Webequirk 9

Based on the pure strike of genius that is my friend Nikki, Webequie Quirks of the Day will now be known as Webequirks. Good right? Thanks Nik.

Today's Webequirk: Kids with guns.

Most places I have lived, it is great cause for fear or alarm if anyone other than a police officer is walking around with a gun. Even then, I usually always double check I'm not accidentally doing something illegal. Here it is a little different because most of the community members have guns and teach their kids to hunt at a fairly young age. I entirely respect that, since it is tradition, but there is something nerve wracking about a 14 year old with a gun.

I mean I think about myself at 14, flood pants, bad hair that looked like a mushroom cut, falling over my own shoes. If my Dad had been like, "Hey Karen, grab your gun, we're going into the Niagara Escarpment to shoot some....raccoons..." my Mom would have put a swift stop to that. I'm hoping that this early exposure to using a gun in the right way, teaches them respect and safety skills. However, it's not uncommon to see a kid with a toy hunting rifle pointing it at their friends and the dogs. Uh oh.

Context is always a very important thing. I have seen some elementary school artwork and journals were the students talking about shooting geese and are drawing pictures of themselves with guns. That is an indication of a good knowledge of their culture rather than cause for alarm. One student of mine even came to class with a dead partridge (bird the youth hunt here) in his pocket and busted it out onto the table. I tried to hide my genuine horror and just told him he had to clean up the blood that was leaking onto the table. After, I can't help my context either. That same situation in a city school would be followed by a barrage of tests and psych consult. Also, make sure you are always really nice to the kid with the dead bird in his pocket. You never know...

Here though, you respond with an apprehensive, "Good for you!"