from coming to get home late at night several tim

I never want to shoot somebody, but to protect myself or family, I won't hesitate.

[Douglas Carpenter]

17. and with little children in the house who have access to guns and knows how to shoot to kill,

what could possibly go wrong?

[eqfan592]

19. who said anything about them having access?

You're promoting a mentality similar to those who support abstinence only education.

[Douglas Carpenter]

20. oh for crying out loud! I don't try to reason with extremist

[eqfan592]

24. yes, i don't agree with you, so I'm an "extremist" smh

[seattle15]

32. A piece of paper backed-up by the government...

at every level from the local police and up. It isn't just a piece of paper just as a dollar bill isn't just a piece of paper.

[Fumesucker]

7. Bear in mind that Ted Bundy came across as charming and funny to a lot of people

It's not always possible to predict what we ourselves are going to do, let alone other people.

[sammytko]

14. That is what I told a guy that posted the same thing!

He got mad and said what about an intruder etc. I told him, that isn't what the ad says -

[eqfan592]

18. then you were just as wrong as the above poster. nt

[sammytko]

25. can you really shoot someone?

I qualified on an M-9, expert on M-16, fired an M-60. I have a handgun, but I've never even taken it out of the box.

We had to live with our weapons 24/7. I think it is that type of training that makes you comfortable with a weapon. I prefer the M-16 to a handgun.

I had a hard time with the M-9 because my hand is too small. That kid is tiny.

Even with training, the first time we were attacked with missiles, I was terrified and shaking. After that, things were okay and I felt I could take care of myself. But at least I survived that first time.

Situational awareness and to listening to their intuition should also be stressed. Trust but verify.

[eqfan592]

31. Great question.

And I agree, situational awareness is HUGE. To many people wonder around with no idea what is going on around them.

I've never been in a combat situation, but I have been shot at before. I managed to handle myself very well in that situation, but I shook uncontrollably for some time after I was in a safe location (and chain smoked like nobodies business). And that was not my only brush up against the less than nice side of our society.

As I stated elsewhere, my wife had to deal with a stalker for a short time prior to our marriage (tho we were dating at the time). It was somebody that she hardly knew that became obsessed with her. The restraining order did nothing to dissuade him from living messages on her car while she was at work or overnight while she was at home, and even slashing her car tires. Knowing this guy was creeping around the house at night was terrifying to say the least.

There is little else that scares me more than the thought of something happening to my wife or my daughter, so if push comes to shove, I do believe I could shoot someone if I had to. It's easy for me to say that, obviously, but my sincere hope is that it is never tested.

Based on the experiences of my wife and I, I feel it is important that my daughter understand how to effectively defend herself should the need arise. And given that we have firearms in the house, and even tho they are all secured, I still feel it is important she understand the danger they represent at a young age, and plan on teaching her firearms safety early on (she's only 2 months old right now).

Many here obviously disagree with me on this, and that's fine. I just wish they would try to not think of me as some sort of deranged monster. But if wishes were fishes...

[OwnedByCats]

23. You are also assuming

that all abusive men show their true colors from the day you meet them. That's not usually how it works. They'll treat you like a queen until such time they start being abusive when they think they've got you hooked. Sometimes even long after you married them. Any woman can be a victim, no matter how much they respect themselves or how good their self esteem is.

While I have no problem with women protecting themselves, I think the girl in the picture is way too young.

[tularetom]

5. I taught my daughter to shoot, I also taught her to castrate sheep

And she showed just about the same level of interest in both, that is to say less than none.

I have to say I'm a 2nd Amendment literalist, but that ad is sick.

[eqfan592]

8. the ad is sick because it promotes something you did with your own daughter...oooook. nt

[tularetom]

16. No the ad is sick because it presumes that her only recourse against an abusive partner

is to shoot him.

I didn't teach her to shoot as a self defense mechanism, I taught her because I enjoyed it and it seemed like something we could do together. It was soon obvious that she wasn't interested so I didn't pursue it any further.

And she has been in one relationship her entire adult life (31 years at this point) and while it has had its ups and downs, she has never had cause to fear her partner.

[eqfan592]

22. you are making the same wrong assumptions about who one might need a restraining order against.

You are also setting up a straw man by saying the ad implies shooting somebody you have a restraining order against is the only recourse. It says note implies any such thing.

[tularetom]

28. Balderdash

You seem to be awfully defensive toward any criticism of this ad.

Fess up, you wrote the ad, didn't you?

[eqfan592]

30. No, I didn't. I just call 'em as I see 'em. nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

9. I understand what you are saying - I grew up in a part of country where hunting and fishing are

the norm and most people have a firearm - yet the violent crime rate is low. But the idea that a child that age should be armed and has the judgment to decide whether or not to kill daddy or step daddy is loony.

[eqfan592]

11. I don't think the picture is saying kids that age should go around armed.

It's talking about teaching to shoot, and if you're going to keep guns in the house, then the gun safety education should start early. That education can then be applied later in life if needed.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. if you don't see the problem with this add and what it implies -- my goodness

[eqfan592]

15. i think you have to be fairly obtuse to think the ad implies small children carrying guns. nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

21. good lord

[eqfan592]

26. my thoughts exactly. tho I'm an atheist, so maybe not "exactly" nt

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

33. Ikr?!

[Sunlei]

27. I agree with the learn to shoot if your life is dangerous with 'restraining orders"

But not using the picture with a child holding the gun. That's over the top paranoid.

[Egnever]

29. A restraining order IS just a piece of paper

I will surely do everyhing I can to teach my daughter how to protect herself. I likely wont teach her to shoot as I dont like guns even a little bit but that doesnt mean I think there's anything wrong with this message.