Every developed nation around the world believes that America is ‘gun crazy;’ and they are right. Ten percent of the American people own more guns than the population of the United States. The gun lobby, which calls itself the ‘NRA’ is one of the Republican Party’s owners, and influences GOP Congressmen and Senators to vote against sensible changes in our gun laws which would protect innocent people.

More than 33,000 people are killed annually in the United States by the use of a gun; most of them are women and children. This is a tragedy, but it is only one of many involving the use of a gun.

Statistics are not kept regarding the number of individuals killed by children who accessed a loaded weapon of mass destruction. Americans can only find reports of these tragedies in local newspapers. The best estimates are that deaths from gunfire used by a small child occur once a week on average.

Yesterday morning, April 26^th, a 26-year-old woman in Milwaukee was shot in her car by a child in the backseat. Sheriffs were unable to save her; she died on the scene.

Jamie Gill is a pro-gun activist living in Florida. In March, the day after she posted “Even my 4 year old gets jacked up to target shoot with the .22,” Gill was shot in the back by her son while driving her truck.

A three-year-old boy and his two-year-old sister were searching their mother’s purse in an Albuquerque hotel room when the boy discovered a gun. He pulled the trigger, shooting his father in the buttocks and his pregnant mother in the shoulder with a single shot. His sister was not injured. Authorities took away the children, but let the parents retain their weapon.

A 21-month-old was staying at grandma’s house. The child somehow gained access to a loaded handgun and discharged the weapon. The bullet entered the child’s torso resulting in the demise of an innocent human being. No arrest was made.

In Michigan a three-year-old discovered a .40 caliber pistol while his father and brother were outside of their home. A gunshot to the child’s head killed him instantly.

A similar incident in Michigan found another three-year-old deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. Just a few hours after the tragedy, his father posted the following on Facebook: “I have nothing wrong with guns,” [sic] he wrote. “It’s with this country was built on.” [sic, again]

In Chicago a six-year-old shot a three-year-old. The father was a former gang member and had previously revealed the location where his gun was stored to his son. This father was arrested; most likely because he was a former gang member.

In Alabama a two-year-old boy found his father’s semi-automatic gun. The victim was his father who was sleeping when the boy discharged the weapon, killing him in his own bed.

These are just a few of the more recent tragedies which could have and should have been prevented.

Before the mid-1970’s, the NRA was a gun safety advocate. Their suggestion was that if an individual felt the need to keep a weapon in their home, safety precautions should be taken for the protection of small children. Their advice; keep the unloaded gun and ammunition locked in separate locations.

What angers me is the failure of the legal system to prosecute the adults in the previous situations. This is nothing less than ‘child endangerment.’

I am an advocate for sensible changes in our gun laws, and a supporter of the second amendment; there is no conflict. Parents and grandparents who keep loaded weapons in locations accessible to small children are criminals and just plain stupid. They obviously love their guns more than their family.

The NRA is a criminal organization which places the profits of gun manufacturers and gun sellers ahead of innocent lives. It doesn’t care about your second amendment rights.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Source

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