I do not know the reason why law enforcement fails to keep certain statistics. Although I have written several articles about young children being killed by a gun or killing someone else, I have never been able to obtain information from the authorities. Local news agencies claim that the number is extremely large.

The Washington Post’s Christopher Ingraham has been studying this travesty since the beginning of the year; the numbers will anger you and question the priorities of some gun owners.

Since the first of the year, 43 stories have been reported in our nation which involved children under the age of four shooting themselves or someone else. 13 killed themselves; 18 were seriously injured; 10 were injured by a toddler, and two more lost their lives.

This report is age specific, but the number of children involved in incidents from the use of guns resulting in injury or death is much greater than the NRA would like you to know.

In all cases the villain is the gun owner; almost always a parent or relative. An irresponsible adult fails to follow the guidelines of advocacy groups. When loaded weapons are accessible to small children, disaster is imminent.

Recommendations for gun safety are simple and should be mandatory in every home. The gun must be completely unloaded and stored in a separate secured area from the ammunition. It is also advised that a family discussion occur in which the danger of guns is stressed.

Although the adult is the culprit in all of these shootings, he or she is never prosecuted for creating a situation which had the possibility of resulting in a lethal event.

In the final analysis the NRA is responsible for any death by gun when the weapon is used by someone the victim knows. The NRA is not concerned with gun safety or realistic changes in our gun laws. They are nothing but a lobby which promotes gun manufacturing, gun sales and gun ownership. Those who pay dues to belong to the NRA are donating money to billionaires.

If the NRA was the type of organization they claim to be, gun safety would be its first priority. It would lobby for comprehensive background checks for everyone at every venue where guns are sold. It would admit that no average citizen needs military-style weapons with high-output magazines. But the truth is that they have only one purpose; to increase the profits of gun manufacturers and gun sellers. Members of the GOP are not helpful. When a presidential candidate says ‘stuff happens’ after community college students were slaughtered in Oregon, red flags should be raised.

Why is the GOP bowing to the NRA? It’s always a case of ‘follow the money.’ The NRA helps fill the war chests of GOP candidates.

In American homes there are more guns than people. However, only ten percent of homes in our nation report owning guns. Is it fair to call many of these ‘enthusiasts’ gun nuts? I believe so.

Please, if you choose to own a lethal weapon, practice gun safety; a family member’s life may depend on it.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

Photo Courtesy of Liv-Lobas