An Iowa bill that would allow children under 14 to handle pistols and revolvers under parental supervision—just like they can with rifles and shotguns—passed the Iowa House of Representatives last week. And to many people, like Nathan Gibson, who has introduced his 10- and 12-year-old daughters to sport shooting, it’s common-sense legislation.
But some—like Democratic Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt—don’t like the measure. And in order to build opposition to it, she’s willing to lie about the measure, proclaiming on the floor of the legislature: “We do not need a militia of toddlers.”
Despite her ridiculous notion that the bill would turn Iowa gun ranges into daycare centers overrun by kiddies, “This is not about giving our children the combo to the gun safe,” says Brian Hood, head coach of a youth sport shooting league. “This is about allowing them in a supervised scenario to learn a great sport.” And as we reported yesterday, the more they know, the safer they’ll be.
The NRA-supported legislation now faces a difficult road ahead in the Senate Judiciary.
