COMMENTARY : PARENTS' CAREFUL PLANNING COULD BRING END TO SHOOTING MISHAPS.Byline: Jim Matthews James R. "Jim" Matthews is an elected public official in Pennsylvania. Matthews is a member of the Republican Party. He currently serves on the Board of Commissioners of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Special to the Daily News There is no such thing as a shooting accident. In my neighborhood recently, an 11-year-old girl picked up a shotgun, pointed it at two boys who were teasing teasing the act of parading a male before a female to see if she displays estrus, and is therefore in a state where mating is likely to be fertile. her and pulled the trigger. The blast of the shotgun left a Little League all-star dead and another boy with the side of his face torn away. The lives of three families have been shattered shat·ter v. shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters v.tr. 1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow. 2. a. because of a succession of careless acts that led to a little girl picking up a loaded gun. Bruce Clark This article is about the American actor. For the British journalist and writer, see Bruce Clark (journalist). Bruce Allan Clark (born 5 March 1958, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.) is an actor who appeared in the 1970 TV series Here Come the Double Deckers. , the father of Evan, the 14-year-old boy who was killed, agreed to go on local television news programs. Grieving grieving Mourning, see there the loss, Clark was trying to make sense of the tragedy and give meaning to his son's death. He was forgiving of the little girl and even her mother, who had left the loaded gun in the house with unsupervised children. But he wanted a message to get out so other Evans aren't killed. This is the message, these are the rules: Guns should be stored unloaded. If you feel the need to keep a loaded gun to protect your home, buy a trigger lock A trigger lock is a device designed to prevent a firearm from being discharged while the device is in place. Generally, two pieces come together from either side behind the trigger and are locked in place, unlockable with a key or combination. and keep the key around your neck or on a wrist band when you sleep - on a key chain when you're awake. Don't ever leave a loaded gun, or the key to a locked-up loaded gun, where someone - especially a child - can find it. There are lock boxes for handguns that can be opened with a combination by touch in the dark. It is far safer to keep the gun unloaded and stored safely. Ammunition and guns should be stored in different places, preferably with both locked up. Trigger and action locks are relatively inexpensive and make a gun inoperable inoperable /in·op·er·a·ble/ (in-op´er-ah-b'l) not susceptible to treatment by surgery. in·op·er·a·ble adj. Unsuitable for a surgical procedure. , making closet storage safe. A cabinet with a latch and padlock will secure ammunition and keep it out of children's hands. Locking file cabinets are secure holds. Gun safes are the best option. The most important and the most neglected element is to teach our children about firearms This is an extensive list of small arms — pistol, machine gun, grenade launcher, anti-tank rifle — that includes variants. : Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
Little children should have it drummed into their heads that if they find a gun, they are not to touch it and they should get an adult immediately. Older kids should be taught the cardinal rules: Treat all guns as if they are loaded; keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction always - even if you know it's unloaded. We all can make a difference. And if we don't take that responsibility, we are at fault in these tragedies. Buy a friend a gun lock. Give them a small, locking file cabinet to store their ammunition or handgun. Offer to take your neighbor kids to a hunter safety class. There is no such thing as a shooting accident. |
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