National ASK Day

Today, June 21, is National ASK Day.  Asking Saves Kids.  Please visit Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation's page for information on ASK.

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:

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.

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.

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!

ASKing About Guns Where Your Children Play

Today, June 21, is National ASK Day.  Asking Saves Kids.

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?

As you can see in the graphic to the right, the statistics are shocking.  In many areas, including Oregon, 30-40% of homes with guns also have children, and a disturbing number of them, around 42%, don't lock them up!

Consider, for instance, the recent school shooting in Oregon.  The15-year old shooter got the AR-15 assault rifle, high-capacity ammo magazines, and handgun from under his brother's bed and from his brother's closet.

HERE is a previous blog post with some relevant statistics about children and guns.  For instance:

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.

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.

With all of this in mind, Oregon's governor, John Kitzhaber, declared today ASKING SAVES KIDS DAY in Oregon.  Thank you, Governor Kitzhaber.


Personally, I feel guns and children simply don't mix.  Children are naturally curious and impetuous -- even the best kids.  And they have a knack for getting into places that we don't think they can, figuring out passwords and combinations, and finding keys.  Unless the lock is fingerprint-controlled, perhaps, no amount of locking of things will truly keep them out forever.

HERE is a good article and news video, where a mother here in Oregon talks about the issue and how important it is, and another woman discusses how she has to live every day with the guilt of her young friend dying from handling an unlocked gun.

HERE is another mother and gun owner, whose 13-year old son was in a sleepover when a friend picked up an unsecured, loaded gun and unintentionally shot her son to death.  In her words:

I never imagined that other parents were not as responsible as I am. I never thought to ask his friend's parents about how they stored their guns because I naively assumed everyone was like me.

Since Noah's death, I've learned that nine kids are shot unintentionally every day. I want people to understand that it's very important to practice gun safety if you own guns, and to ask each other if there are unlocked guns where a child may visit or play. As parents, we do so many other things to ensure our children's safety. We use car seats, seat belts, and put childproof caps on medicine. We keep knives out of their reach. We hold their hands when crossing the street. 

Learn from my pain. If you are a gun owner, lock and store your guns properly and don't assume kids will be mature and do the right thing. Don't be offended if someone asks you if your guns are locked and stored properly. And, most importantly, every parent should know that you have the right to ask if there is a gun where your child visits or plays. That one question may save your child's life.

The gun guys suggest that if we only "demystify" guns to children, by allowing them to handle them, the kids will become less curious and "safe."  But they have zero data to support them on this.  There are, however, plenty of data and psychological reports to suggest that children simply can't help themselves, even when they know it is wrong, particularly for boys.  The allure that these "bang machines" bring, combined with a gun-saturated society, makes for a deadly combination.  See the recent 20/20 expose, "Young Guns," to see how this is true (HERE is an excerpt).

This week, in Vancouver, Washington, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence put up a table and invited park-goers to learn about ASK, with a number of local political figures present as well:

The Asking Saves Kids campaign (ASK) wants parents to ask other parents if there are guns in their house and if they’re securely locked before allowing their children to go over and play.

“Make sure that they’re locked up in a safe and/or with some kind of a locking device and make sure the ammunition is stored separately,” said Heidi Yewman of the ASK campaign.

The local kickoff effort was held at Esther Short Park in Vancouver. Area officials, including Washington State Sen. Annette Cleveland, Rep. Jim Moeller, Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt and Police Chief James McElvain attended.

But pro-gun activists don't like the ASK campaign.  The deaths of innocents are too inconvenient for their "guns in all places" propaganda, and openly oppose safe storage of guns around children.  They held an "open carry" counter-rally in the same park to protest it, handguns on their hips, handing out pro-gun literature.   Why?  One "open carry" activist thinks his sense of privacy outweighs the safety of your children:

Rick Halle joined members of the Open Carry group in Vancouver and says he leads the Guns Rights Coalition in Washington.

"It's a privacy issue. ... If you're having to ask this you should question whether you're letting your children play there in the first place." Halle said. "That's something I don't want to answer … that's my personal deal. I don't think anybody else needs to know where I keep my firearms."

Pro-gun activists have even told me that, if asked, they would lie to the parents and say they don't have any guns in the home, simply because they feel their privacy is invaded!

More commonly, pro-gun activists oppose safe storage of guns because they feel that the few moments it takes to unlock and load a gun can make the difference if a rapist, druggy, gang member breaks into their home.  But the chance that your child will shoot themselves with your gun is FAR higher than the chance that you'd need to use that gun to defend yourself against a home invader.  I say the few seconds is worth the life of my child!  Nevermind that there are quick-release gun boxes, which use fingerprint recognition and open in less than a second, for a very reasonable price (less than the cost of the gun itself).  HERE is one, for instance.  As the San Antonio police chief recently put it: 

"If you say, 'Well, I've got to have my gun out and accessible because someone may break into my home,' that's not an excuse," he said. "Try using that excuse if your child gets a hold of it. (It's) not going to fly."

If you have a gun in your home and have children, if you feel you absolutely must have it, then lock it up.

And, whether you are a gun owner or not, and you have children, ask about guns in the homes where they visit.  It's quick and simple, and it can save their life!  As one author put it, "We can't be gun-shy when it comes to our kids."  Visit the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation page for ASK to get help on how to start the conversation:  http://coef.ceasefireoregon.org/ask.

Have A Safe Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, when we give thanks for all the people in our lives, reflect on our relationships, and feel thankful for the resources we have.  It is a holiday that is particularly relevant to me, as part of my family dates back to the period and region of the original Thanksgiving, and may even have had a family member present at the actual event at Plymouth.

One hallmark of Thanksgiving is visiting with friends and relatives at their homes.  But as you eat lots of great food, joke with your relatives, and watch games, please be aware of any guns in the home.  If there are children around, I urge you to ASK about guns in the home before you visit, and make sure that, if any guns are there, that they are locked up, separated from ammo, or removed from the home.

For more on the ASK campaign and tips on how to get the conversation started, see here:
http://coef.ceasefireoregon.org/ask

HERE is also a good link with a flier to help.

HERE is a previous blog post with some relevant statistics about children and guns.

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.

The public health departments of Seattle and King County, Washington, have taken a proactive step in protecting their youth.  Via their "Safe Storage Saves Lives" campaign, they are working with area firearms retailers to offer 10-15% off discounts for gun locks and safe boxes.  From an article:

The “Safe Storage Saves Lives” campaign developed by Public Health – Seattle and King County is an inspired effort to promote the use of safety devices on weapons kept in thousands of homes. Congratulations to public health director  Dr. David Fleming, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Sheriff John Urquhart, participating gun dealers, and 20 participating law enforcement agencies for stepping forward Monday to promote the ideal holiday shopping event. Thank you. 

As explained at this King County site, starting November 25, 2013 through December of 2014, mention Public Health or LOK-IT_UP and receive 10-15 percent off select storage devices or lock boxes at participating retailers. The initial list of 15 shops and their locations is at the site. 

Proximity to firearms is reflected in tragic statistics available for review via this county link. Homicides, accidents and suicides aided and abetted by easy access to weapons.  The risks and hazards are compounded students who show up on school grounds with guns from home.  

This is not about Second Amendment prerogatives, but the responsibilities that go with rights that can have lethal consequences for others.

And with all the shootings across America, every day, and the profound increase in mass shootings in the last year, doubtless the issue of gun violence will come up at home.  To help with that conversation, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has made this place-mat (see below), with an informative quiz, to help with the discussion.  I urge you to download it and put it somewhere prominent where you and your relatives can discuss.

Please be safe this Thanksgiving, eat lots of turkey, and cherish your relatives.

ASK About Guns Where Your Children Visit

Friday, June 21, is National ASK Day.  (Asking Saves Kids)

We at Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation, and many other organizations around the country, would like to remind every parent that there are many dangers in homes.  It is incredibly important that you ask about those dangers before you visit a home with your children.  Always ask about those dangers:  Are medicines and toxins locked up?  Will a responsible adult be present at all times?  Is there a pool and will someone be watching?  Can we please trade phone numbers in case of an emergency?

But one question that is all too frequently overlooked is:  "Is there a gun in the home, and if so, how is it stored?"

It's not a hard question.  And, no, it isn't invasive.  I have yet to hear about a responsible person being annoyed by it.  Anyone who respects the safety of children will understand. 

Gun owners are not always forthcoming about their guns unless you ask about them.  Up to 40% of homes in Oregon have guns, and a great many of them are kept unlocked and loaded.  This includes homes with children or where your children may visit, including your friends and relatives, or the friends and relatives of your children's friends. 

As we say over and over again at the Kid Shootings blog, "Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult." And yet, every day, I see dozens of articles where a person's loaded firearm got into the hands of a child or teen, who then took it too school, played with it, or discharged it unintentionally, injuring or killing themselves or others.  And let's not forget the many cases where older kids took those unlocked guns and used them to purposely threaten, rob, injure, or kill. 

Here is a very good publication put out by The Center To Prevent Youth Violence.  In it you can find ways to start the conversation, representative facts and statistics about children and guns, how to spread the word, informative posters, templates to write your mayor or for a letter to the editor on the topic, and other things. 

Facts from that publication (see publication p.7 for citations):

--  An average of 8 kids and teens are killed by firearms every day and 42 additional children and teens are seriously injured.

  

--  Studies show that between 33% and 40% of American households with children have guns

--  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.

--  42% of parents with guns keep at least one unlocked; 25% keep at least one loaded, and 14% keep one unlocked AND loaded.

--  Over 75% of kids in homes with guns say they know where the gun is hidden.

Remember, this is the LIFE of your child we are talking about.  It only takes a moment to ASK.

National ASK Day 2012 - Does Your Perception of the Danger of Guns Match Reality?

Today is National ASK Day, when parents are urged to ask about guns and other dangers where their children play.  Is there a gun where your children play, in their friends' homes, in the purse of your babysitter, in your relative's home?  Are you certain?  Have you asked? 

And if there is a gun there, is it properly stored, locked and unloaded?

Have you talked to your children about avoiding guns without proper supervision, or what to do when they find a gun?  Have you urged them to Speak Up about guns they encounter?

All too often, gun owners underestimate the danger of their weapons around children.  They erroneously believe that their children have been trained sufficiently to avoid their guns, or that their children could never get into their guns.  Unfortunately, these assumptions are often wrong, with tragic consequences.  Over at the Kid Shootings blog, I see numerous examples every week of children who get hold of guns where they live or visit and shoot themselves or others.  For instance, HERE is a recent example where a 9-year old boy in Oklahoma got into his family’s gun safe, got a loaded gun, and unintentionally shot his 3-year old brother.  HERE is another recent example, where a 7-year old boy in Mississippi got hold of his family’s loaded, unsecured shotgun and shot his 4-year old sister in the face.

Below is a very enlightening graphic, put out by the Center to Prevent YouthViolence.  As you can see, the danger of guns to children is higher than the perception of danger by gun owners.  Please read this carefully and discuss it with other parents (click on the picture to read it more clearly). 

While we at Ceasefire Oregon do not recommend having guns in homes with children at all, if you feel strongly that a gun is needed, please store it locked and unloaded, with the key or combination closely guarded. 

The safety of our children is our most important duty as parents.

Here is a previous post on the ASK campaign:  http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/02/asking-saves-kids.html

And here is an article I recently published on the topic, in Metro-Parent Magazine (see page 28):  http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/june11/june11.pdf


Let's make a new trajectory for our community, away from gun violence.


UPDATE:  The "Art on Issues" blog had a great posting which, at the end, comments on the misperceptions of children and guns.  I recommend you read it.  Here is a good excerpt:

First, a study showed the vast majority of adults (around 87%), regardless of gun ownership, geography, race, gender, education level, income, or child age, believed that their children would not touch guns they found, 52% reasoning that their children were “too smart” or “knew better” (ref).  This unrealistic expectation for children was demonstrated in another study (ref).  Twenty-nine (29) groups of boys aged 8-12 years were observed in a room where a gun was hidden.  Many of the children found and handled the gun, and half of the children actually pulled the trigger (more than 90% of these boys reported having had some sort of gun safety training).  Although the NRA offers its Eddie Eagle training program, a study in 6 and 7 year olds compared the effectiveness of that program to a behavioral skills training program (ref): “…children who received behavioral skills training were significantly more likely to demonstrate the desired safety skills in role-playing assessments and in situ assessments than were children who received Eddie Eagle program training”.

....

A reasonable question would be how many of the NRA’s own membership have lost children, who otherwise may have done things differently, had the organization they financially supported been proactive rather than obstructive regarding the public health risks of firearms? 

ADDENDUM (6/21/12):  A related article with more statistics, by "M.D. Mama", pediatrician Dr. Clair McCarty:  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/mdmama/2012/06/is_there_a_gun_where_your_child_plays.html?comments=all
. 

A New Blog: Kid Shootings

I am pleased to announce the creation of a new blog, called "Kid Shootings" :


http://kidshootings.blogspot.com

I am one of the co-authors on this new blog, which focuses on the widespread problem of children killed and injured by gunfire or getting their hands on guns without permission or adequate supervision.


Somewhere around 3,184 minors are killed each year, according to the most recent data available (2006), and another 17,451 or so are injured.

This means one young life lost every two hours and 45 minutes, almost nine every day, 61 every week. 

Of these deaths, 2,225 were homicides, 763 were suicides and 196 were due to an accident or undetermined circumstances. Boys accounted for 2,815 of the deaths; girls for 369 deaths. More than five times as many children and teens,17,451, suffered non-fatal gun injuries.

But statistics hardly do justice for the victims.  "Kid Shootings" was created to give a human face to the tragedies, to illustrate the widespread nature of the problem, and to dispel myths about children and guns which are perpetuated by the pro-gun side.

Peace, and Happy New Year's.

Finally, Back to Blogging!

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging much in the last few months.  I have finally crawled out from under a very lengthy scholarly article for my job, which turned out to be around thirty-thousand words long -- nearly a small book!  Once a co-author finishes a small section, I'll finally be able to send it off to the publisher (I had been invited to write for).  That, combined with family issues, seriously restricted the amount of time I had for blogging.  Too bad I'm not paid to do the gun control activism!  There have been SO many issues related to gun violence it has been almost painful to keep from spending my time bringing them to you.  Barring unforeseen events, I should be able to get back to it now.

I haven't been idle, though.  A small part of my time has been spent planning an event for this weekend, for Ceasefire Oregon, which will coincide with the Eugene Celebration, a yearly festival in downtown Eugene, Oregon, where I live.  More on that this weekend.

Every once in a while I peruse the pro-gun blogs to see what they're writing about, so I've done a little of that.   It's the usual stuff about how great guns are, how horrible our liberal leaders are, and the usual nonsense about how the government and us "anti-gun cultists" are out to get them.  One blogger posted a racist joke, likening Michelle Obama to Cheeta the chimpanzee from Tarzan.  Of course I called him out on it, and he tried to deny the connection, as obvious as it is. 

Another few bloggers attacked an article about the ASK program (a program which advocates for parents to ask about guns and other dangers where their children play).  They belittled the commentator who had advocated for ASK, suggesting that she wasn't concerned about other dangers, like heroin usage in the home (!?) or sex abuse (!),  that it's unnecessary because kids will avoid guns just because you tell them to, and actually advocating that you lie to the parents and tell them that you don't have a gun in the home if you really do!  I left a comment refuting the ignorance of this blogger.  Within a few hours (at 3:30AM!) I get an email from him trying to lure me into a debate about it and warning me that if I didn't do so he would label me a "troll" and bar me from his site.  When I finally got around to his site a couple days later, he had posted about me, making fun of my name, suggesting I was fat, belittling my family's training in kung fu (which I had commented on at another site), and labeled me a "troll" because I hadn't gotten back to him, then saying he'd barred me from commenting (even though he's the one who's trolling around at all hours).  Well, all I can say is that there's a name for someone who tries to  intimidate people, calls them names, makes fun of their names and weight, and makes arrogant and belittling remarks:  BULLY.  Gee, I wonder why no one posts comments on his site other than his extremist pals?

June 21 Is National ASK Day

Today is National ASK Day, when parents are urged to ask about guns and other dangers where their children play.  Is there a gun where your children play, in their friends' homes, in the purse of your babysitter, in your relative's home?  Are you certain?  Have you asked? 

And if there is a gun there, is it properly stored, locked and unloaded?

Have you talked to your children about avoiding guns without proper supervision, or what to do when they find a gun?

Here is an excellent article on National ASK Day put out today by womenshealth.gov:  http://www.womenshealth.gov/news/english/654092.htm

Here is a previous post I have written on ASK:  http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/02/asking-saves-kids.html  

And here is an article I recently published on the topic, in Metro-Parent Magazine (see page 28):  http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/june11/june11.pdf

(a post I wrote about the article:  http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-article-on-ask-campaign-was.html ).

Nearly 40% of homes with children possess firearms, and as many as 14% keep them unlocked and loaded.  As a result, accidental shootings by children happen all the time in America.  HERE is one example of a recent one (in a home where the father was a shooting instructor, no less).

Can you really afford not to ask?  Your child's life may depend on it.

A Table At The Eugene Saturday Market

I spent most of today at one of my favorite places here in Eugene, Oregon: the Eugene Saturday Market. A landmark for our town, this market covers about a block and has handmade art and crafts ranging from fine pottery to crochet hats, professional photos to tie-dye tutus, jewelry made of precious metals to jewelry made out of woven hemp. There's music, food, and an excellent farmer's market with organic produce, bread, and deserts.

Yesterday was gorgeous, with clear blue skies and warm weather. This morning, as I set out the door, it was cloudy, drizzling, and cold enough that I needed my jacket. My family in Arkansas and Texas are roasting in a heat wave with temperatures around 100. Here in western Oregon, I still contemplate making a fire in the woodstove each night. Go figure. Anyhow, I didn't let it get me down.

I sat at an information table at the Saturday market today for Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation. I set up around 10AM and stayed until around 2:30. I love sharing my story and my mission to reduce gun violence, but the unpleasant weather kept most people away from the market today. Normally the market is so packed that you can't walk past five stalls without bumping into someone. Today, sometimes five minutes would go by at a time without someone walking by. In fact, I think it wasn't until after noon before the patrons of the market actually outnumbered the people in the stalls.  Darned rain and cold!  I was thankful that the stall I got was covered.

But I didn't let the unseasonable weather get me down. I was right behind the main stage, and heard some great folk and blues music. I also met some very interesting people and had some good conversations. I love people-watching. The market is a great cross-section of the diversity of our community. In a quick scan of the crowd you can pick out hippies and yuppies, homeless and rich people, young kids and old seniors, runaway teens and close-knit families.

One person selling decorative nightlights shared her story with me about her and her husband being attacked by a drugged out intruder at their home. Despite the trauma of the attack, in which they were both injured, she hadn't in any way let insecurity sink into her. Though she is more careful than before, she hadn't felt the need to go pro-gun and arm herself as a result. If she had pulled out a gun, someone likely would have died that day, quite possibly her or her husband. She is thankful the attacker wasn't armed. She signed our email list and told me how supportive she was (and snapped this picture of me).

And then there is the guy in the stall next to me. He was even more to the left of me, politically. But I guess that's to be expected, given he sells far-left postcards and lapel buttons with political messages. We had a good discussion about guns in America compared to the impressions he had heard while in other countries. Foreigners he had talked to think America is awash in gun violence and that we are insane not to regulate guns as they do. I agree. One need only consider the comparative death rates.

I spoke with several dozen people during the day, including a quick visit by Mayor Kitty Piercy and her husband, as well as a homeless guy named "Frog" who sells homemade joke books (he's a regular at the Market, and known by everyone). Like I said, visitors to the Market are a true cross-section!

One other person who stuck out was the lone pro-gun guy who paid me a visit. A 60-something white guy with a Cabella's hat, it wasn't hard to guess his stance before he spoke. He asked what Ceasefire Oregon stood for, and when I told him we work to reduce gun violence in Oregon, he said, voice dripping with condescension, "Sounds an awful lot like you mean gun control."

"Yes," I said, "if by gun control you mean stricter regulation of guns, that is something we support, as well as education about the dangers of guns in the wrong hands."

He scrunched up his face and said, "So you want to ameliorate our second amendment rights, huh?" (He said ameliorate, which is a word that means "improve", but from his tone it was clear that didn't know the meaning of the word and he really meant "remove", or did he mean to say "attenuate"?).

"No," I said, "our goal isn't to remove peoples' second amendment rights, unless they are criminals or mentally ill."

"Uh, huh.  You just want common sense regulation of guns," he said with sarcasm.

"That's right," I replied.

With a sly smile he started walking away, as if he had made some point to me. But I got his attention again by mentioning our ASK campaign, where we encourage parents to ask about guns where their children play and how they are stored, to decrease the chance for deadly accidents, as an example of our educational goals. "And who do you ask?" he asked.

"The parents," I replied, then invited him to read a copy of the article I recently published on the topic. I think he was trying to bait me into a discussion about talking to kids about gun control instead of their parents.

"Uh, huh," he said again, as if I were lying about something, then he left without another word, smirking. He didn't take a copy of the article, by the way. ;)

Despite the weather, I would like to thank the organizers of the Saturday Market for allowing us to have the non-profit booth (they allow any given non-profits to have the booth only one time during the summer), and I look forward to sitting there again next year.

And speaking of the ASK campaign, please note that June 21 is National ASK Day. If you have children in their teen years or younger, I urge you to ask about guns wherever they visit, including the homes of their friends and your own relatives, and insure that if there are any guns there that they are kept locked and unloaded during their visit.

My Article On The ASK Campaign Was Published

Yesterday was a day of highs and lows.

It started out great.  I found out an op-ed article of mine was published in this month's issue of Metro-Parent Magazine, a Portland, Oregon family magazine.  The article features the ASK Campaign, the need for safe storage of guns around children, and a quick introduction for the need for Child Access Prevention laws.  Here is a link to the issue; see page 28 for my article:  http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/june11/june11.pdf

June 18 is National ASK Day.  The ASK campaign advocates that parents ask about guns and their storage wherever their children play, such as at a friend's house.  For more on the ASK campaign, please see my PREVIOUS POST, or visit the originator of the program, PAX (www.paxusa.org).

It is all too common, I'm sorry to say, that tragedies happen due to ready access of unlocked and loaded weapons by children.  Just last week, for instance, a 2-yo boy shot and killed his 6-yo sister after finding a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his father's bedroom.  When police responded and searched the home, they found an amazing 53 guns in the home.  Five children, between the ages of 2 and 15, lived in the home.  What would the father have said before the shooting, I wonder?  Would he have claimed his children knew not to touch the guns without his supervision?  That they were stored safe enough?

I spent the day outside, enjoying the (finally!) warm weather here in Oregon and watching my 5- and 6-yo kids play on their Slip-N-Slide and ride bikes.  I'm glad I don't have to worry about them accessing guns in our home, or the homes of the friends we visit.

Yesterday ended on a sad note, though.  Around 6:30, a 19-yo young man was shot twice outside a local indoor putting range and arcade, called Putters.  He was shot by another young man, thought to be 18 years old.  The victim was out in the parking lot listening to music with relatives when the assailant approached and started shooting.  The victim was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive.  Though it is legal in Oregon for someone 18 or older to possess a handgun or to purchase a handgun privately, it is illegal for them to be sold a handgun from a licensed seller (until they are 21).  So where did the youth get his weapon?  Currently he is on the run.  This is the age demographic most at risk for gun violence.

Remember, every gun in the hands of a child first passed through the hands of an adult.

Asking Saves Kids

Lately there has been a good discussion here at New Trajectory about protecting children.  So I thought now would be a good time to bring up the ASK campaign.

ASK (Asking Saves Kids) is a national advertising campaign that urges parents to ask if there is a gun where their children play.  It is a program that the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation takes part in.  HERE is a link to the homepage for it.

That's it.  No new legislation suggested here, just a simple question that can save lives. 

How can it save lives?  Consider the following statistics:

• Guns can be found in 40% of Oregon homes, and many of those guns are kept loaded and unlocked.[1]   A statistic not uncommon for the nation as a whole.
• In the United States, nearly 1.7 million children under age 18 live in homes with firearms that are both loaded and unlocked.[2]
• Nearly 8 children and teens in the United States are killed by firearms every day in the United States.[3]
• One fourth of homes with children and guns have a loaded firearm, and between 6% and 14% of firearm owning households with a child under 18 have an unlocked and loaded firearm. [4]
• More than 40% of gun-owning households with children store their guns unlocked. [5]
• On average, one child every three days died in accidental incidents in the United States from 2000 to 2005. (CDC data)

Every parent has the responsibility to safeguard their children.  Knowing if lethal weapons are accessible in a home where your child is visiting and if they are stored safely is important to your child's safety, regardless of your attitude toward gun ownership.  Given that so many homes leave their guns unlocked, and even unlocked and loaded, this is a potentially life-and-death decision for your child. 

But don't think this is some sort of inquisition into the private life of others.  It's normal and expected for parents to ask critical questions the first time their child visits, and it doesn't have to be confrontational or judgmental.   If you are a responsible parent, you ask about whether prescription medicines are stored locked or out of reach, whether knives are out of reach, or whether the kids will be out of parental supervision at any time.  If the caregiver or other parent is driving, you ask about car seats.  So, too, you should ask if guns are present.  And not just for small children; this goes for homes with teenagers, too.

If the answer is "No, no guns are present," it's one less thing you need to worry about.  If the answer is "Yes," then you can inquire about how the weapons are stored, whether they are locked and unloaded, if they are stored out of reach in a safe or lockbox with ammo stored separately, or if they have a gun lock attached.  If it bothers you that there are guns there at all, or if they are stored unsafely, you can always ask that your child's friend come over to your home instead, or schedule a play date elsewhere, like a park.

Though it is not exactly part of the ASK program, I would also like to add that if you are a gun owner, it is your responsibility to answer truthfully when other parents ask these questions.  And even if they do not ask, I argue, it is a morally imperative that you mention to the other parent that you have firearms in the home and the steps you've taken to safeguard them.  You'll find that most people are appreciative of it, even if they are advocates for stricter gun control.  I have friends who are gun owners, for instance, and I am happy to have my children play at their home with their children because I am satisfied that their weapons are stored in a locked safe and that my children will be supervised adequately to protect them.

If you wish for help in starting a conversation, or would like to help spread the word about the ASK program, please contact the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation at 503.220.1669 or info@ceasefireoregon.org.

UPDATE:  6/5/11:  I published an article on the ASK campaign in the June 2011 issue of Metro-Parent Magazine.  See page 28:  http://www.metro-parent.com/issues/june11/june11.pdf

Statistics sources:

1. Data as of 2004, the latest year for which these data are available. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Oregon data available at http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/chs/brfs/brfssum.shtml
2. American Academy of Pediatrics, September 2005
3. Data as of 2003, the latest year for which these data are available. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, available at www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.
4. Johnson, Renee M., MPH, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, MD, MPH, and Carol W. Runyan, PhD. “Firearm Ownership and Storage Practices, U.S. Households, 1992-2002.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 27 (2004): 173-82
5. Schuster, Mark A., Franke, Todd M., Bastian, Amy M., Sor, Sinaroth, Halfon, Neal. "Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes With Children," American Journal of Public Health 90(4) (April 2000):588-594