I often write on reflections from past experiences and how they relate to a current event. A professor of mine once told me that life’s experiences are like hooks on a wall on which to hang our stories. So, this week I went to the many hooks in my mind and contemplated which of my life experiences were most relevant to current topics concerning health and wellness. What I found to haunt my heart and soul more than anything else were the two separate accidental shooting deaths of two young men in my community. Being a staunch proponent of the Second Amendment, a gun owner, and an advocate for personal safety—I had many hooks I could choose from for this writing.
Why is it that guns are so mesmerizing to young and old alike? Is it because of Hollywood movies from The Alamo to Zombieland and the 1,400+ movies in-between—encouraging the fantasy of guns as glamorous without considering the final consequences of their use? Then of course, there are violent video games depicting a massacre in graphic detail—once again a lot of fantasy without the reality of finality. I watched in utter disbelief as my nephews played the video game, “Call to Duty Modern Warfare,” that they had received for Christmas. I was not fully over my shock of the “Call to Duty” game when my nephew was attempting to put together a gun that he had gotten as a Christmas gift. Suddenly, I found myself hypersensitive about gun safety because of the recent media coverage of the aforementioned accidental shootings, my personal history with guns, and history in the making with my young nephew. I had my nephew pull up on his new iPhone the news story of the two shootings, which he read aloud, and that ended with somber looks and a heightened awareness about the gun in the room.
Gun safety has to start with the mindset that guns are tools and, just like a saw, once the cut is made, it is permanent. My dad taught me from the very beginning that all guns are considered loaded—never think otherwise; never joke or play with guns because they are not toys. Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot; know the target and what’s beyond it. Safety is knowledge, so never touch a gun that you are not intimately familiar with.
Guns are in about half of American households; therefore, even if you do not own a gun, the chance of your child coming into contact with a gun is significant. It is critical that your child knows what to do if he or she encounters a gun:
STOP
Don’t Touch
Leave the Area
Tell a Trusted Adult
Nothing takes the place of a little common sense. If you are not comfortable with or knowledgeable about guns, then a gun is not a great gift idea. If you own a gun, take the mystery and glamour out of guns by educating everyone in the household about gun safety and hazards. Always take a safety course before purchasing a gun; insist on knowing everything about it and share the knowledge with others in the home. There are a number of gun safety sites for children on the Internet. I like the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle site at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/.
Remember, regardless of our personal views on gun ownership, our responsibilities are to teach our children gun safety, treat all guns with an undying respect, and never treat or view a gun as a toy. Gun ownership is a tremendous responsibility. Know your gun, lock your gun, and know its risk. Guns are not glamorous or cool—they are effective tools of protection and freedom.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
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