...Here in the styx....firearm safety and knife saftey....are taught early;
Tonight under the glow of a couple of colemans I watched a father instruct
his 10 yr old son on how to field dress the boys " first" deer ; a  buck;
 with a "skinner" ;( a sharp curved affair of about 7 inches with a hook at
the end ) that guts the deer; then expertly skins it.
The boy; after his kill was initiated into the rites of passage by having the
deer blood smeared on his  facial cheeks  by a circle of  boys ; with  dads
and uncles.
This is a big deal  Now it is his pride  that he for the first time will "put
food " on his familles table ; This rite of passage;   simple and simplistic
runs universal deep in the family circle of the rural south giving maturity
to children of both sexes.

Any irresponsibility regarding firearms or knife handling is a mark of
immaturity; shaming both child and parent  and reaps. All the humility
associated with such stigma  within  the peer group. No matter what the
background of the parent very few kids will ever make the same mistake twice.

In many ways the boys  skill with this basic technology of weapons  has
allowed him to  join the family adults  now  as a "provider" ; serious stuff
when you are poor and Dad and mom  cannot afford to eat out with the whole
family even at a burger joint.
Here in Mississippi the "politically correct "on the nightly news tell us we
are the poorest state in the Union ; yea we(collective we )   live in tin
roof shacks and eek by on part time jobs but the freezers on the porch are
filled with game and fish; and most kids know how cook and clean fish;
rabbit; deer; turkey and make their own bow an arrows; and tend a garden
....something none of our best schools are callable of teaching......Pyrate

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