Thursday, December 20, 2012

Gun Control


People with children in their homes are acquiring guns at record rates, supposedly to protect their homes and children. What those people refuse to acknowledge is the chances of their children dying before maturity increase markedly when guns are in their homes. Certainly, the chances of the children dying of gunshot wounds goes through the roof.  In each of 2008 and 2009 236 children died in the United States from gunshots.  That’s a two year total of 472 small children. In 2008, 28 of those deaths were classified as accidental and in 2009, 33. [http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/protect-children-not-guns-report-2009.html]
Claims by parents that they have educated their children to leave the family arsenal alone are so much horse manure.  Almost every child who has shot him/herself or a playmate had been strictly instructed that guns were not toys, guns were to be left alone, adults should be called if a gun were discovered, etc. etc. Kids don't follow the rules. Kids believe themselves to be invulnerable. Kids don't understand the permanency of death.
Perhaps worse are suggestions to arm school teachers.  Cops spend hours every month renewing their training, practicing, running scenarios and they still occasionally shoot the wrong person. Anyone who thinks armed, half-trained school teachers will increase safety in the schools is a lunatic or a moron.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for a thoughtful, non-hyperbolic, article. Nowhere in it do you advocate for the "confiscation" of guns or "more gun laws". However, there are some inaccuracies in your post - as well as a few things that need to be put into perspective.

    First, you state: "That’s a two year total of 472 small children." in reference to the number of children killed by gunshots - both accidental and intentional. As alarming as that stat is (and, as a parent, I share your concern), according to the Centers for Disease Control - an average of 730 children (age 14 and under) die EVERY YEAR from drowning. Again - any child's death is tragic. But, when the number of kids who die annually in back yard pools or nearby lakes is almost DOUBLE that of gun deaths in a two year period, we need to take a breath. Don't even get me started on child deaths from automobile accidents (average 8,000 EVERY YEAR).

    Also, your statement, "Cops spend hours every month renewing their training, practicing, running scenarios and they still occasionally shoot the wrong person." is simply incorrect.

    I was in law enforcement for over 15 years before I went to law school. While with the police department, we went to the range about twice a year - and only once for mandatory state certification. While some police officers (like those in specialty units such as SWAT) may have more frequency in training with their firearms, you'd be hard pressed to find any officer who trains, practices, and runs scenarios "hours every month".

    Finally, the shooter in the Sandy Hook tragedy broke dozens of laws already on the books. The solution posed by many is to pass more laws.

    Whether someone is mentally deranged or simply evil, another law is not going to deter them from acting illegally. It was against the law for Adam Lanza to shoot his mother. It was against the law for him to steal her guns. It was against the law for him to come onto school property with a firearm. It was against the law for him to murder those he killed. I could go on and on.

    Does anyone honestly think that more laws could have stopped this killer that fateful day? Will more laws stop anyone like him in the future? Really?

    I too don't believe that a "half-trained school teacher" is a good idea. But, when the alternative is a "lunatic" or "moron" (your words) comes into a school shooting children, I do believe that intentionally dis-arming potentially armed, concealed-carry citizens only serves to help the bad guys.

    We protect our gold with guns. We protect our children with good intentions. The gold is safe. Which is more important?

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  2. It's too bad, Steve, that your dishonest, violence prone, guns-at-any-cost fellow travelers don't agree with your description of my post as
    "thoughtful" and "non-hyperbolic." See http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?109820-Chesterfield-Planning-Commission-member-calls-us-quot-lunatics-and-morons-quot

    If I ever get a gun, it will be for protection from people like them, not muggers or car jackers.

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