Boston pediatrician: Families can act first on gun control

[Robb]

Dr. Robert Sege is director of the Division of Family and Child Advocacy at Boston Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine. He helped to write the American Academy of Pediatrics policy on firearms and was invited to the White House last week for a briefing on firearms safety.

(snip)

Every six days, a child under the age of 15 dies from an unintentional firearm injury, typically at the hands of a friend or a sibling, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping guns out of the reach of children can prevent this. Teen suicide attempts are fatal when there is a gun around; keeping loaded, unlocked guns out of the house prevents suicide. Many teen homicides involve weapons obtained from home, or from the home of a friend. From Columbine to Sandy Hook, many disturbed young killers have used their family’s arsenals.

(snip)

As doctors and nurses, we advise parents that they need to keep guns away from children. Their natural curiosity will trump gun safety lectures. Teenagers live passionate, impulsive lives. Parents need to make sure that these inevitable aspects of adolescence don’t lead to tragedy. Teens should not have access to loaded weapons. Plenty of good hard science links teen suicide and homicide to having a gun available – often from home –when passion strikes.

(snip)

Firearms are preceded only by automobile crashes in killing kids. Vice President Biden told us that in the six months since Sandy Hook, more than 5,000 Americans have died by firearm. More have died in just these last six months than those who died in Afghanistan, or Iraq. Each of us knows, from the hundreds of conversations we have with families, how firearms and fear limit the lives of so many children. The vice president remains convinced that federal legislation to close loopholes in background checks and limit the sales of assault weapons and high capacity magazines will pass Congress.

I would like to share Mr. Biden’s optimism. “Be patient” one seasoned lobbyist told me while we were milling about after the presentation. “After all, the Brady bill took seven years to pass.”

Read More: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blogs/white-coat-notes/2013/06/24/boston-pediatrician-families-can-act-first-gun-control/0IspZqmwHoDZz9jgoBRpMN/blog.html

[Just Saying]

1. K & R

[Jenoch]

2. In Minnesoata there is a law that

guns have to be locked or disabled with ammunition stored separately in homes with underage children. When I was growing up, the guns were locked up. My dad locked them up mostly because he did not trust our friends from handling them and possibly dropping them. The ammunition was locked up, so the guns could not have been fired anyway. This was in the 60s and 70s.

[BainsBane]

3. and it isn't enforced, at all

Witness the guy who just got off with probation for leaving his gun around where his kid managed to kill himself.

[Jenoch]

4. Please provide a link to that story,

I seem to have missed it.

[BainsBane]

5. Understably

It's only been all over the local news. http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3112011

[Jenoch]

7. That's a story about

some idiot leaving a gun under a pillow and his 4 year old shot his 2 year old brother. He did not shoot himself.

[BainsBane]

9. It's leaving fire arms around where kids can get them

WTF is the difference? It's a dead kid, and the guy gets off.

[Jenoch]

12. He did 30 days

in jail, he has to do 100 hours of community service in the Hmong community teaching them how important it is that firearms be locked up. He certainly seems remorseful. I suppose the judge could have sentenced him to more time. I think the community service will do more good than keeping him in prison would do as a deterent to others.

"WTF is the difference?" The difference is that I thought you were referencing a different story. It's that simple.

[BainsBane]

13. Most of us do not believe 30 days is adequate

Last edited Sat Jun 29, 2013, 09:09 PM - Edit history (1)

for child neglect that results in a death. If that had been a mother who left the house to go shopping and the kid slipped and fell, she would do 20 years. Guns as usual have a special dispensation.

I can really see you working hard for gun control here.

[Jenoch]

15. I have not seen any stories

similar to what you describe. If you post a link, I'll read it.

[BainsBane]

21. Nearly everyday

someone posts a thread on DU about a toddler or small child who kills or is killed with a loaded gun left laying around. Stories of women imprisoned for neglect have been in the papers for decades. You seem to expect others to point basic news to you. You yourself have a responsibility to keep yourself informed.

[Jenoch]

25. Why don't you post

links to stories about women getting 20 years for child neglect? Isn't that as important as the stories whicj you do post links?

[BainsBane]

26. I post on women's issues all the time

and inevitably some of your gunner friends and the rest of the resident misogynists come into the thread to tell me I have no right to talk about anything pertaining to women. I despise misogynists and I dislike the views of gunners. When a gunner turns out to be misogynistic, that's as low as it gets.

[BainsBane]

27. FYI

I have no problem with someone getting 20 years for negligent manslaughter in a child's death. I just don't think someone should get off because that negligence involved leaving a loaded gun lying around.

[Jenoch]

28. Nor do I.

If you believe I am a mysinogist, you are sorely mistaken.

[BainsBane]

6. Have you read the SOP of this group

Or do you simply not care about respecting group rules on this site?

[Jenoch]

8. I merely wrote a post

indicating Minnesota has a law about guns being locked up in homes with underage children. I then wrote an anecdote about my own family and how my father locked up his guns. How can that post violate the SOP?

[BainsBane]

10. Read the SOP

And say whether you support it. It's clear you do not. The purpose of this group is to promote gun control, not to attack those who do or minimize the deaths of children.

[Jenoch]

11. I did not attack anyone nor did I minimize

the death of a child. I was unfamiliar with a story that you made a reference to. I merely asked for a link.

I am in favor of universal back ground checks. I am in favor of stronger penalties for straw purchasers of firearms. I am also in favor of laws requiring firearms and ammunition to be locked up in homes with underage children. That was the point of my first post on this thread.

[BainsBane]

14. All I have EVER seen you do is attack people advocating gun control

and instead promote a pro-gun viewpoint, which is precisely what you are doing today.

[Jenoch]

16. Words have meaing.

I know you have participated in common threads with me. I also know that I do not attack people in all of my posts. I sometimes challenge people, but I have not even done that one this thread.

[BainsBane]

20. You attack the position

I am not accusing you of making personal attacks. I am saying that your posts make it clear to me that you fall more clearly on the pro-gun side than the gun control side.

[Jenoch]

23. I do not believe guns

should or could be banned. Does that make me evil? I believe the states could and should do more to make it more difficult for criminals to acquire guns. I encourage debate on the issue. I know I have occasionally been annoying to others on these threads, but I do not attack people. I have only gottesn three or four posts hidden in total and one of those was because of a typo (I still don't understand that one). I'll be leaving now.

[billh58]

24. And the Gungeon is missing

another "cold dead hands" spokesperson. I guess the stench over there drives even the most devoted out from time-to-time. I just wish they wouldn't come over here and stink this Group up. It's annoying...

[billh58]

17. It's the "new" Gungeoneer

approach: to appear to be sincere, while spouting thinly veiled NRA-apologist bullshit propaganda. All gunz, all the time, is their mantra, and their support for Zimmerman and Florida's SYG law has no bounds.

It's just a shame that they feel such a need to shit on everyone else's parade while idolizing their gun toting role models. Uncle Wayne must be so proud...

[Jenoch]

18. If your post is a reference to

me, you are mistaken. I have never been a member of the NRA. I also think Zimmerman should be found guilty. I have not watched all of the trial nor do I know Florida law, but I think he should have stayed in his vehicle. Heck, I don't think he should have been armed with anything other than a cell phone and maybe a can of pepper spray, if allowed under Florida law.

[Jenoch]

22. If you can find any post

of mine where I supported George Zimmerman, I sure would like to see it.

[SQUEE]

29. In the Southwest, back in the 80's it seemed everyday children were dying in unattended cars

The States passed and modified the child endangerment laws, increased penalties, and began a media blitz to inform and educate.
Many cities began a specific and intense effort to take to trial and convict adults for these crimes, and there was a marked declin in these tragedies...
I believe if your gun is found unattended with a child you should b charged with a felony, lose your right to access firearms and do time, if injury or death occurs, then the owner/ responsible party should be charged as if they had been the one holding the gun.
A significant part of a right is the responsibility attached to it. The burden of security of a firearm is squarely on th owner, and they need to be firmly and safely secure at all times.