My parents, but I know how to be safe

An eleven-year old? Well, either a homocidal idiot, a suicidal idiot, or, in most cases, just some moron who thinks that by the time you're twelve you should have killed your first hippy/homosexual.

The kind of parent who will be screaming "Not My Boy" when the kid takes the gun to school and kills a couple of classmates ..... OR ..when the father grounds him or punishes him for something and then the kid takes THAT shotgun and kills the parent ..etc .... ELEVEN year olds are not mentally mature enough to be given a shotgun ...

The worst kind.

The kind who teaches the child how to shoot, safety, and responsible handling of a dangerous weapon. That 11 year old will be required to take hunter safety courses and be responsible. He will not become a homicidal maniac but a responsible hunter. I taught two teens to shoot and be responsible and were with them when they first started hunting. They started a little older than 11 (13 or 14) and never had any trouble. They respect the gun and the responsibility. If you do your homework, those who misuse often are not taught responsibility and to be responsible of fire arms. Many of the parents of these youth do not know guns and do not have them in their homes. No knowledge is a dangerous thing. These things exist but there is no guidance for the youth who may get their hands on them. Studies have been done which show that boys are in awe of firearms. They WILL handle them whenever they are available. If they are not taught properly, they are very apt to misuse. These things are a reality of life. You cannot bury your head in the sand to them. Your child may be one who is ignorant of them and accidents happen to the ignorant.