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I didn't read all the posts and perhaps this is in here. My guess is the Austin American Statesman may lean liberal, but it IS from Texas so I expect that they'll try to get the facts right or have readers screaming.
I didn't go to the CDC and confirm, but the source is cited, and from ages one to 18 firearms are the leading cause of death. I'd note that not only are 19 year old's adults, but 18 year olds are adults too. I'm sure some of the more horrific school shootings push the stats up but they'd probably only account for a couple dozen to maybe 100 a year. I understand that there is some logic to factoring out gang related crime, but lots of gang related gun violence winds up killing folks who are aren't in a gang or are targeted for some reason and the fact that they were killed by someone in a gang doesn't really deserve killing. The fact that one is in a gang or associated with a gang doesn't necessarily mean that they somehow deserve to be shot and killed or should expect to be shot and killed even if common sense suggests that membership or affiliation would increase one's risk of being a victim of gun violence. I'm thinking of the two kids from Franklin who were killed over spring break who weren't part of a gang but seem to have been targeted by them. Again these are still kids in high school who are idiots and lack perspective and common sense. At the same time it would be good if the stats broke down the details to distinguish between crime victims, accidents, suicides, deaths from firearms related domestic violence and school shootings.
I've got a high school age kid and I think it wildly important for firearms to be secured. Frankly if I had a boy I'd be even MORE diligent in keeping the firearms locked down tight, but my kid has no interest in firearms, isn't nosy wouldn't think of using an angle grinder or looking for stored keys, etc. I keep my firearms locked up mostly so if she has nosy friends they can't take one and use it. I understand people are concerned about being able to quickly access a firearm at home for self-defense purposes. That's a non-issue if carrying on one's person, and at home a quick access lock box really isn't so cost prohibitive that everyone can't have one. I can open mine just as fast as a bedside drawer. Sure it's portable and can be stolen but it would take effort and tools to actually get it open and would require more motivation that most of my kid's friends seem to have.
I live in the city. I try to explain to my kid that we live in a different world than the world I or my wife grew up in. The worst thing that happened to me was a guy pulled a knife on me trying to take something of mine, and I looked at him and asked, do you really want to stab over this and possibly spend time in jail. The guy put away the knife and left. In my day I was more likely to be the cause of my untimely death than anyone else. I tell my kid that if she's out in the city with friends and some of those friends get into a disagreement with some other people, she should leave immediately. If a fight breaks out somewhere she needs to leave immediately.
My other take on this stat is that it is relatively recent. There has been a nationwide uptick in gun violence since 2019. My theory is that in spring of 2020 ALL the guns on the shelves sold and a huge percentage sold to people with limited or no experience with firearms or firearms safety who bought a firearm and a box of ammo, just in case, and then stuck in it the closet or a bedside table and ignored it. My bet is that this rash of sales has made hundreds of thousands of firearms easier to steal or take from mom/dad who haven't bothered to secure. I'd be interested if anyone has objectively studied whether the gun rush of 2020 is a contributing factor to the recent increase in gun violence.
Fact-check: Are firearms the leading cause of death in children?
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said firearms are the leading of death among children. What he said is accurate but needs some clarification.
www.statesman.com
I didn't go to the CDC and confirm, but the source is cited, and from ages one to 18 firearms are the leading cause of death. I'd note that not only are 19 year old's adults, but 18 year olds are adults too. I'm sure some of the more horrific school shootings push the stats up but they'd probably only account for a couple dozen to maybe 100 a year. I understand that there is some logic to factoring out gang related crime, but lots of gang related gun violence winds up killing folks who are aren't in a gang or are targeted for some reason and the fact that they were killed by someone in a gang doesn't really deserve killing. The fact that one is in a gang or associated with a gang doesn't necessarily mean that they somehow deserve to be shot and killed or should expect to be shot and killed even if common sense suggests that membership or affiliation would increase one's risk of being a victim of gun violence. I'm thinking of the two kids from Franklin who were killed over spring break who weren't part of a gang but seem to have been targeted by them. Again these are still kids in high school who are idiots and lack perspective and common sense. At the same time it would be good if the stats broke down the details to distinguish between crime victims, accidents, suicides, deaths from firearms related domestic violence and school shootings.
I've got a high school age kid and I think it wildly important for firearms to be secured. Frankly if I had a boy I'd be even MORE diligent in keeping the firearms locked down tight, but my kid has no interest in firearms, isn't nosy wouldn't think of using an angle grinder or looking for stored keys, etc. I keep my firearms locked up mostly so if she has nosy friends they can't take one and use it. I understand people are concerned about being able to quickly access a firearm at home for self-defense purposes. That's a non-issue if carrying on one's person, and at home a quick access lock box really isn't so cost prohibitive that everyone can't have one. I can open mine just as fast as a bedside drawer. Sure it's portable and can be stolen but it would take effort and tools to actually get it open and would require more motivation that most of my kid's friends seem to have.
I live in the city. I try to explain to my kid that we live in a different world than the world I or my wife grew up in. The worst thing that happened to me was a guy pulled a knife on me trying to take something of mine, and I looked at him and asked, do you really want to stab over this and possibly spend time in jail. The guy put away the knife and left. In my day I was more likely to be the cause of my untimely death than anyone else. I tell my kid that if she's out in the city with friends and some of those friends get into a disagreement with some other people, she should leave immediately. If a fight breaks out somewhere she needs to leave immediately.
My other take on this stat is that it is relatively recent. There has been a nationwide uptick in gun violence since 2019. My theory is that in spring of 2020 ALL the guns on the shelves sold and a huge percentage sold to people with limited or no experience with firearms or firearms safety who bought a firearm and a box of ammo, just in case, and then stuck in it the closet or a bedside table and ignored it. My bet is that this rash of sales has made hundreds of thousands of firearms easier to steal or take from mom/dad who haven't bothered to secure. I'd be interested if anyone has objectively studied whether the gun rush of 2020 is a contributing factor to the recent increase in gun violence.
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Got my first gun, a .22 rifle, at 12. Safety training was from Dad and uncles, mostly by example and word of mouth. I used the rifle (which I still have) for hunting and plinking, mostly alone or with other guys who owned guns too... Never occurred to me to "shoot up the school" even tho my school years werent the easiest. Never wanted to kill anyone, either.
I later took "Hunter Safety" so I could get a hunting license in Colorado. On the whole, I think that a "Gun Safety"- not a rigged one like the old "literacy tests" for voting in years past)- might be helpful before purchasing (not for owning, as in inherited guns). Again, ONE course ONE TIME. But maybe that's too close to a licensing requirement, which I believe to be a contravention of the Second Amendment.
Some gun-grabbers are honestly concerned about the issue of criminal abuse of firearms. Others, (perhaps) more behind the scenes, want the populace disarmed and more readily controllable. To paraphrase a statement form the Declaration of Independence- Words in {*} indicate my interpolations.
"The History of the present {democrat party} is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these {People}". Wow.
Ultimately, only by disarming the population can this absolutist totalitarianism be placed and maintained in power. Too many armed citizens would make this difficult if not impossible. We're getting awfully close now as it is. Just sayin.
I later took "Hunter Safety" so I could get a hunting license in Colorado. On the whole, I think that a "Gun Safety"- not a rigged one like the old "literacy tests" for voting in years past)- might be helpful before purchasing (not for owning, as in inherited guns). Again, ONE course ONE TIME. But maybe that's too close to a licensing requirement, which I believe to be a contravention of the Second Amendment.
Some gun-grabbers are honestly concerned about the issue of criminal abuse of firearms. Others, (perhaps) more behind the scenes, want the populace disarmed and more readily controllable. To paraphrase a statement form the Declaration of Independence- Words in {*} indicate my interpolations.
"The History of the present {democrat party} is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these {People}". Wow.
Ultimately, only by disarming the population can this absolutist totalitarianism be placed and maintained in power. Too many armed citizens would make this difficult if not impossible. We're getting awfully close now as it is. Just sayin.
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I don't believe there is a one size fits all when it comes to securing firearms. I believe it should be a family matter and a choice appropriate for each to decide.
I can understand your feeling, but for me and mine... I whole heartedly disagree. All of my children grew up with firearms, always displayed good handling practices, made good choices in their day to day lives when it mattered and I trusted them implicitly with free access to firearms. YMMV
They each had their own firearms, but even if they didn't, I wasn't always home and I not only trusted but expected that if they were ever faced with an armed intruder that they would not hesitate to arm themselves and defend our home, themselves and other family members.
All but one have left home now and remarkably... none ever shot anyone out of anger, mishandled a firearm, committed a firearm related crime, allowed anyone not in our family access to any firearm, never had an AD nor attempted suicide with a firearm.
Case in point: A 17yr old teen faced off with 3 home invaders with a shotgun... defending himself, another 17yr old, a 12yr old and adult female also in the home. What would have happened if he was denied access to every firearm in the house?
Teen shoots two men during Texas home invasion
A third man fled after the incident, police said.
www.cbsnews.com
I'm not saying that all children of all ages should have free access. What I'm saying is that the choices you make for you and yours may be appropriate but doesn't mean that it's the right choice for all.
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No, they are not.(re. OP title)
Joe
Joe
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Closing thread....
Way too many rule breaking posts.
Like it or not....discussions about abortion are against NWFA rules.
If you disagree with this rule....contact Joe LInk.
Andy
Way too many rule breaking posts.
Like it or not....discussions about abortion are against NWFA rules.
If you disagree with this rule....contact Joe LInk.
Andy
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