What is the cause of 20 kids a day being sent to the hospital? Injuries related to guns, according to a new study. People try to use safety locks and put the guns out of reach of children, but kids are smarter and more aware than we give them credit for and know exactly where the guns are kept.
Until the middle of 2016 gun ownership was declining–from 51% in Jan. 1978 to 36% in June 216. Today it’s up to 44%, I’d guess because of all the turmoil, violence, and uncertainty we’re currently facing.
No, it’s not the guns themselves that injure our kids because, after all, they’re inanimate objects. But more of them around increases the likelihood of more hurt children because there are more opportunities for them to gain access to these forbidden “toys.” And more situations in which they’re innocent victims of drive-by shootings, as well as shootings related to vengeance, race, and domestic disputes.
I don’t know what the answer is. There are pros and cons to stricter gun regulations. Parents love their kids but are sometimes unthinking people, therefore not always totally careful locking and hiding firearms. Eliminating crime, domestic violence, gangs, and terrorism isn’t something we’ll be able to do soon. As I say, I don’t know what the answer is. But I do know that more has to be done bring that twenty a day down to zero.