To the editor:
Have you ever talked with another parent or schoolteacher about potential risks to your kids, like nut allergies or aggressive dogs that bite? So it shouldn’t feel awkward to ask if a house that your child is going into has an unlocked gun, right?
On average, four children die each year from nut allergies, and the last year on record for dog bite-related children’s deaths posted 13 (oddly, nine of those in California).
On the other hand, eight children every day in this country are unintentionally injured or killed by family gunfire. 4.6 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and 39% of parents mistakenly believe their children do not know where their firearm is stored.
These tragedies increase as more children are on summer vacation and spending more time at home or the homes of others. According to an analysis by Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, half of the weeks in the year with the most unintentional shootings by children occurred during the summer. With June marking the beginning of summer, now is the time when Americans must take action to protect our kids.
June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, and in a relatively violence-free town like ours, the most impactful thing you can do to keep your family safe is ASK. Asking Saves Kids.
I want to assure you, if you’ve ever asked another parent not to give your kid a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or inquired if they have a cat, trust me—it’s okay to ask if there’s an unsecured gun in the house. It’s better than okay; the simple question can save the most important lives.
All of us—gun owners and non-gun owners alike—have a role in preventing family fire. Family fire refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun when they shouldn’t have it. This includes children as well as those who display behavior that indicates they could harm themselves or others. Unintentional shootings, suicide and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire. If safe storage practices are deployed in just 20% more households with children, we could reduce firearm suicide and unintentional firearm fatalities among youth by up to 32%. For some, ASKing could be the first step that encourages life-saving change.
Here in Pelham, let’s make ASKing a part of our routine before sending our kids off to be with friends. Raising awareness about the risks of unsecured firearms in our community will help us reshape our culture and bring ourselves closer to a future free from gun violence.
MaryAnn Parent
451 Wolfs Lane