You must have heard the expression 'guns kill people' a lot of times, but if you think about it, it is not the gun's fault, it is the person who is using it, or not being careful with it.
Unfortunately there are a lot of accidents that happen where guns are involved and people did not take care of the safety rules when around it. Children can also easily harm themselves or others if they see a gun as a 'toy'.
The most important thing that you need to remember is that is you do not know how to use a gun properly you cannot go around playing with it or pointing it at other people or animals. It can be very dangerous and can easily go off and hurt somebody without it being your intention.
You need to know what to do if you find a gun or come in contact with one.
Real live is not a cartoon or a video game. Different than video games, you do not have a few lives where you can get up and play the game again. Real guns have real bullets and they are dangerous. Somebody may get hurt or worse die if an accident happens and they get shot.
A gun is not a toy that you can play with, shoot somebody with and then just wait for them to get up and go on with their 'second life'.
Do not think it will be fun to show a gun to your friend, or point it at them. Accidents can happen very easily.
Do not think it is funny to say stuff like "I will shoot you." "My dad has a gun and I will get it and kill you." Even though you just mean it as a joke or a prank, it is serious and can be seen as a threat and you can get in a lot of trouble with the police.
A gun at home
Many families decide that they want to keep a gun at home, and that is fine. The last thing your family want is for you to play with the gun and get hurt. They can keep it for protection or hunting and it is normal for you to be curious about it.
Ask an adult to show you how it works and learn how to make sure the gun is safe. You can also ask them to take you to the shooting range if you would like to fire the gun.
You need to remember, even it you know how to use the gun, the must still follow the rules to stay safe. It does not mean because you know how to shoot a gun you can now be careless. It is like driving a car. Even if you are a good driver, you still need to follow the rules of the road and make sure you stay safe.
At school
It has happened that children bring guns to school. If you hear anybody bragging about a gun they have or they are going to bring a gun to school, you need to tell a teacher about this.
Most of the time it will not happen and the kid is just making up stories, but it is better to be safe than sorry. If you suspect or see anybody with a gun, run as fast as you can to get an adult's help.
Do not feel that you are a 'tattletale', because if there are a dangerous situation, it is your duty not to keep quiet about it. That way you do not only keep yourself safe, but also your friends.
It is easy to remember. If you see a person playing with a gun, stop what you are doing and find an adult. If you are curious about how a gun works, ask a person who has experience with firearms and can teach you the correct way to handle one.
And most importantly, never think that nothing will happen if you play with a