[This appeared in the Sonoma State Star student newspaper, so far back that I can’t remember when] Gun Accidents & Kids: Techniques For Prevention Life is full of senseless accidents. In the last few months, the news media have given considerable attention to firearms accidents involving children. Nearly all of these accidents are easily preventable. Forty percent of the households in America have a gun -- which means even if you don't have a gun in your house, this is still your concern, since your child may visit a house where there is a gun. It's important to put firearms accidents involving children in perspective. In 1984, there were 287 accidental firearms deaths of children under 15. By comparison, motor vehicle accidents killed 3,401 children under 15; drowning killed 1,170; fires and burns killed 1,208, and even choking killed 316. In brief, your child is 11.9 times more likely to be killed in a car crash, 4.1 times more likely to drown, 4.2 times more likely to die of fire, and even 10% more likely to choke to death, than to be killed by a gun accident. Even a bicycle is more dangerous to kids than a gun accident. If you aren't putting your son or daughter in a seat belt in the car, making sure that their food is cut up, and eliminating fire and pool hazards, gun accidents should be the least of your worries. One approach to protecting kids is child-proofing your gun -- making the gun secure from children. The other approach is "gun-proofing" your child -- teaching him or her to recognize that guns are only for responsible adults. Both approaches are necessary. Child-proofing your gun reduces the risk that someone else's child, who hasn't been "gun-proofed", will cause a tragedy with your gun. Gun- proofing your child reduces the risk that he or she will cause a tragedy with someone else's gun. Gun-Proofing Your Kids Because children are naturally curious, hiding a gun is a mistake. The dividing line between fantasy and reality is vague for many small children, and violent cartoons, TV shows, and movies, don't help. A child may not understand the difference between toy and real guns, especially if the parents haven't shown them a real gun -- and there are some very realistic toy guns out there. Curiosity may also encourage a child to "mess around" with a gun, trying to figure out how it works. Satisfy that curiosity under adult supervision. If you own a gun, show your son or daughter that a gun is not a toy for adults, but a serious matter. Using a watermelon as a target will powerfully impress upon them how dangerous a gun can be. Child-Proofing Your Guns The ideal solution is a gun safe. A gun safe not only prevents unauthorized access by kids, it prevents a burglar from stealing one of the easiest items to fence. (This is the reason that background checks are so ineffective at disarming criminals -- criminals don't buy at gun stores -- they buy stolen guns). For handguns, there are quite adequate safes between $100 and $125. But for a renter, a gun safe is usually not practical -- the landlord won't appreciate holes in the wall. A locking handgun case prevents kids from getting in, and chaining the case handle to a pipe under a sink will discourage theft. Most gun stores sell such cases for less than $40. The cheapest solution is a trigger lock. Inserted through the trigger guard, it prevents firing of the gun, though it won't prevent theft. A disturbing number of guns aren't even secured with this, the cheapest of child- proofing devices -- and since trigger locks can be bought in most sporting goods stores for about $10, if you own a gun, you have no excuse for leaving it unsecured. If you do own a gun, do everything you can to make sure that gun doesn't end up as an accident statistic. Sad to say, not every gun owner is terribly knowledgeable about guns; some people buy a handgun, take it to a shooting range once, and never shoot it again. Others learned gun safety many years ago, and that knowledge has become hazy with time. The SSU Shooting Club is ready to help you learn or relearn safe gun ownership. If you don't own a gun, it's important to teach your children enough about gun safety to prevent them from becoming a statistic. Whether you like it or not, guns are a part of American society, like pools and motor vehicles. Children need to learn enough to not be a hazard to themselves or others. To this end, the National Rifle Association has produced a coloring book for children that teaches what to do if kids find an unattended gun: don't touch it, find a responsible adult at once, and inform them about it. The SSU Shooting Club will have copies available soon. The risks of a child getting killed or injured with a gun are quite small; the grief that will result is enormous. A gun, like a car, or a pool, is a potentially dangerous item. you own one, you need to be responsible. If you don't own one, common sense says you should educate your children about the risks. ------- Mr. Cramer is a junior, majoring in history. He has child-proofed his guns, and gun-proofed his children.