“We know that Father’s Day is meant to be a day when fathers sit back on their couches, watch sports and take it easy. But this Father’s Day, we ask you to do one thing differently. Look at your children, your beautiful, growing, pesky children who bring you so much joy and sometimes cause you so much heartache, and ask yourself — really ask yourself — this: Am I doing everything I can to keep them safe? Because the answer to that question, if we all answer honestly, clearly is no.” Mark Barden and David Wheeler, A Father’s Day gift for kids: Protect them from gun violence [via washingtonpost.com]
Mark Barden is suggesting to every father to get a CCW? I can get behind that!
That’s what I read too.
Ditto.
+1 yup that is exactly what I was thinking.
That’s how I read it.
“We know that Father’s Day is meant to be a day when fathers sit back on their couches, watch sports and take it easy. But this Father’s Day, we ask you to do one thing differently. Look at your children, your beautiful, growing, pesky children who bring you so much joy and sometimes cause you so much heartache, and ask yourself — really ask yourself — this: Am I doing everything I can to keep them safe? Because the answer to that question,
if we all answer honestly,unless you’re a CHL holder and keep a suppressed Glock 17 equipped with suppressor-height night sights, a pressure switch activated surefire X300 and an OEM 30 rd magazine in a quick access nightstand safe clearly is no.”Yeah, actually Washington Post and authors, I take great pride in knowing I AM doing everything I can to keep them safe: carrying a weapon for our protection anytime we leave the house; teaching them early in life what guns can do (destroy things), what they’re for (stopping bad guys), and how to safely shoot them; and educating them about their history, and the part that guns played in creating a FREE nation, under God, with Liberty and Justice for all. Yup. Everything.
I don’t have kids but if I did I would only reinforce my will to use EVERY possible means to keep them safe, that means a gun. these antis are so despicable they must turn everything and holiday into some bizarre anti rights message. Robert, I guarantee that on the 4th of July you will be able to find some anti’s quote telling us to disarm and tie it into that holiday. BTW have a good fathers day everyone
Nope, I wouldn’t do everything to protect them. Nothing good comes out of being an overprotective parent that smothers the child by trying to protect them.
Catch a bullet or a dozen? If it is for my kids then sure.
Note: not a parent.
I hate children.
And part of the reason I hate children is because of what helicopter parenting has done to them as a whole in our culture.
I don’t really hate them, but you are right about helicopter parenting. Hate is a strong word IMO (not trying to be a hippie now). Hope the trend doesn’t continue.
Yesterday I saw a kid on a skateboard without protective equipment, then I heard some mothers talk about how the mother of that kid is irresponsible. Found it hilarious in a sad way. My parents taught me that if I mess up I mess up once, after that you learned how to avoid doing it again. Scrubbed your knee on the gravel road? Now you know not to run without looking. Then again my parents are “old-fashioned”.
Well how about you just tell your kids that they’re no longer allowed to go swimming. Or ride in cars. Because they’re a hell of a lot more likely to die from those activities than to be killed by gun violence.
dont forget walking down the stairs 🙂
Ah, but here’s the thing … Doing any of those things would inconvenience Mr. Dad in a big way.
He can, however, rant against guns with absolutely zero inconvenience to himself, and feel self-righteous as a bonus.
Sanctimonious (insert Yosemite Sam-ism here).
Oh, I don’t know. When my kids come over I have the peace of mind of knowing I’ve got a well stocked arsenal at home that will pretty much take care of anything that threatens them from 0 out to a few hundred yards, and can put a weapon in each of their hands if need be and they can competently handle them.
Pretty sure I’m doing that already by having the means to fight off a thug with a gun, right fing now. Also, pretty sure these two would rather call police and then wait like a sitting duck with their baseball bat in the corner of the room hoping they make it in time. I feel sorry for their children.
So what will you do if someone pours gasoline on the outside of your house and lights it up?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t have guns – hell, I have one in almost every room. But you should probably have an escape plan and other contingencies in place as well – just like a fire plan.
*Note – not necessarily talking to you. This was a post aimed at all people who have a false sense of security due to owning firearms. Nothing beats training and a plan.
“Am I doing everything I can to keep them safe? ” Everything? So why confiscate guns from protective fathers? Is it because you really don’t have protecting children in mind at all? God protect us all from the likes of you, sir. …and God, thank you for all the fathers that take the risks that come with stepping up to protect their children by their actions and not by enacting laws to feel good.
Today, I am going to ignore this nonsensical article and just wish all the fathers out there a Happy Father’s Day.
+1
I’m not a parent, but I was a kid once 🙂
I think that we can all agree by now that ‘helicopter’ parents are a BIG part of the problem nowadays. Most mean well, but that the truth of the matter is that our children and youth fail responsibility so much simply because they’ve never had to be responsible at a young age and take risks. Then upon reaching adulthood they don’t exercise good judgement.
Sometimes being a good father (and mother) means letting them take risks. Play out in the yard, fall off a bicycle or out of a tree, etc.
And more relevant to this particular issue, imparting a sense of ownership and responsibility vis-a-vis guns and self-defense. If all you teach your kids are “guns bad!” and deprive them of the consequences of irresponsible behavior, what are you gonna expect?
Tom
The neat thing about his question is that no matter how much you’re doing to keep them safe, the answer will always be “no,” because you’ll never be able to do everything you can. There aren’t enough hours in the day.
Yep. And we better start seriously funding the Skywatch program and work on asteroid-deflecting strategies, too … you know, because no child should be killed by an evil piece of solar-system debris…
In all seriousness, I think we should actually do that … but I also think it’s a good example of how significant the vocal chords / frontal lobe disconnect is for these folks.
Hes right, ive got a chl but i DO need to put in more effort to repeal th gfz of america act. Theres always more time i can spend at the range too, by myself and with the wife and each kid. Thanks for the motivation dude!
Nothing has endangered kids (and everyone else for that matter) more than gun free zones.
+1 rev…did this tool/fool just tell us to arm up even more?!? For MY children. Happy Fathers Day to all you dads.
Read this guy’s article and a few others linked at the bottom in WaPo. Meh!
Just a rehash of the usual anti-gun, anti-RKBA rhetoric, praise for Obama and misrepresented “facts”. Liberally salted with emotionalism. I agree the question he poses can be answered either way, which, to my mind, only highlights the vacuousness of his opinion.
Found an interesting link some of you may find useful:
http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp
Would like to hear from RF and TTAG Team if they think this website’s information is valid and worth referencing.
Happy Father’s Day all you Dad’s!
well let’s see here….
1. home defense rifle & shotgun (check)
2. personal defense weapon on person at all times (check)
3. “gun proofed” 3 & 4 year old boys (in progress)
4. big lovable wussy dog until you come in uninvited (check)
5. evil sadistic outdoors only large feline (check)
6. momma bear aka bosslady trained to use my guns (check)
7. bicycle helmets and proper car seats (check)
8. shooting skills kept sharp for all family members (check)
yeah we’re green 2. Might not cover it all but hey we cover the basics. Happy fathers day all you mothers.
This reporter should bother to look at the newspapers own backyard- D.C.
D.C. like all major urban areas have a major socioeconomic problems, generational poverty and blight. Those are all known factors that lead to violence. Add to this drug and gang problems and many young people who have been jailed who when released can only turn to gangs or selling drugs for income you have a constant environment for violence.
Then there is primarily white America who shots in their pants over the entirely rare white-on-white violence that are known as spree and school shooting overwhelming perpetrated by mentally ill young men. There is a mental health problem in white America and stigma and crappy mental health infrastructure to deal with the issue.
There are two different violence problems each with separate paths to a potential solution. People like this reporter want to lump everything into one.
This article is just another ruse to focus on guns which will do nothing because the solution is larger than gun control. Gun control is just too convenient of an excuse and deflects from true solutions.
Nobody on either side of gun rights issue cares to talk about or offer real solutions.
It is irrational for me that fathers who focus on gun control and banning guns believe this is a path to protect their children given that the problem is much larger than guns.
All the guns laws in the world would not have stopped the recent tragedy and will not stop the coming annual Chicago Summer Slaughter as the heat rises.
Am I doing everything I can to keep them safe? – this is why I now have my CCW.
I feel that their anti-gun message is just going to inspire people to get CCW liscences, because that’s honestly the first thing that popped into my head as I read it. (Also to all you dads out their happy Father’s Day)
Happy Father’s Day all you dads.
When I was young, we had a man break into our home.
My Dad was a revolver guy. He was a Smith guy. He was a “customed tuned by a genius in Sonoma” Smith Revolver Guy.
On this night, the guy who broke in was drunk and unarmed. He had been pounding on the door, and threatening to kill everybody. He got a running start and jumped through the bay window in my sister’s room. He was cut up pretty bad. My father was on his way to his safe to get a gun at the time. My sister screamed. I yelled for Dad, and all I heard was “STAY IN YOUR ROOM!”.
The memories from that night come out, creeping back slowly. The sounds of what was happening. My sister and I being taken out the broken window in her room, so we wouldn’t see the carnage in the hallway. Being told to keep my eyes closed, but peeking anyway. A white painted hallway with bloody head prints all along. Screaming for my Dad who didn’t come. Being handed out of that broken window to another MP. (Yeah, it was on a base.) And the cold night air.
Looking over, and seeing my father, at the end of the driveway, standing over a pile of what had been a man. Dad was covered in blood. He had no gun in his hand. No shots had been fired.
A year or so before my Dad passed, I asked him about it. He told me the entire story. He only regretted that he did not have his gun in his hand. He regretted how much the guy had suffered.
Now, I am not the man my father was. I have kids of my own now. If the same thing happened in my home, I don’t know that it would turn out in my favor. Home invaders these days come armed, and will kill an entire family over a tv set and a laptop.
So yes, by owning a gun, and keeping it handy (yet safe and secure)… I am doing everything I can.
Great idea! I’ve posted gun free zone signs around my house and allowing my children to wait at the bus stop unsupervised!
How did two emasculated dweebs like Mark Barden and David Wheeler ever get to be fathers? I’m guessing artificial insemination.
Let just assume that college was the low point in the lives of two very drunk, very loney, girls with daddy issues….
Henry, you are a bad, bad man!
Got my CWP years ago but never carried regularly until my daughter was born last year. Now i rarely leave home without my glock brand glock 26..but i see what the quotees are saying…i could probably manage a few more weapons on my person just to be safeR
“Am I doing everything I can to keep them safe?”
Well, considering that yesterday for Father’s Day weekend, my dad took my little brother and I to the shooting range. I would like to say, yes. I think my dad is doing everything to keep us safe. We got to try out my dad’s new Sig Mk25 and was able to get some good trigger time. Even helped out my little brother get used to shooting XDM40.
In all honestly, my sincere condolences for their loss. And my response to them is this, I protect my children every night from gun violence knowing that my SR9C and three fully loaded standard capacity 17 round magazines are within 5 seconds of deployment from the nearby safe.
I sleep well at night.
Well,since a dad is supposed to get his kids prepared to face life on their own two feet
My kids can run ARs, semi-auto pistols, and shotguns. They’re smart enough to ask how to run an unfamiliar firearm vice trying to fake it. They understand the law and morality surrounding self-defense and the history of the second amendment as well as world history and the fate of populations which were disarmed.
They don’t hold the same positions as I do on some issues, and as much as I disagree with them I’m proud they’ve learned to think for themselves and articulate the reasons for their opinions.
A belated Happy Father’s Day to all.