Letter to the Editor

Be SMART about gun safety

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Dear Editor:

As parents, we’re prioritizing keeping our kids safe from the effects and spread of COVID-19 by keeping them at home, but we also must prioritize keeping them safe while they are in our own homes. Every year, nearly 350 children under the age of 18 unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else; nearly 90% of those shootings occur at home.

It’s our responsibility as adults who are gun owners to “child proof” our homes and make sure firearms are securely stored so that curious children and vulnerable teens cannot access them. Sadly, as our community learned (in April), when kids find unsecured guns, the results can be tragic.

The Be SMART program encourages all adults to take these steps to help prevent unintentional shootings:

• Secure all guns in homes and vehicles, unloaded and locked away in a place that can’t be accessed.

• Model responsible behavior around guns.

• Ask about firearms in other homes your child visits.

• Recognize the role of guns in suicide.

• Tell your peers to Be SMART. Spread the word about the importance of secure storage.

Children are naturally curious, especially at a time like this when school is out. Please, if you own a firearm and have children around your house, check right now that your firearms are safely locked away separately from ammunition. Someone’s life could be depending on it.

To learn more, go to www.besmartforkids.org .

Heather Boles

volunteer

Poplar Bluff Moms Demand Action