Would you let your kid touch a machine gun?

SOURCE: FOX NEWS -

Photos of officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department letting kids handle the department’s SWAT team weaponry at a community event has sparked a debate over how much exposure to guns is healthy for kids.

Community organizer Attila Nagy, who took the photos, told FoxNews.com that he was concerned it might encourage kids to use guns in the future.

“My main concern is for kids who handle these things. They’re fascinated by them, and it makes them familiar with guns,” he said.

One city councilwoman, Marsha Vas Dupre, told her local paper that she was “alarmed and devastated” by the photos.

But the police department is pushing back, saying they see nothing wrong with how they handled the event.

“The weapons are rendered safe and are unloaded. We ensure the safety of those weapons,” Santa Rosa Police Capt. Gary Negri told FoxNews.com, adding that the police attend the event to build ties between the police and the community.

“Our goal is saying to people, ‘hey, don’t be intimidated by the police.’ We want to break down that barrier… Once these events are over, people will be more comfortable having conversations with officers.”

Another goal, Negri said, was to educate kids about guns.

“Education and gun safety is a component of what we do… We teach kids the difference between a real gun and a Toys R’ Us gun.”

But the department’s response hasn’t convinced everyone. One woman, Elaine Holtz, was so concerned by the SWAT team’s weapons that she approached the police officer at the community event and asked what was going on.

“I would not want my child to be involved with something like that… Those guns, they should have been behind glass — to teach the kids that you don’t want to deal with this gun, because it kills.” Holtz told FoxNews.com.

“I am coming from the heart of a woman, a mother, a grandmother,” she added.

Despite the complaints, some gun safety experts say the police are right — and that data shows kids who grow up with legal guns are actually less likely to get into trouble.

“A U.S. Department of Justice study showed that children introduced to firearms by their fathers had a lower rate of delinquency than children who learned about guns on the street, or even children who had no experience with guns at all,” Dr. Tim Wheeling, of the group Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, told FoxNews.com.

The 1994 Justice Department report concluded: “Boys who own legal firearms… are even slightly less delinquent than nonowners of guns.” Specifically, 14 percent of kids with legal firearms committed street crimes, compared to 24 percent of kids with no guns at home.

Given that, Wheeling said, the response to the police actions seemed overblown.

“If this controlled lesson in firearms helped the kids understand that guns are not toys, some good could come from it. The knee-jerk rejection to the police outreach by locals was clearly excessive.”

The pro-gun control Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence declined to comment.

Whether the police event actually helped the kids understand that guns are not toys is a matter of debate.

“It wasn’t a safety thing,” Nagy said, contesting the police version of the story. “That’s misinformation. I was there. The gun was displayed, and kids just picked it up and played with it.”

Nagy cited his photos as evidence.

“In one of the photos I took, as Elaine Holtz was talking with the officer, you can see a little boy is reaching up to the table and grabbing a gun… the youngest kid there was maybe 5 years old.”

Holtz said that when she asked the officer what was going on, he replied that they were doing “training,” but that she did not find his answer convincing.

“I did not see any education going on; it looked like it was just fun,” she said. “And I think we generally have a good police department. But what happened here was poorly thought out.”

Police Capt. Negri said that the department is looking at “whether we want to change our tack in the future.” But for now, the police are sticking to their guns.

“Gun safety is a part of the discussions we have with the kids,” Negri said. “These kids, what do they learn about guns from video games, movies and TV? A lot of the questions we get from kids are way off base… So it’s helpful to have some realistic dialogue.”

On many occasions ATAC TV Survival guys have been asked which knots should be learned and used while climbing and rescue, the answer to this question is simple. The knots that work best in your hands and you can tie correctly under all situations. ATAC TV Survival Channel shows the viewer the proper way to tie and make use of the basic knots included on this list. Glenn Justice, our “in-house” Rope Master recommends nine very important and basic knots to learn that will work in almost every situation you might encounter. This list starts off with the family of four figure 8 knots:

• Simple 8
• 8 on a Bight
• 8 Follow Through
• Double 8 on a Bight
• Double fishermen’s
• Water knot
• Clove-hitch
• Prusik knot
• Alpine butterfly

These knots should be learned and proficient so that they can be tied easily, even under adverse conditions such as rain, snow or darkness. You must be absolutely sure the knots are properly tied as your life may depend on it. Sure, there are many other knots to learn and the applications for each, but these basic knots are the place to start.

Other knots to make mention of and be familiar with are the overhand knot, and square knot. These knots are used as safety or finish knots to back up other primary knots used on the rope or webbing. These are not recommended for use in areas of anchor attachment or support, but are used frequently as the back up knots.

Which knot should be used where? A great question that has no real answer that can be applied to every situation. For the most part, the knot to use is the one that is right for the job you are doing and will handle your situation. The answers for this come from experience and the knowledge gained by training and actual hands-on working with ropes and different situations. As a general guide, the family of figure 8 knots is a great option for anchor attachments. The Double 8 on a Bight is our primary choice of anchor attachment knot where there is going to be a heavy load place on the system. Although there may be a situation where you need to wrap around your anchor and a Figure 8 or Double Figure 8 on a Bight just won’t be appropriate. This is where an 8 Follow Through with rope or Water knot in a piece of webbing is needed. Just for clarification, the Water knot is the only knot recommended for use in webbing. When there is a need to have a knot or attachment mid-rope, use a Clove hitch, Alpine Butterfly, or Prusik may be the best choice. Some of the other knots are not as “kind” to the rope and can put stress on the rope which could lead to premature breakage if use mid-rope. Being “kind” to the rope means using knots that do not have sharp bends or exceed the natural bend of that rope that weaken at that point. Of these choices, the proper knot would depend on the line of pull and/or if it needed to be moved during use. The only knot that should be attached to the rope if movement is required is the Prusik. The Prusik knot and cord attaches on the outside of the rope without bending or weakening it. This could be used in a case of rescue and/or as a progress keep on haul systems, in addition to self-belay. Rounding out the basic list is the Double Fishermen’s knot and is best used when you need to attach two ropes together or making slings out of accessory cord, in our opinion.

Although this is considered a basic list, by no means are these knots the only knots you should know or to be used in every situation previously noted. It is intended as a guide and a good place to start. Training and experience gives you the understanding and solutions to determine which knots to use in different situations.. ATAC TV Survival Channel provides you with instructional video programs as a guide for training and a good start to receiving the experience that you can use to know which choice is best for the task you are trying to accomplish. Always keep in mind high angle work has increased risk that may lead to severe injury, including death. Knowledge and training will give you the expertise in the knots you are using to dampen the risks involved with rope work. Your life or the lives of others are depending on your skill and that knot being tied right. Watch the instructional video programs linked below for much more information. Always train with someone that has the skills to accomplish your goals safely without exposure to danger. It’s great training and information for the whole family, including children.

Simple 8 Video

8 on a Bight Video

8 Follow Through Video

Double 8 on a Bight Video

Double fishermen’s Video

Water knot Video

Clove-hitch Video

Prusik knot Video

Alpine butterfly Video

Source: American DerringerFor as long as there have been firearms, there has been the need to protect and educate our children when it comes to safe use and storage. One of the biggest problems we have today is that there is not enough firearms safety training for children. Here at American Derringer Corp., we are as concerned about your children and their safety as you are. Here are some basic rules and suggestions for making your home a safe environment for both children and your firearms.

• Don’t try to hide a gun in the house, thinking that the child will never find it. They will. Children have the ability to find anything adults can hide. And, the better something is hidden, the harder the child will look for it, and the more importance it will have to the child once it is found.
• Avoid attaching any mystique to the firearm through flat prohibition. Nothing gets a child’s attention faster or stronger than being told “No,” without explanation or reasoning. Children are smart, and will see through flat prohibition.
• If you carry a firearm on a daily basis, be sure to secure it when you get home. Make sure that your child knows you do this, and why.
• Teach your children these basic firearms safety rules:
  • Always assume that a gun is loaded, even after you have personally unloaded it.
  • Never point a firearm at another person. Never point a firearm in the direction of anything except a proper target at a range or while hunting.
  • Never handle a firearm unnecessarily.
  • Never accept a firearm from another person unless they have shown it to be unloaded in front of you. Never assume.
  • Always verify the unloaded condition of a firearm.
  • Never throw, drop, or otherwise mishandle a firearm.
  • When encountering a strange gun (say laying on the street), do not pick it up. Contact an adult (preferably a law enforcement officer) as soon as possible. When possible, keep other children away from the gun. Do not make any assumptions about a “found” weapon.”
  • When firing at a range, always keep the gun pointed down range, towards the targets.
  • A firearm is not a toy. Do not treat it like one.
  • Do not show off firearms to friends and schoolmates. And, do not tell friends and schoolmates that there are firearms in the house. Do not take a firearm from its place without a parent present.
  • Always use proper ear and eye protection when at the range.
  • A firearm is not a status symbol, or indicator of strength. Do not use it as one.
  • Whenever you are in doubt about a firearm, do not touch it. Get an adult to check it for you.
  • Remember, it is our right to keep and bear arms, but it also our responsibility to do so safely.
    It only takes one little mistake to cause a big accident.
  • Let them know that firearms are capable of bodily injury, destruction and possibly death if misused. Do not “soft-soap” the truth. Apply the same principles as Driver’s Education courses in the schools do.
• Start your children off right by showing them the ropes about guns. This includes showing them the proper procedures for unloading, verifying and handling a firearm. Where available, a certified instructor should be used to teach proper shooting and safety technique.
• Make sure to show your children how to clean and care for a firearm. A dirty, or abused gun is more dangerous than any other.
• Encourage your children to learn these safety rules, and to follow them. One method that helps is to take them to the range (once they are old enough to handle a firearm) and let them shoot. Another method is to use airguns in early training and safety education. This will not only further strengthen the other lessons, but will also serve to remove the mystique that has been put up around firearms. It is this mystique that leads to most firearms accidents today.
• Remember, nothing is as good as education, and open, honest discussion.
• When there are many children visiting, secure your firearms in a proper lock-box, safe, or unreachable location that you can monitor. Keep all spare ammo separate from the guns.
• If you’re child is alone in the house regularly, consider getting a small safe or lockbox to keep your firearms in when you are not there.
• Be sure to follow all of the rules you set for your children. If you violate any of them, the child will feel comfortable in following your example.