Parents emphasize safety at gun show

When it comes to guns and children, education is the key, parents said Saturday at the Spokane Gun Show.

Stan Bulmer even brought his 10- and 12-year-old sons to the event.

“We teach our kids everything about guns,” the Spokane father said. “I have a girl, 5, and even she knows about gun safety.”

The older son, Max, recited some of the gun safety lessons taught by his dad: “Always assume a gun is loaded. Never point a gun with someone in front of you. Always leave guns alone unless there’s a reason to use them, and don’t bring guns out to show friends who come over.”

Max and his brother, Ross, know exactly what would happen to them if they violated gun safety rules.

“We’d lose trust and privileges if we got guns out without permission,” Max said, as Ross nodded.

Hundreds filled the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center exhibit halls Saturday to browse among 500 tables of items to buy, sell and trade. Attendees included a range of gun collectors, hunters and people just curious to see what they would find at a gun show. Items were as varied as earplugs, holsters, collectible guns and new firearms.

Everyone who walked through the door Saturday went only a few feet before being reminded of gun safety. Anyone with a firearm – concealed weapons permit or not – was required to dump their ammunition and tie a security lock on their firearm before entering.

“Gun safety is the most important thing if you plan to get involved with firearms,” gun show organizer Paul Snider said. “You can never be too careful.”

Guns have been a part of Karen Byrd’s family for years.

“All the kids know gun safety, that’s primary,” said Byrd, a Springdale grandmother. “They know how to shoot them … how to check them to see if they are loaded.

Her philosophy: “Teach children at a young age, and they learn to respect the weapon.”

A program developed about 15 years ago by educators, along with the National Rifle Association, teaches young children about gun safety. The NRA’s Eddie Eagle program is often facilitated through sheriff’s offices and is taught in schools.

“The whole program is about gun avoidance,” said Thomas Ulik, an NRA spokesman at Saturday’s show. The four rules regarding firearms: stop, don’t touch, leave the area and tell an adult.

The Eddie Eagle program is taught in some North Idaho schools, but to Ulik’s knowledge, the program isn’t being taught in the Spokane area.

“The schools want to (complain) about gun safety, but they don’t want to teach it,” said parent Bulmer, who thinks implementing the Eddie Eagle program in schools is a good idea.

“We have systemized programs that teach our kids about sex, AIDS and drugs, but not gun safety.”

Bulmer and Ulik were aware of the shooting in north Spokane last week that killed a 6-year-old.

Investigators said the boy was home alone with his 11-year-old brother when the shooting occurred.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what happened.

“That’s the very thing the Eddie Eagle program teaches to prevent,” Ulik said. “Responsibility comes with gun ownership. The answer to preventing firearm accidents is education.”