Guns, killing and cutting up animals

Before I forget what happened I need to write this down. I took the girls to the Bro Bass Shop Outdoor World to buy Eric a multi-tool knife thing for his birthday. I had heard what a huge cool shop it was and I thought the girls would enjoy it. The girls loved the huge fish tank and real animals (stuffed) all over the store. The sales person told me that the pocket knives are in the hunting section, so we headed over there.



They did not have the tool that I was looking for so the salesman took us up to check the computer at the counter...the gun counter, where several men were looking at and purchasing guns.

Having never seen a real gun, my girls were full of questions.

"Are these REAL guns" Haley

"Yes they are real" Me

"Why do people buy guns?" Ruby

"They use them to hunt animals" Me

"You mean they KILL animals?" Ruby

"Don't you want to eat?" Haley

"Mom, why do these men KILL animals" Ruby

"They do it as a sport and then the eat the meat" Me

"Can we get a gun?" Lucy

"Why can't they just get the meat at the store without killing the animals" Ruby

"The store kills the animals!" Haley

"Girls, did you see how cool those duck decoys are. They float in the water and look like a real ducks" Me

"Mom, that man just bought a gun to kill animals" Ruby about to cry

At this point, all the men shopping and sales people were glaring at us!

"OK, who wants to go see the big fish tank before we leave?" Me

As we were leaving Ruby asked if all the stuffed animals and deer heads were real. I told her they were.
"So they kill them, and then cut them up? "Why do they hang them on the wall after they cut them up?" Ruby

This conversation continued all the way to the car.

I tried my best to explain hunting in a positive light (this was hard for me), and how we need to kill animals for food, but the whole concept was horrifying to Ruby. I will be very surprised if Ruby doesn't become a vegetarian.

We will not be retuning to the Bro Bass shop.