Our goal should be that CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER HAVE ACCESS (accidental or otherwise) TO FIREARMS!
The horifying statistics of gun deaths in children in the United States.
Gun deaths in children is a serious problem in the United States. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are approximately 10,000 shootings a year in the United States involving children. Many of these involve adolescents with illegally acquired weapons. With regard to accidental shooting by children aged 0-11, the Gun Violence Archives reports that almost 200 such accidents occur each year in the United States, and the number is rising. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that “a gun in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a friend or family member than a burglar or criminal.” Many times, children as young as 3 years find these guns and either shoot themselves or someone else, frequently another child. Depressed preteenagers and teenagers also commit suicide with guns more frequently than by other means.
The goal: completely removing children's access to firearms.
Awareness by gun owners that they can be convicted for carelessly storing firearms could serve as a deterrent. However, society’s goal should be to avoid such convictions by ensuring that children NEVER have access to firearms — not merely highlight the importance of proper gun storage or prosecute careless gun owners. Some jurisdictions have laws designed to prevent these tragedies by mandating safe storage of firearms and locking devices. However, to be effective, states may have to engage in inspection and enforcement processes that most Americans will not support.
In recent years, gun-control advocates working to reduce gun violence have largely focused on background-check legislation. Such legislation attempts to ensure that, before the sale or purchase of a firearm, those suffering from mental health issues or with criminal histories receive greater scrutiny. While background check legislation may help address mass shootings like those that occurred in Aurora, Newtown and Charleston, it is not currently getting any traction in the mostly conservative-controlled state legislatures including Texas. And it would not prevent the deaths of children from guns in household belonging to those supposed to care for these children, like parents and grandparents.
Liability insurance for gun owners.
In some states, efforts to curb gun violence include proposals designed to require gun owners to carry liability insurance. The logic behind these measures is this: If you are required to carry liability coverage when you drive a car, why not require liability insurance for owning a more dangerous device like a gun? In the event that a gun causes an injury, the injured party would have an avenue for relief. Further, the premium payments for such gunowners' insurance would depend on the competency and behavior of the gun owner.
Today, a gun owner’s decision to obtain liability insurance is optional. One political problem with “compulsory” proposals is that gun owners will not willingly pay increased costs to exercise their constitutional “right” to own a gun. With the curent gun culture in this country, it is difficult to visualize Texas or other states mandating liability insurance. However, most sane people even in Texas, including those who advocate gun rights, do not want children playing with loaded firearms. Therefore insurance companies can help promote this societal goal by leading the field.
Promoting gun safety in the home.
Some insurance companies already request information about gun ownership in connection with the issuance of homeowners' insurance. This information is primarily sought in order to assess the value of a homeowner’s personal property. In connection with such inquiries, it would be a small step for companies to also inquire about the safety activities engaged in by the gun owner. Are the guns properly stored under lock and key? Is there a locking device on the firearm? Does the gun owner engage in training programs?
Insurance companies reward people who take steps to decrease risks. For example, the installation of an alarm or sprinkler system is likely to reduce the insurance premium one pays for home insurance. 'Good driver discounts' are also routinely promoted by insurance companies. However, in the case of gun ownership in the U.S., the opposite is the case. Instead of promoting safe gun practices to mitigate risk, insurance companies merely reduce their own losses by limiting the amount of money an insured party can obtain in the event of a loss. It is time that insurance companies take the lead and not wait for state legislatures to pass new laws requiring universal liability insurance for gun owners. The rest of society should also insist on better gun storage and gun safety in all gun owners not only those with children.
OUR 5 SUGGESTIONS:
1. Make every gun owner carry liability insurance much the same way that car owners have to carry liability insurance in every state in the U.S.
2. Make a course in gun saffety and proper gun storage mandatory for every one buying a gun.
3. In homes in which there are children or where children are likely to visit, a special premium should be placed on the liability insurance for the gun owner, be it a parent, grandparent, caregiver or friend.
4. State laws should be enacted or amended to make sure gun owners know they will be liable and can be convicted if they carelessly store a gun that kills a child.
5. Every gun owner with a child either living in or likely to visit his or her home must be compelled to have a safe gun storage cabinet at home and be compelled by law that such guns are never loaded.
DEJI OLUSANYA FOUNDATION
