# Knee-Jerk Attitudes Revealed Down Under



## Sukerkin (Aug 15, 2012)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18688488

One sentence that really stood out to me in this article was the reference to the USA, most especially the lack of understanding that the right to own a firearm has pretty much always been there for Americans


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## Tez3 (Aug 15, 2012)

If the children go hunting I believe they should dress their kills up in fancy dress. http://now.msn.com/new-zealand-school-hosts-dead-possum-dress-up-contest

It shows my and my colleagues sense of humour though when we howled with laughter at this dressing up.


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## K-man (Aug 15, 2012)

Sukerkin said:


> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18688488
> 
> One sentence that really stood out to me in this article was the reference to the USA, most especially the lack of understanding that the right to own a firearm has pretty much always been there for Americans


I think it is just clumsy use of language.  Like in the UK we can own and use firearms if you have legitimate reason and target shooting or hunting are legitimate reason.  I certainly was out shooting alone before I was twelve but times have changed. I'm not sure I would be in favour of it now, except on farms. Not that the legislation is even about hunting with firearms. The major issue for me would be the ability of the child to achieve a clean kill. We have had many issues here with animals left running around with arrows hanging off them.


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## elder999 (Aug 15, 2012)

K-man said:


> I think it is just clumsy use of language. Like in the UK we can own and use firearms if you have legitimate reason and target shooting or hunting are legitimate reason. I certainly was out shooting alone before I was twelve but times have changed. I'm not sure I would be in favour of it now, except on farms. Not that the legislation is even about hunting with firearms. The major issue for me would be the ability of the child to achieve a clean kill. We have had many issues here with animals left running around with arrows hanging off them.



I hunted alone, with blowguns, bows, slingshots and an air rifle, from the age of 11. 

A wounded animal is the best incentive for a clean kill. It's bound to happen, and you have to find it and kill it. Their getting away is also bound to happen, and you remember it a lot more than successful clean kills, especially on a larger animal like a deer. First time a deer got away from me with an arrow in it I almost gave up hunting-like to make me sick to my stomach.

First time was the last time. Yep.


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## David43515 (Aug 17, 2012)

I respect the ideas of those opposed to the "glorifying" of guns, but I can't say that I agree with them. Allowing young people to hunt on their own with bow and arrows isn't especially likely to make them gun crazy. And I also don't see anything wrong with viewing a firearm as a regular piece of sporting equipment. You could use a cricket bat to beat someone to death quite easily, but that's not what it was meant for.

Personally I think if they're worried about glorifying violent use of guns, then they aught to worry more about video games and movies than about bow hunting. But that's just me.


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## Grenadier (Aug 17, 2012)

I see no problem with letting children hunt alone, provided that they have a decent level of skill, and have been taught how to handle and use weapons responsibly.  

If your kids are responsible people who obey the laws and are well trained, letting them do hunting isn't going to change who they are.  Good people are still good people, and the addition of a foreign object isn't going to give off some mysterious waves of energy that changes their minds.


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