Safe storage and child access prevention laws are critical steps as we seek to reduce the occurrence of accidental shootings and suicides involving guns.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
People don't have a constitutional right to leave loaded guns lying around. And if they choose to do so - and a kid gets shot and killed because of it - it's not an accident. It's negligent homicide.
We have all read tragic stories in our local papers about gun accidents as a result of misuse. As lawmakers we can better promote safety and responsibility by encouraging gun owners to purchase gun safes to store firearms and keep them from falling into the wrong hands.
After a week of back and forth, and forth and back over firearms, it's good to see a consensus developing on this common-sense amendment to keep handguns away from children.
My accident happened in what should have been one of the safest places to be: in a police station, at the hands of trained police officers. So more guns are not the answer.
People should not be in a position where their children have access to weapons and ammunition.
For target shooting, that's okay. Get a license and go to the range. For defense of the home, that's why we have police departments.
So many deaths could be prevented if measures were implemented to expand background checks and keep individuals like John Hinckley from ever buying firearms in the first place.
When it comes to our children, the most precious treasure God ever gives us, we protect them with a little sign that says, 'No guns allowed.'
We need sensible gun safety measures. The federal government could do something about this; they could show up.
I truly believe that firearms in the hands of law abiding citizen's makes our families and our communities more safe, not less safe.