Gun Safety Lessons For Kids Needed Regardless Of Politics: Letter

The following letter to the editor was submitted on the issue of gun safety. To submit a letter to the editor, email it with your contact information to karen.wall@patch.com.

"How Many of you Talk to Your Children About ..."

All too often anything with some of the words contained in this article immediately shift to becoming partisan. This is about children and safety.

I'll preface my view by saying that we teach our children about drugs and alcohol. We take our children to swim class so that they will hopefully not drown if they fall in a pool. We teach our children about safe sex and about the risks of contracting diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Many youth programs teach CPR and first aid to children/youth. What do you do if you encounter a stranger? Who do you call if there is an emergency? What do you do if your house is on fire? And so on and so forth, the list of socially responsible things we should teach our children.

How many of you talk to your children about guns?

Before I lose or gain you through partisanship, I'm going to ask you to be objective here. A firearm is an object. Just like a baseball bat, car, knife, ball peen hammer and any other naturally inert object that can used properly or misused.

We have a responsibility to arm our children with the right attitude towards firearms. I don't mean for when the subject comes up they say "guns are bad" or "guns are good." We are leaving politics out of this.

I mean, specifically, what are they supposed to do if they find a gun or a friend introduces them to a gun? Do you ask the parents of your children's friends if there are unsecured firearms in their house?

I recently came across a fantastic book that uses great artwork, good color selection and an easy-to-follow narrative. The book "Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules: A Children’s Book About Gun Safety" by Julie Golob is geared toward focusing on the firearm, the object, as neither positive or negative, but compares it to other objects that can be hazardous if used improperly.

In the book, Golob points out the differences between toys and tools. While there can be play versions of some tools, they are not the same as the actual tools. For example, a toy kit containing a plastic saw is not the same thing as a real saw. Rules regarding the safety and use of a real saw is something we would instruct our children in. Basic information on firearms is included in the book. More importantly, information on the potential hazards of firearms is covered. Information such as the trigger on a firearm should never be touched. The muzzle should not be pointed at another person. Things that should be common sense to most adults, but are not necessarily to children who have not been instructed on the potential hazards of firearms.

Another resource for parents is the Eddie the Eagle program. The NRA launched this educational program to promote a proper response should a youth encounter a firearm. They have an easy-to-remember four-step approach if your child is exposed to a firearm in an inappropriate setting: Stop, Don't Touch, Run Away and Tell a Grown Up.

If you have never given this subject any thought, now is a good time. With the news media poring over different firearm-related subjects and the complete polarization of people on the topic, that does not change the fact that it is our duty to educate our youth. Carelessness and ignorance are the two leading causes of firearm related accidents. Whatever side of the fence you are on, it would be both careless and ignorant to not arm yourself and your children with the proper knowledge and attitude towards firearms.

More information on Golob's book can be found at: https://www.juliegolob.com/books/kids-gun-safety-book

More information on the Eddie the Eagle Program can be found at: https://eddieeagle.nra.org/

John Petrolino III
Howell