Louisiana

Wise men have said a good rule of thumb for those wanting to avoid getting in an argument with someone is to never talk about religion or politics.

A quick glance at social media will affirm the wisdom in that advice. We would add a third topic as well — guns.

But, just because a topic makes some people uncomfortable doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed. Actually, we would argue that it makes it that much more important to discuss. That was part of the thinking behind the partnership between The Associated Press and the USA TODAY Network, of which The Town Talk is a member, to provide an in-depth examination of accidental shootings involving minors across the country. In what is planned as an ongoing joint venture, the news organizations are researching and analyzing a comprehensive shootings database tallied by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

Now before everyone gets all fired up thinking this is an editorial in support of increased gun control, it is not. We firmly support American’s right to own guns, as protected in the Second Amendment.

In this report, we focus on accidental shootings that affect minors. Our research has found minors nation-wide have been dying at a grim pace that is faster than government statistics indicate. On average, one American child or teenager is killed or injured every day in an accidental shooting. The most common victims are ages 3 or 16. And the shootings happen most frequently in their own homes.

The stories play out repeatedly, from rural towns to major cities. Louisiana had the second highest incident rate in the nation, trailing only Alaska. Two of the cases were in Central Louisiana, including the death of a 15-year-old boy in Alexandria in 2014 and a 3-year-old boy in Natchitoches in April of this year.

Each of these is a tragedy that very well may have been prevented if the gun owners had taken stronger safety precautions.

While we support gun ownership, we also advocate for safe and responsible use and handling of firearms. Based on the statistics, it is clear more needs to be done to ensure that firearms are safely stored out of reach of young children. When someone obtains a gun, whether they purchase it for themselves or get it as a gift, we believe they have a responsibility to ensure that they properly handle and store the firearm. Just as they have a right to own the gun, we — and our children — have a right not to be accidentally killed or injured due to reckless storage or handling of the weapon.

A handful of states have passed laws to require firearm locking devices and their use. They include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The results have been mixed. Ohio, Michigan and Illinois were all above the national average while Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, New York and New Jersey were all below the average.

While we believe the primary responsibility falls on the gun owner, we believe gun dealers and manufacturers could do more to help. Specifically, we believe all guns should come with gun locks when they are sold. Some states have passed laws requiring it, but it shouldn’t take a law. We believe it’s simple common sense. When you get medication from the pharmacy, it automatically comes with a child-proof cap to prevent accidental poisoning of children. Why shouldn’t children get the same protection when their parents purchase a gun?

Unfortunately, regulations take a long time to pass. And, even if it’s for safety issues protecting children, we have no doubt gun manufactures and dealers would delay implementing any changes as long as they could. So for now, it’s up to gun owners to be proactive and ensure their firearms are safely stored where children can’t access them.

Somewhere today, statistics show a child will be injured or killed by the accidental discharge of a gun. If you own a firearm, are you doing everything you can to make sure it’s not a local child — or your own?