A Christmas Story: Is purchasing your child a BB gun for Christmas still the thing?

Remember Ralphie Barker and his dream to own a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and "this thing which tells time"? With the recent years of gun violence that has hit the U.S., do parents still buy bb guns and .22 caliber rifles as Christmas gifts? 

You guys have to remember this movie. It's hard to live in America and not have seen this film. It's come on television during Christmas since
it's debut in 1983. SN: that's my birth year. The plot is about a 9 year old kid who just wants a bb
gun. He leaves clues for his parents who reject his wish. His school teacher and even Santa himself (at the local macy's) all say the same thing. "You'll shoot your eye out". There are other humorous parts like his Father receiving a lamp leg as a gift.

Anyway if I can remember me at 9 years old, I probably wanted a new bike or ninja turtle action figure. I wouldn't dare ask for a firearm with the conditions of my childhood. I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York. An area known as East New York. The crime rate was ridiculous and honestly is still out of had to an extent. Across the country though, there were probably tons of children who wished the same as Ralphie. I think that many kids have dreams of being a cowboy at some point of there lives, whether they live in the city or out in suburban America. The question is, how do people feel about the state of our country now? Are parents looking to pass down the tradition of the great outdoors to their pre-teens? 

In states like Kentucky where guns are given to kids as gifts, it isn't uncommon for many 9 year old's to already know how to shoot. It's the logic that it's American tradition to teach kids how to hunt at a young age. The real question is, do we still live in the era of the great outdoors? America has changed and is divided between the urban and suburban communities that make up this great country. There are states like Kentucky, Tennesse and N. Carolina that are for these old traditions. I don't think that anyone would blame them if they understood their living conditions. They live in the great outdoors. Some are miles from the town. It's them and the animals that live in the region. It's difficult for us to naturally break tradition. The changes in time and technology make it easier for our children to stay indoors and play video games. We must acknowledge that to some, exploring nature and expanding a child's mind is based on him taking on the great outdoors. What's your opinion on the subject? When should a child have his first experience with a firearm?