One of my comrades in arms lost a child due to the fact he left a loaded shotgun in the house, without any child safeties on it.
His young son found it and began playing with it and ended up blowing his daughter to pieces.
Saddest. Funeral. Ever.
There is nothing wrong with someone pointing out that you need to fucking lock up your guns if you have kids, dipshit. It doesn't mean one is against guns.
What kind of idiot is opposed to gun safety education for parents?
Your friend was a dumbass.
First, unless the gun is for HD, don't leave it loaded.
Second, what was the child doing playing with a gun? When kids are little you keep the gun out of their reach. As they get older with more understanding you explain what it is, how it works, and if they ever touch it without you around they will get beaten within an inch of their lives.
Finally you take them out and depending, let them shoot the gun with close supervision. This usually cures any desire to play with them. Especially teh shotguns.
I've had customers who were ignorant rednecks that could barely read and yet they all learned gun safety from their parents and taught it to their kids. The problems come from parents who try to "protect" kids from guns.