Kids and Guns Mix Safely at Our Home

Our daughter Nina is turning 12 soon, and she has been excited to get her first gun. After telling us he had none, Tony at Gander Mountain found this Mossy Oak camouflage version of the Crickett .22 on the Harrisburg store's back shelves, solving a six-month search saga that had us unsuccessfully checking in regularly with Trop Gun Shop, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Gander Mountain, among other regional gun shops. Nina is shown here posing with Tony, who is our Man of the Month, and her new gun.

Gun ownership is a big part of central Pennsylvania life, and a kid's first gun is a big coming of age event. The earlier it begins in a kid's life, the safer kids are eventually, because they learn safe handling practices even before learning to drive. Too many citizens take for granted the right to own guns, and for her part Nina will soon be joining the National Rifle Association. It's protecting this traditional lifestyle that led me to run for congress in the first place.