Guns: A Hidden Danger
by Lori Marques
"Can
Allie come over to play tomorrow after
school?" This was the question posed to me
outside of my daughter's kindergarten
classroom this morning. "Sure," I
replied to the mother of my daughter's
friend, whom I've smiled at routinely and
chatted with occasionally for the past
four months. We agreed to exchange
telephone numbers and addresses and she
would take Allie home with her from school
the following day.
As I was
putting my children in the car it hit me.
What? I don't really know this family or
where they live. Of course, I'm not going
to let her take Allie from school. Surely
she is a very nice lady and respectable
person. But she is not part of my social
group of trusted friends.
The next
day the mother gave me her address and
telephone number. I told her I would pick
Allie up and bring her over after school
let out. She probably thinks I'm a nut,
but, when it comes to my children -- who
cares! My taking Allie there personally
gives me the chance to relieve my paranoia
(this is why I'm one half of the Paranoid
Sisters). I can visit for a few minutes,
check out the surroundings and I know
exactly where she is, instead of just an
address.
It also
gives me a chance to ask a question that
for most is uncomfortable (me included)...
"Do you have any guns in your home?" As
parents we are able to see many things
that allow us to feel comfortable or
discuss them with the parents of our
childrens' friends. Items such as a pet or
a pool. However, guns are a hidden danger,
one that many people are reluctant to
discuss.
According
to Cease Fire, Inc.:
- Every
two hours a child (19 and under) is
killed with a loaded gun.
- An
estimated 1.2 million latchkey children
come home from school to a house that
has a gun and no parent.
- In
the US, more preschoolers died from
guns in 1994 than police officers were
killed in the line of duty.
This is
a subject that can't be taken lightly. If
your child is invited to visit a friend
after school be sure that you have
personally gone to that home and asked
that tough question: "Do you have a gun?"
If the answer is yes, ask them how it is
stored. Then you can decide to allow your
child to stay if you feel comfortable.
Some guidelines to follow in discussing
gun storage with other parents and when
educating your child on guns include:
- Firearms
must be kept unloaded, in a locked gun
safe and the keys put where children
absolutely will not get access to
them.
- Put
ammunition in a separate, locked
place.
- Always
unload the bullets from a gun and store
them in a place locked and away from
the gun.
- Don't
allow your children to play with toy
guns -- children can not tell the
difference.
- Don't
think your child doesn't know where the
gun is hidden in your home -- they most
likely do.
- Teach
your child to never touch or play with
guns. If a friend or sibling wants to
show them a gun, they are to leave and
find an adult immediately.
- Talk
to your child about firearms and their
dangers, so they won't be such a
mystery.
- Even
if you don't own a gun someone you know
might. When setting play dates at other
people's houses, ask if they have a gun
(or if their relatives do).
Lori Marques and
Lisa Carter are moms and authors of
Paranoid Sisters™ Child Safety Made Easy (Screamin Mimi Publications,
$6.95). Learn more safety tips by visiting
their website.
E-mail: smimipub@pacbell.net.
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