  [This   appeared   in  the  Sonoma  State   Star   student

newspaper, so far back that I can remember when]

       Gun Accidents & Kids: Techniques For Prevention

  Life  is  full  of senseless accidents.  In the  last  few
months, the news media have given considerable attention  to
firearms accidents involving children.  Nearly all of  these
accidents  are  easily preventable.  Forty  percent  of  the
households in America have a gun -- which means even if  you
don't  have a gun in your house, this is still your concern,
since your child may visit a house where there is a gun.
  It's   important  to  put  firearms  accidents   involving
children in perspective.  In 1984, there were 287 accidental
firearms deaths of children under 15.  By comparison,  motor
vehicle  accidents killed 3,401 children under 15;  drowning
killed 1,170; fires and burns killed 1,208, and even choking
killed  316.  In brief, your child is 11.9 times more likely
to be killed in a car crash, 4.1 times more likely to drown,
4.2  times  more likely to die of fire, and  even  10%  more
likely  to  choke  to  death, than to be  killed  by  a  gun
accident.  Even a bicycle is more dangerous to kids  than  a
gun accident.  If you aren't putting your son or daughter in
a  seat belt in the car, making sure that their food is  cut
up,  and  eliminating fire and pool hazards,  gun  accidents
should be the least of your worries.
  One  approach  to  protecting kids is child-proofing  your
gun  --  making  the  gun secure from children.   The  other
approach is "gun-proofing" your child -- teaching him or her
to  recognize  that  guns are only for  responsible  adults.
Both  approaches  are  necessary.  Child-proofing  your  gun
reduces the risk that someone else's child, who hasn't  been
"gun-proofed",  will cause a tragedy with  your  gun.   Gun-
proofing  your child reduces the risk that he  or  she  will
cause a tragedy with someone else's gun.


  Gun-Proofing Your Kids
  Because children are naturally curious, hiding a gun is  a
mistake.   The dividing line between fantasy and reality  is
vague  for  many  small children, and violent  cartoons,  TV
shows,  and  movies, don't help.  A child may not understand
the  difference between toy and real guns, especially if the
parents haven't shown them a real gun -- and there are  some
very  realistic  toy  guns out there.   Curiosity  may  also
encourage  a  child to "mess around" with a gun,  trying  to
figure out how it works.  Satisfy that curiosity under adult
supervision.
  If  you own a gun, show your son or daughter that a gun is
not  a  toy  for  adults,  but a serious  matter.   Using  a
watermelon as a target will powerfully impress upon them how
dangerous a gun can be.
  
  
  Child-Proofing Your Guns
  The  ideal  solution is a gun safe.  A gun safe  not  only
prevents unauthorized access by kids, it prevents a  burglar
from  stealing one of the easiest items to fence.  (This  is
the  reason  that  background checks are so  ineffective  at
disarming criminals -- criminals don't buy at gun stores  --
they  buy  stolen  guns).   For handguns,  there  are  quite
adequate safes between $100 and $125.
  But  for a renter, a gun safe is usually not practical  --
the  landlord won't appreciate holes in the wall.  A locking
handgun case prevents kids from getting in, and chaining the
case  handle  to a pipe under a sink will discourage  theft.
Most gun stores sell such cases for less than $40.
  The   cheapest  solution  is  a  trigger  lock.   Inserted
through  the trigger guard, it prevents firing of  the  gun,
though it won't prevent theft.  A disturbing number of  guns
aren't  even  secured  with this,  the  cheapest  of  child-
proofing devices -- and since trigger locks can be bought in
most  sporting goods stores for about $10, if you own a gun,
you have no excuse for leaving it unsecured.
  If  you  do own a gun, do everything you can to make  sure
that  gun doesn't end up as an accident statistic.   Sad  to
say,  not  every  gun owner is terribly knowledgeable  about
guns; some people buy a handgun, take it to a shooting range
once,  and never shoot it again.  Others learned gun  safety
many  years  ago,  and that knowledge has become  hazy  with
time.   The SSU Shooting Club is ready to help you learn  or
relearn safe gun ownership.
  If  you  don't  own a gun, it's important  to  teach  your
children  enough  about  gun safety  to  prevent  them  from
becoming a statistic.  Whether you like it or not, guns  are
a  part  of American society, like pools and motor vehicles.
Children  need  to  learn enough  to  not  be  a  hazard  to
themselves  or  others.   To this end,  the  National  Rifle
Association  has produced a coloring book for children  that
teaches  what  to do if kids find an unattended  gun:  don't
touch it, find a responsible adult at once, and inform  them
about  it.  The SSU Shooting Club will have copies available
soon.
  The  risks of a child getting killed or injured with a gun
are quite small; the grief that will result is enormous.   A
gun, like a car, or a pool, is a potentially dangerous item.
 you  own one, you need to be responsible.  If you  don't
own  one, common sense says you should educate your children
about the risks.
-------
  Mr.  Cramer  is  a  junior, majoring in history.   He  has
child-proofed his guns, and gun-proofed his children.
