Sorry if this is a bit off-topic, but I'm curious. Regarding the gun issue, how do you know if the family has guns? Is this something you would feel comfortable asking, and have new playmates parents asked it of any of you? Would you be put off if someone asked you about it before allowing their kid to visit?
In Texas, you assume everyone is armed.
In general, from my experience, there is no way to tell by looking at anyone if they own guns or are armed.
I would never ask someone I did not know well about guns. And because it is a crime to reveal that you are carrying concealed in Texas, most people who are would change the subject or lie to you anyway.
If I visit a home and see weapons casually out in the open, and its not hunting season, I would be worried. If someone brags about guns and what they own, I would be concerned. I'd also be concerned if kids constantly bragged about their parents' guns. These are signs of carelessness.
In contrast, responsible people will be discreet.
All things being equal, I would prefer my kids to visit homes where one responsible adult had access to a weapon and knew how to use it. It does not need be a gun - a bat or a sword or a stick or a knife will work just fine.
The argument over weapons cuts a different way with me. If someone was an avowed pacifist, I would not leave my kin with them because I know they will not protect my family.
I wish that you could look up online who owns a gun the same way you can search the Megan's Law site.
Would you feel comfortable letting violent criminals have access to such a site?
A criminal could get a name from a car license plate and then reliably find out who does not own guns and target them exclusively.
