JinJer 27?: Wearing Black Pants in the Heat of Laredo

[ItsMeY'all]

We had no guns in the house growing up but knowing that so many others did, including our grandparents, we were taught gun safety from an early age. At the local Girl Scout camp the big deal was, first when you were old enough for the bb guns,  second when you were old enough for the shot guns and rifles.  Nowdays people would get in major trouble for it, but when I was in high school, on opening day of deer season, people would have animals in the truck beds and guns on the gun racks hanging in their rear windows. No time to go home before school started. In college fraternities and sororities would go off to someone's ranch/farm for skeet shooting parties (NO alcohol until all guns locked in the closet in the barn!!!). 

[Nikedagain?]

14 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

There are no handgun "accidents." These tragic situations occur when children are not taught gun safety. 

Little consolation to a grieving parent I guess?

[KelseyAnn]

1 minute ago, Nikedagain? said:

Little consolation to a grieving parent I guess?

I'm sure it hurts very much to lose a child by ANY means, but the fact reamins that if you leave a dangerous weapon out children well get to it. Just like bleach or laundry detergent pods of medicine or knives or paint or nails or drugs or alcohol or unsecured televisions and furniture or violent pets.

[ItsMeY'all]

15 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

The NRA has a fantastic program that they'll willingly take into schools to teach children about gun safety, in the event the parents don't/won't.

We had gun safety in school! And scouting, and church youth group, and from my parents from the time we were old enough to walk, and just about any other place you can imagine! Soooo many were ranchers and farmers in the area, the hunting culture, and the people like my grandparents who still had the guns their grandparents brought with them when homesteading. Guns were considered a valuable necessity as recently as my grandparents! Grandma is still alive. Hard to change that culture when some of them are still alive. 

[JesusCampSongs]

18 minutes ago, KelseyAnn said:

Bad gun owners shouldn't reflect on the rest of us. Just like those who abuse their rights to free speech shouldn't mean that it get's taken away from the rest of us.  

First off, thanks for the downvote. Your disapproval of the facts is noted.

Second, what meaningfully differentiates a bad gun owner from a good one? As I implied, nobody actually thinks that they are a bad gun owner, but the number of people who are hurt and killed in accidental firearm discharges indicates that this isn't the case. So, how do you propose differentiating responsible from irresponsible gun owners? Or do you think that hundreds of dead kids a year is an acceptable cost of the Second Amendment, much like we must collectively tolerate KKK rallies in the defense of the First Amendment (to continue your unfortunate analogy)? 

13 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

There are no handgun "accidents." These tragic situations occur when children are not taught gun safety. 

The NRA has a fantastic program that they'll willingly take into schools to teach children about gun safety, in the event the parents don't/won't.

From the perspective of someone who works with children and adolescents professionally, the idea that you can essentially "gun-proof" a child to where they will never gain access to or discharge a firearm is laughable. Some parenting expectations simply aren't developmentally appropriate, and the belief that you can train young children to never, ever do A Thing isn't realistic. Most of the kids involved in fatal handgun accidents are either under the age of five (so NRA propaganda would be particularly unhelpful) or teenagers. Both of these ages occur at developmental stages associated with increased impulsiveness and risk-taking behavior. While some kids are certainly more or less impulsive than others, or more or less receptive to adult instruction, it's still a big risk to take. 

Your family may have a good track record, but how much of that is due to Superior Firearm Ownership (tm) and how much of it is luck? 

[SapphireSlytherin]

27 minutes ago, Nikedagain? said:

Little consolation to a grieving parent I guess?

Now where in the blue blazes did you get that from my post?

[KelseyAnn]

Just now, JesusCampSongs said:

 

 

I'm allowed to downvote whomever I want. 

Secondly, yeah, I do feel very strongly that the rights of other's shouldn't be taken away because other's abuse those rights. Note I said rights, not privileges. That goes for gun ownership and free speech. If someone wants to say something horrifically offensive, that's their prerogative. Am I happy when those people get fired or shunned- you betcha I am. 

And Americans have the rights to gun ownership, no ifs no butts. I don't like the idea of police and government officials being the only ones with access to guns. And I don't like the idea of being 5 feet nothing and 100 pounds having no real means to defend myself against someone who will statistically outweigh me and dwarf me. Sometimes police don't get places fast enough and I'm not depending on prayer to save my life. I live in a shitty area and I have the right to defend myself. 

Children die, and yes, its terrible but guns aren't the only things killing them. How many cases of death get reported a year when a 'sweet' pitbull mauls a child to death? Should we outright ban those breeds?? How many children have furniture fall unto them and crush them to death? Should we ban shoddy furniture? 

 

[SapphireSlytherin]

6 minutes ago, JesusCampSongs said:

From the perspective of someone who works with children and adolescents professionally,

I bow to your obvious superiority. 

[Greendoor]

I wear pants rather than shorts as it saves me the sunscreen which I react badly to.

How hot does it get in Texas on average in summer?

 

[KelseyAnn]

Just now, Greendoor said:

I wear pants rather than shorts as it saves me the sunscreen which I react badly to.

How hot does it get in Texas on average in summer?

 

I work with a client who has impossibly sensitve skin and we've discovered using children's sunblock works on her. Perhaps it might on you? 

[choralcrusader8613]

Just now, Greendoor said:

I wear pants rather than shorts as it saves me the sunscreen which I react badly to.

How hot does it get in Texas on average in summer?

 

I grew up in the South, and even then, my trip to San Antonio in the summer made me want to die when we had to stand outside. I don't know about Laredo, but it was regularly above 100 when I was in TX in the summer.

[Greendoor]

 

@KelseyAnn  I will give that  a  try - take off my light white summer cardigan!

 

@choralcrusader8613  I don't think I could live in that kind of heat.  Glad you survived!

 

[KelseyAnn]

Yeah, I don't think I could ever survive the south. I went down to Lousianna to visit my summer last spring and nearly died in the consistently 80 degree weather. 

[dawbs]

ugh, I'm working w/o AC for the first time in *cough cough* many years.
It's KILLING me this summer.
Linen pants and shorts are the best I can do, and they're not cutting it.

[December]

3 minutes ago, Greendoor said:

I wear pants rather than shorts as it saves me the sunscreen which I react badly to.

If you haven't, you might want to try physical sunscreens vs. chemical ones... they are sometimes easier on sensitive skin. I've had good luck switching over. 

[KelseyAnn]

1 minute ago, dawbs said:

ugh, I'm working w/o AC for the first time in *cough cough* many years.
It's KILLING me this summer.
Linen pants and shorts are the best I can do, and they're not cutting it.

Be sure to stay hydrated!

[Greendoor]

Just now, December said:

If you haven't, you might want to try physical sunscreens vs. chemical ones... they are sometimes easier on sensitive skin. I've had good luck switching over. 

What exactly is a physical sunscreen? Brand name or where you purchased?   Thanks. 

[luxfilia]

4 minutes ago, JesusCampSongs said:

First off, thanks for the downvote. Your disapproval of the facts is noted.

Second, what meaningfully differentiates a bad gun owner from a good one? As I implied, nobody actually thinks that they are a bad gun owner, but the number of people who are hurt and killed in accidental firearm discharges indicates that this isn't the case. So, how do you propose differentiating responsible from irresponsible gun owners? Or do you think that hundreds of dead kids a year is an acceptable cost of the Second Amendment, much like we must collectively tolerate KKK rallies in the defense of the First Amendment (to continue your unfortunate analogy)? 

From the perspective of someone who works with children and adolescents professionally, the idea that you can essentially "gun-proof" a child to where they will never gain access to or discharge a firearm is laughable. Some parenting expectations simply aren't developmentally appropriate, and the belief that you can train young children to never, ever do A Thing isn't realistic. Most of the kids involved in fatal handgun accidents are either under the age of five (so NRA propaganda would be particularly unhelpful) or teenagers. Both of these ages occur at developmental stages associated with increased impulsiveness and risk-taking behavior. While some kids are certainly more or less impulsive than others, or more or less receptive to adult instruction, it's still a big risk to take. 

Your family may have a good track record, but how much of that is due to Superior Firearm Ownership (tm) and how much of it is luck? 

Well, in my (hunting) home there were plenty of guns, but i literally had no access to them. They were stored in a huge (closet-sized) gun safe and we kids never knew the code. None of the four of us--each with different personalities--ever once tried to get into it, either. I was extremely curious and impulsive as a child and honestly quite the snoop, but guns were clearly not for fun and games. (Even target shooting felt more like a boring school class, honestly.) The seriousness and safety of it all was thoroughly instilled in us. And of course ammo was stored separately. Every family is different, but I felt that my family handled it MUCH better than the families of kids I now work with. I work with children who have severe emotional disturbances/traumatic histories. The lifestyle that MOST of their families are involved in approaches guns much differently, making them seem cool and slinging them around near children constantly, making the youngest children, even the ones who don't WANT to, to shoot. There is only one kid among these children who described a hunting lifestyle (he lives more in the country; the rest of the kids live near downtown Nashville, as this is a special school where kids aren't zoned to attend). The kid with the hunting background has a much healthier approach to guns.  The others tell me some really scary stuff, including stolen firearms, gang activity, and shooting on children's playgrounds. I believe there is a balance somewhere here. And yes, some people simply do not make good gun owners. The biggest problem that i have witnessed is illegal ownership (and therefore little or no safety training) and sharing guns with the whole neighborhood as if they're a toy. One can enjoy shooting at targets and still understand that a gun is NOT a toy, no more than a car is a toy. Living in the country , how I grew up, is just SO different than living in a big town or a city like I do now, and I think people too often generalize (even statistically speaking). I am grateful that my family, often lacking money, was able to enjoy the lean, healthier protein that is deer meat, instead of having to always spend money on grocery store meats that were products of animals who had lived lives in much more horrible conditions. I am vegan now, but if I ate any meat, if would be deer meat. I am also thankful that my state does require background checks and the like. I don't want to speak on this decisively; I'm merely stating my experience. Obviously there are horrible crimes occurring every day and many of them are preventable. I'm just not sure I am decided on how best to prevent them.

[SapphireSlytherin]

13 minutes ago, choralcrusader8613 said:

I grew up in the South, and even then, my trip to San Antonio in the summer made me want to die when we had to stand outside. I don't know about Laredo, but it was regularly above 100 when I was in TX in the summer.

I grew up in the South, and was pregnant through a Louisiana summer. I have never - and I mean never been as hot as I was in Savannah, Georgia, in June. That was horrendous. San Antonio was fine in July.

[sawasdee]

21 minutes ago, KelseyAnn said:

. How many cases of death get reported a year when a 'sweet' pitbull mauls a child to death? Should we outright ban those breeds?

The UK has, along with most private handgun ownership.

[December]

4 minutes ago, Greendoor said:

What exactly is a physical sunscreen? Brand name or where you purchased?   Thanks. 

The sunscreens that tend to leave more visible residue on your skin... they have zinc or titanium oxide in the ingredients. At least some of the Neutrogena ones have it but I'm sure you can find online lists of all sorts of brands per usage, price, etc.  

[KelseyAnn]

Just now, sawasdee said:

The UK has, along with most private handgun ownership.

Well we're not the UK. So ...

[sawasdee]

The ban occurred, with public support, after some bad maulings of children. Don't remember the last time a child was mauled or accidentally shot in the UK.

[KelseyAnn]

1 minute ago, sawasdee said:

The ban occurred, with public support, after some bad maulings of children. Don't remember the last time a child was mauled or accidentally shot in the UK.

But how about stabbings?? 

[SapphireSlytherin]

7 minutes ago, sawasdee said:

The ban occurred, with public support, after some bad maulings of children. Don't remember the last time a child was mauled or accidentally shot in the UK.

Google is your friend. A quick search found several dog maulings (recent).