As the world seems to be getting more and more violent it must be an extremely difficult time to be a parent. An excellent small article in yesterday's New York Times offered a quick summary of gun problems in the U.S. A quote from Katherine Fowler of the C.D.C was particularly good. She stated that "Children are at a higher risk of violence if they have academic problems, encouragements to be aggressive, and limited adult supervision". She added "The likelihood of violence is also higher in communities with high levels of instability, gang activity, drug sales, unemployment, or poverty."
Car accidents are the first cause of death in children followed by gunshot wounds. The statistic was also given that nonfatal injuries each year are 5,790. When there is a gun in the house, the possibility of an injury or death is great. Now that many in Congress are pushing to have an open carry law,the problems would just increase. The idea of having guns on college campuses is crazy. As the daughter of a college professor, I can imagine my father's reaction ,even though he was a hunter. Guns for hunters are one thing. Guns that kill or injury children and innocent adults are entirely different. I had hoped that after the Sandy Hook killings something would be done. However, the NRA is so powerful that Congressional members don't have the courage to pass gun restrictions. No one needs an assault rifle, but it is the most popular gun purchase today.
When a teen is thinking of committing suicide, a gun in the house increases the likelihood he or she will die. Males use guns to commit suicide while girls usually try other means as drugs or knives. A gun in the house means a family member will more likely be shot than an intruder. When domestic violence is occurring, a gun increases the possibility of a terrible outcome.