Kids and Guns? A possible answer.

Kids and Guns? A possible answer.

Maybe the solution to the kids being killed by guns is a simple one, and one more easily done than banning them or eliminating them.

Educate them. Require regular fire arm education through out school. Teach them the dangers, safe handling, how to shoot them, maintain them, etc. Show them why they are so dangerous. Explain to them the law concerning them, and most importantly their rights as citizens to have them -if they so desire-.

Enforce the existing laws for misuse. Harsher penalties for use in a crime. Harsher penalties for negligence. Harsher penalties for unlawful acts.

Better to raise an educated, experienced and informed generation of possible gun owners, than an ignorant, uneducated and ill-informed generation of potential victims.

There are of course risks. Some kids will still get hurt and die due to guns. Tragic, but not as bad as it could be.

We teach abstinence, yet teen pregnancy happens. We teach "Just Say No", yet drug use still happens, despite those drugs being quite illegal. We tell them not to smoke, yet smoke they do. "Don't drink, and don't drink and drive!". Both still happen. So, teaching gun education won't be a 100% cure. But, it will still improve the odds.

Gun accidents account for the majority of child gun deaths. Parents need to keep their weapons secure, and should face harsh penalty when they don't. Children need to know guns aren't toys. We teach fire hot, knives sharp, don't run with scissors, we can teach don't point the gun at anyone too.

Gun dealers who fail to follow Federal and State guidelines regarding weapon sales need to be fined, imprisoned and put out of business. Shut down the black markets and the underground shops. Encourage lawful sale and possession.

Put gun education as a part of gun ownership. Make ownership something within the reach of all citizens, not just the ones who can afford exorbitant taxes and permit fees.

Encourage kids to train with them, to join groups like the Boy Scouts or ROTC who encourage civic activity and responsibility.

In the end, we can build a more informed and safer future.