Sunday, March 13, 2011

Kids and guns

Let’s talk for a moment about guns in the home. Lots of people have them. Too many people don’t adequately protect the guns, and thus themselves, their kids, and their neighbors. Why does this happen? Two reasons. (1) Many gun owners are concerned that locking up their guns runs counter to their self-defense purposes – if it’s locked up they can’t get to it as quickly. (2) They think that “educating” their kids not to play with guns is enough. This is purely wrong. No matter what you tell them, kids do not have a clear enough understanding of causes and consequences. Yes, education is important. It is not sufficient.

There are of course two problems with unlocked guns at home -- kids who shoot them by mistake, and kids who shoot them intentionally. Both problems are resolved if the kids can't get the guns.

Here’s why it’s a problem (and why my news feed is incredibly depressing). And keep in mind these are only the stories about kids, in the past 2+ months. (And actually there are a few more that I can't link to any more cause they're no longer posted)...

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