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Idaho fails gun safety test
by Lacey Morrill
MOR01031@BYUI.EDU
News Editor
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| Former White House Press Secretary James Brady holds a model of a gun trigger lock during a news conference calling for legislation for child safety locks on all guns. Brady wants Idaho to adopt child safety gun laws. AP Photo Archive |
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In a report conducted by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Idaho received failing marks for the third year in a row.
The report concluded Idaho is failing to adequately protect children from accidental shootings.
This is the third year in a row that Idaho has been awarded an “F-plus” by the group. The failing marks were awarded primarily because 13 Idaho children and teenagers died in 2000 from accidental shootings.
Idaho is one of eight states that received an F from the commission. Idaho does not require child-safety trigger locks to be sold with guns and does not hold adults responsible for leaving loaded weapons around children.
“Providing free child safety locks to parents is a common-sense, practical way to help improve safety in our homes,” Idaho Lt. Gov. Jack Riggs said.
In an effort to boost Idaho’s gun safety ratings, Riggs launched a program called Project Home Safe in 2001. This program was intended to provide a minimum of 25,000 free child safety kits to Idaho residents.
However, national critics argue that such safety programs aren’t usually successful because civilians participate only on a voluntary basis.
A national report conducted by the David and Lucile Packard foundation, an organization that finances research on social issues, concluded the only way to protect children from guns is to pass stricter gun sale and product safety laws.
“Hopefully we can all agree on the need for some common sense measures to keep kids safe from gun violence,” said Kathy Reich, president of the Packard Foundation.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 10 children in the United States are killed each day by guns.
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