Should I complain?

[DAP90]

As I have done for the last five years I spent this past father’s day weekend camping with my family and extended family.

On Saturday, we went to the amphitheater to see Possum the Mountain Man; a show put on by the campground. In addition to stories and animal pelts there was some gun safety sprinkled throughout the show. He had a few black powder firearms as props. The gun safety was limited to “treat all guns as loaded” and “don’t touch, get an adult” type of information for the kids and “keep guns and ammo separate and both locked up” for the adults.

I can appreciate the attempt to positively portray guns and the safety message to other kids who might not otherwise ever get any info on gun safety. I do not however appreciate his discharging a firearm during the show.

Towards the end of the show, after telling the kids to treat all guns as loaded, he pulls out a muzzle loading handgun of some kind. He asks the kids if it’s loaded and when he got a no answer from someone, fired it in the air without warning.

Attending the show with me was my wife, sister-in-law, 5 year old son and his similarly aged cousins. All six of us experienced a ringing in our ears after he fired the shot. Naturally, the kids were sitting in the front row. I don’t appreciate being exposed to that level of noise without warning. I would have chosen not to attend had I known that was part of the show.

I find it ironic that Possum complained several times during the show that he was old and didn’t hear so well anymore.

So I’m asking, should I complain to the park? On the one hand the show had a somewhat positive gun message. On the other, I actually left the show pretty irate and I can’t imagine I was the only one; which probably voided positive message that might have gotten through.

 

[tarosean]

No...

 

[jmr40]

I wouldn't. He made a great point.

 

[Solo]

Towards the end of the show, after telling the kids to treat all guns as loaded, he pulls out a muzzle loading handgun of some kind. He asks the kids if it’s loaded and when he got a no answer from someone, fired it in the air without warning.

Inflicting hearing damage on the audience is to be expected at rock concerts, but not at camp shows.

 

[hso]

I'd make a suggestion that "Possum" tell everyone to put their fingers in their ears before pulling that trigger.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I'd make a suggestion that "Possum" tell everyone to put their fingers in their ears before pulling that trigger.

I agree we Don't want to get hard of hearing too soon.

 

[bannockburn]

I think the least he could have done was to tell the audience to cover their ears before he fired the gun. While it may be too late for him to worry about hearing protection (assuming he wasn't using any himself at the time), there's no reason to inflict that kind of possible damage on the audience.

 

[Godsgunman]

I would say you shouldn't "complain" but rather give a helpful suggestion. As you said yourself you enjoyed the show and it had good gun safety for the kids and the whole point of him firing it at the end is to drive the point home. Maybe just give a polite suggestion that he inform everyone to plug their ears before he does it. You don't want the whole show nixed because of it which they may do if they get "complaints".

 

[X-Rap]

How loud was the bang? How big is the venue? Was your family the only ones affected?
It doesn't seem to me that they would use a very hot load in the demonstration but that would be my suggestion. (use a smaller charge)
The whole purpose of the shot if I'm not mistaken is to show how accidents happen with unloaded guns right?
That message will be lost if there is a warning prior to the shot IMO.

 

[rugerman]

Do you complain at firework shows, when your neighbor mowes his lawn, when a motorcycle reves its motor at a stop light? He made his point there is always the chance of exposure to loud noise no way to avoid all of it. My 2 cents.

 

[DAP90]

How loud was the bang? How big is the venue? Was your family the only ones affected?

Small venue - maybe 30 people there - mostly kids and the amphitheater was around half full. It was loud enough and since the first rows were full of kids maybe 5-10ft from "Possum" I'm sure we weren't the only ones affected.

You don't want the whole show nixed because of it which they may do if they get "complaints".

Exactly, it had some good points. I just wish I could have covered my son's ears first.

 

[Ryanxia]

I'd make a suggestion that "Possum" tell everyone to put their fingers in their ears before pulling that trigger.

Simplest way.

 

[jcwit]

Believe me your kids are being exposed to louder noises in their daily life unless you live way out in the country with no machines of any kind around.


there's such a thing as being protective then there's such a thing as being overly protective.

Should you complain? NO.

 

[itsa pain]

if you can lose your hearing with one shot how come all the soldiers are not deaf after hearing thousands of rounds go off from way bigger rounds

 

[NavyLCDR]

There are laws regarding noise levels. If he was within the legal limits for the situation then there is nothing to complain about.

I attended a youth firearm safety class with my stepdaughter conducted by retired Sheriff's. It was at a gun club, so they taught "appropriate" firearm safety, including how to fire a gun, and tips for being accurate. They did the same thing with a movie prop gun - picked it up off the display table carelessly (on purpose) and "BANG!". This was indoors.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Towards the end of the show, after telling the kids to treat all guns as loaded, he pulls out a muzzle loading handgun of some kind. He asks the kids if it’s loaded and when he got a no answer from someone, fired it in the air without warning.

He did it to make a point. And I'd imagine it was made very well.
No, you shouldn't complain. You should be happy that your kids learned a valuable lesson about assuming whether or not a firearm is loaded.

 

[Potatohead]

im with HSO. That ol' Possums gotta let someone know in advance...

 

[Coyote3855]

Hearing damage is permanent and can be induced by a single event. If your ears are ringing after a loud noise, the damage is done and cannot be reversed. My SIL is an audiologist and I wearing hearing aids - shooting, motorcycles, etc. - before I knew the importance of hearing protection. Just because we are exposed to other environmental noise is no reason to accept situations like you describe. Yes, the noise level may be within the law. I would make the helpful suggestion brought up by another poster.

 

[BSA1]

The O.P. does not state what the gun was loaded with. A percussion cap on a unloaded gun would produce a loud enough bang to surprise folks without causing hearing damage.

 

[Akita1]

agreed with the posts re: a warning, but nothing like a gunshot to get people's attention! (just kidding of course)

 

[bigfatdave]

I'd confine any comments to a polite request for a lower charge and/or "cover ears" warning moment.

For all you know he was as startled as you at the volume of the shot, maybe someone screwed up the load, maybe they switched brands of powder/caps, maybe a lot of things.

Teaching gun safety is good, a obvious demonstration is even better.

Random thought, is the location set up so he could fire away from the audience, perhaps into a water jug or other visual aid? It would require an actual ball and powder, but the loud noise would be lessened if the bore was pointed away, and the visual effect of destroying the jug/melon/gourd would be another layer to the lesson.

 

[rcmodel]

Sounds like a non-event to me.

I'd stay away from rock concerts, city band concert William Tell Overtures involving 75mm cannon salutes, Military funerals, the military in general, blue-collar factory work, Harley Davidsons next to your car on the street, and top-fuel drag races too!

Oh!

Be sure and take the kids I-phone ear buds away from them too.
They can play music at hearing damage levels, I used to hear.

(Pun intended!)

I used the same thing as a Kansas Hunter Safety Instructor with primed cases for years.
Never ever had a complaint from the kids, or the parents in all that time.

But this is a kinder gentler audience we deal with today I guess.

rc

 

[DAP90]

The O.P. does not state what the gun was loaded with. A percussion cap on a unloaded gun would produce a loud enough bang to surprise folks without causing hearing damage.

It held a powder charge, not sure how much, and wading, because the wading floated down for several seconds. He fired it straight up.

Sounds like a non-event to me.

Yah, ok, fine. No big deal I guess. Everyone survived and a good time was had by all. I do tend to get a little overprotective.

 

[TennJed]

Believe me your kids are being exposed to louder noises in their daily life unless you live way out in the country with no machines of any kind around.


there's such a thing as being protective then there's such a thing as being overly protective.

Should you complain? NO.

I am not so sure about that. He stated that it left his ears ringing. I find it hard to believe his kids are exposed to machines that leave your ears ringing on a daily basis

I wouldn't complain but I would possible write a letter stating how much you appreciate the show and the message and just end the letter with a helpful suggestion to use a smaller charge

 

[Lex Luthier]

That kind of thing would never happen in MN. Most parents have bought liberal theology to the point that having a real gun on a stage with kids in the audience would be an outrage.

I used to be a bit of a theater tech in the old days and I can tell you this: Expecting any level of sophistication on any subject from a community production (especially a "park" production, is overly expectant. Setting your sights a little lower in that particular instance and expecting a few writing/ production oopsies is de rigeur. Don't complain, just know what you might expect next time.

It does sound like an awesome annual family event to attend. You are lucky to have a family that wants to be together.