I cherish my mentors - they were my father & grandfather. I can still remember sitting in the lap of the latter when I was but 6 years old, picking off cans with his scoped .22lr.

Guns were practical tools, meant to be used, not looked at. Still, tools were to be well cared-for, and so were guns. These menweren't rifle loonies: they were hunters, not shooters. In retrospect, it would have been nice if they were into hearing protection. The muzzle blast from shooting even a .243 gave me a flinch that took years to shake.

I've recently started working on the OhioDNR home study course for the Hunter Safety test with my 12 year old son. He really enjoys the Dad-time, & the course material is far more interesting to ME than the Cub Scout crap he used to do!

I've also found a wonderful range, where every kid who visits is issued a .22lr for the day, with 1 free box of ammo, & a stack of clay pigeons to bust up on the berms. I happen to believe that all gun control talk would stop cold in just 1 generation if every kid got to shoot a .22lr for a day. I love it even still.