1 in 11,000 change of dying in a pool vs. 1 in 100,000 plus dying by a firearm..

[Kracer]

Definitions of 'child' vary it seems to support one's position. 15 yr olds make up a large protion of gang members and 'children' are used to commit crimes as they do not receive adult punishment. even a 17 year old is consider a child used to be able to enlist in the navy as a 'kiddee cruiser'.

So many other causes to woryy about other than firearms.

Odd don't you think that schools have fire prevention week where children are taugth to be safe arounf fire but there are no school programs to teach children about firearm safety considering that they are bombed by media showcasing firearm laced movies and games. Seem almst reckless behavior to not teach children gun safety with the help of the NRA and Eddie the Eagle safety program.

Just in NYC fire related child (1-12) deaths were 2nd only to car accidents....

[SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][LEFT]"In NYC, motor vehicle-related crashes are the leading cause of unintentional child injury deaths, followed by fire
and burn-related deaths, the leading cause of death to children in the home. In this report, fire-related deaths
were the focus of an in-depth investigation.[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][LEFT]• [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]From 2001 to 2006, 43 separate residential fires led to 66 fire-related fatalities among children aged 1–12 years.
These fires contributed to 95 deaths (adults and children).[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][LEFT]• [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]The fire death rate among black children (1.4 deaths per 100,000 black children) was nearly twice that of white
children (0.8 deaths per 100,000 white children) and more than three times that of Hispanic children (0.4 deaths
per 100,000 Hispanic children).[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][LEFT]• [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]Child fire death rates were comparable across most boroughs except Manhattan, where fewer fire deaths occurred.[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][LEFT]• [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]Smoke inhalation was the cause of death for two thirds of fire-related deaths.[/LEFT]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]• [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=3][SIZE=3]Fatal fires occurred most frequently in the fall and winter months and during late night and early morning hours."
[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[swagger]

Originally Posted by phlinak

I believe that everyone should be required to demonstrate a level of familiarity, if not proficiency, with firearms before they can purchase or own one. Familiarity can be demonstrated by presenting a military ID card, law enforcement credentials, etc. or taking a certified gun safety course.

Originally Posted by swagger

How do you know that the military member or law enforcement officer actually knows what they're doing?

Case in point.

Army soldier tries to cure hiccups, shoots friend | The Lookout - Yahoo! News

[GregW]

I prefer the simple rule that the person that pulls the trigger is completely responsible for any damage done by the bullet. If the gun is deliberately aimed at a person and the bullet kills that person the shooter had better have a very good reason. If the bullet misses its intended target and injures someone else the shooter is in real trouble. The key concept is individual responsibility for any damage done by the bullet.

I am a liberal optimist that believes anyone handling a firearm will have asked for some instructions before they picked it up. I do not believe the government should be even registering firearms of any kind let alone prescribing instruction requirements. Buying a gun should involve as much government intervention as buying a toothbrush.

I also think the shooting, rifle, pistol and shotgun, should be a High School sport with ranges in every school. These ranges should be available to the public during the evening and on weekends for a reasonable (covers costs) fee. Once most of the population is familiar with firearms, including concealed carry, we will have a much safer society. I’ll bet most law officers and all the criminals will strongly disagree.

[SocalPitgal]

Hmm, I believe there are about 8 children killed each year DAY by abuse or neglect from their parents. Maybe we should ban parents, they seem to be more dangerous then pools or gun. (Yes, I know there are far more of them also, being sarcastic here) You can use a pool as a weapon when you drown somebody in it. I suppose anything can be used as a weapon in the right (or wrong) situation.

Originally Posted by ChrisFromChicago

uh, this is why I don't own a pool, do not own a gun, and always wear a helmet. I knew about this since Freakenomics covered it some time ago..

But here is why I would still support Gun Control and think the right to bear *grrr* arms is nonsense. I've never heard of someone using their pool to attack someone else. . .nor their bike. So. . .thats why I would put different rules/obligations on guns than pools or other items.

So deadly weapons - no
deadly summertime activities that just hurt you and your family - go for it


Freakonomics » Chapter 5


"Consider the parents of an eight-year-old girl named, say, Molly. Her two best friends, Amy and Imani, each live nearby. Molly’s parents know that Amy’s parents keep a gun in their house, so they have forbidden Molly to play there. Instead, Molly spends a lot of time at Imani’s house, which has a swimming pool in the backyard. Molly’s parents feel good about having made such a smart choice to protect their daughter.
But according to the data, their choice isn’t smart at all. In a given year, there is one drowning of a child for every 11,000 residential pools in the United States. (In a country with 6 million pools, this means that roughly 550 children under the age of ten drown each year.) Meanwhile, there is 1 child killed by a gun for every 1 million-plus guns. (In a country with an estimated 200 million guns, this means that roughly 175 children under ten die each year from guns.) The likelihood of death by pool (1 in 11,000) versus death by gun (1 in 1 million-plus) isn’t even close: Molly is roughly 100 times more likely to die in a swimming accident at Imani’s house than in gunplay at Amy’s."

[Little-Acorn]

If we give government the authority to ban or restrict SOME guns, what makes you think they won't soon turn it into the authority to ban or restrict ALL guns?