As responsible parents, we must ask the difficult questions for our children's safety when they visit a new place for the first time: Will there always be someone with them? Are the medicines locked up? Are there guns in the home?
And if there are guns, how are they stored?
I am happy to say that, for the second year in a row, Kitty Piercy, Mayor of the City of Eugene, Oregon, and member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has proclaimed today as ASK Day for the city. See below for the proclamation.
HERE is a previous blog post with some relevant statistics about children and guns. For instance:
HERE is a previous blog post that compares parents' perceptions about guns in the home compared the reality shown by statistics. It's shocking how underestimated the danger is.1 in 4 kids and teens whose parents own guns say they have seen or touched a gun without their parents’ knowledge.Almost 90 percent of accidental shootings involving children are linked to an easy-to-find, loaded handgun in the house.
88% of the children who are injured or killed in unintentional shootings are shot in their own homes or in the homes of relatives or friends.
Kids and guns don't mix, but if you feel you must allow it, then please insure that those guns are locked up, out of sight, and unloaded. Talk about the issue and the danger. And always ASK about guns where your children visit!
