Innocents Lost: A Year of Unintentional Child Gun Deaths

[billh58]

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http://everytown.org/article/innocents-lost/?akid=1670.1249453.7iNwVl&rd=1&t=4

by: Everytown for Gun Safety

on: June 24, 2014

Federal data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate that between 2007 and 2011, an average of 62 children age 14 and under were accidentally shot and killed each year.

But our analysis of publicly reported gun deaths, highlighted in “Innocents Lost: A Year of Unintentional Child Gun Deaths,” shows that the federal data substantially undercount these deaths:

•From December 2012 to December 2013, at least 100 children were killed in unintentional shootings — almost two each week, 61 percent higher than federal data reflect.

•About two-thirds of these unintended deaths — 65 percent — took place in a home or vehicle that belonged to the victim’s family, most often with guns that were legally owned but not secured.

•More than two-thirds of these tragedies could be avoided if gun owners stored their guns responsibly and prevented children from accessing them.

According to Second Amendment absolutists, these children's deaths were "unfortunate accidents" and not statistically significant. We don't need new laws they say, because the unregulated "right" to keep and bear arms can not be infringed. A few gun deaths is just the price we all must pay for this "freedom" to kill each other, and our children.

Support a gun control organization today in any way that you can, and see this link for suggestions on what you can do:

http://everytown.org/act/

This national gun madness must end, and it's up to us to take action.

[Styx]

1. This really shouldn't even be a political issue...

It's (more than) a little F'd up that we've gotten to the point where anything that even touches on guns needs to be a damned constitutional debate, high on rhetoric and short on results. This is a straightforward, common sense, issue.

Forget about "responsible gun ownership" and think "responsible parenting". Before you bring the baby home from the hospital, you put plastic plugs in your outlets, you put child-proof hooks on the cabinets under the sink, you throw away the old plastic bags, you secure the prescription and OTC meds... and you lock up the guns. I'm not saying you have to get rid of them completely, just lock them up. How hard is that? If you feel that your security requires getting to a gun fast, the industry makes biometric lock boxes that open by touching an authorized thumb to them. They cost less than a month of full coverage auto insurance.

Why does everything have to be us v. them?

[billh58]

2. Because the right-wing

gun lobby made it "us v. them" with the help of the NRA and its apologists. The Group that you list as your Favorite Group has made it "us v. them" on DU, and they are the reason that this safe haven Group was necessary.

Forget about responsible gun ownership? Really? Most American gun owners are responsible with their lethal weapons, but the fact remains that too many people have access to too many guns in this country, and that is a problem.

Your protestations that you are "new" to DU are suspect, and your rush to post in the gun forums is telling. Again, welcome back.

[billh58]

3. "Us" is still here, and

"them" is gone...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=315500