Then the South Carolina SAFE KIDS Coalition urges parents and caregivers to follow their basic firearms safety rules, all of which have been proven to cause children to have accidents with firearms versus preventing them. Following SAFE KIDS safety rules could almost guarantee for your child to have and accident with a firearm.

SAFE KIDS rule #1: Teach children never to touch a gun.

Fact: Due to the large part to age-appropriate safety training, such accidental deaths are at a 70-year low despite an exponential increase in guns during that same period. As demonstrated last April, 1998 on ABC World News Tonight, it is the kids for whom guns are a mystery who are at greatest risk for tragedy. " Teach them proper values of discipline, self-restraint, respect for others, and resolving disputes through common sense and communication. Then - when they have shown the proper maturity and responsibility - introduce them to the shooting sports! Kids who learn to shoot under proper adult supervision will neither fear nor be mystified by guns. They'll learn to respect guns and handle them safely.

SAFEKIDS rules #2 & #3 combined: IF YOU MUST have a gun in the home, store and lock the gun and bullets separately and make sure you gun is equipped with trigger locks.

Fact: Firstly, let me address the trigger lock issue. Tradeoffs exist for gunlocks. Mechanical locks that fit either into a gun's barrel or over its trigger require the gun to be unloaded, and may prevent a few children's deaths. But locked, unloaded guns offer far less protection from intruders, and so locks would likely greatly increase deaths resulting from crime. Under the proposed rules, the costs of gunlocks would fall far more heavily on law-abiding citizens than on criminals -- decreasing the numbers of innocent people who could use guns to protect themselves. So the debate over gunlocks should be how many of the 205 accidental child deaths would be avoided versus how much such rules will reduce people's ability to defend themselves. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, safety rules do not always increase safety. President Clinton has argued many times that "we protect aspirin bottles in this country better than we protect guns from accidents by children." However, Harvard economist W. Kip Viscusi has shown that child-resistant bottle caps have resulted in "3,500 additional poisonings of children under age 5 annually from (aspirin-related drugs) ... (as) consumers have been lulled into a less safety-conscious mode of behavior by the existence of safety caps." If Clinton were aware of such research, he surely wouldn't refer to aspirin bottles when telling us how to deal with guns.

Fact: The General Accounting Office reported in 1991 that mechanical safety locks are unreliable in preventing children over 6 years of age from using a gun. Indeed gunlocks or gun safes were unsuccessfully employed in four of the five school shootings over the past year. Will manufacturers meet the requirements of proposed laws if their products carry disclaimers saying the gunlocks may not work? Without such a disclaimer, imagine the lawsuits manufacturers would face for supplying locks that they know would fail to guarantee protection. Research into similar liability involving children's vaccines suggests that such liability account for an amazing 96 percent of the price of a product. So if gunlocks are unlikely to save lives, indeed if they are likely to cost lives, then who would benefit from them? Answer: plaintiffs' lawyers. Information provided by Dr. John Lott Jr. and Mr. John M. Olin, law and economics fellow at the University of Chicago School of Law. This article initially appeared in the Chicago Tribune on August 6, 1998.

SAFEKIDS is postulating that guns are too easy for children to access. 35 years ago there were almost no gun control laws, and it was MUCH EASIER to acquire firearms through dealers, private party sales, mail order, etc. But that was not the era of rampant crime and school shootings, or accidental shootings in the house by children. Crime was less than half of today's rate, school rampages were essentially nonexistent, and you hardly ever heard of an accidental shooting of a child. So after 30+ years of more gun control laws and multiple new Federal gun restrictions by Bill Clinton and the hysteria of antigun groups like SAFEKIDS why are we seeing accidental shootings and a rash of school mass murders? The answer is very simple: GUN CONTROL DOES NOT WORK, PERIOD.

Now let's combine the SAFEKIDS all knowing rule "guns should be locked up separately from the bullets".

Fact: A gun is a means of self-defense. You cannot access it if it is locked up, unloaded, or has a trigger lock on it. We in America do not have to put our lives and our family's lives on the line because some elitist-leftist organization believes they are the sole answer to everyone's lifestyles. I would like now to present some facts which show why there are 31 states in America who believe that their citizens have the right to self protection without that right being impinged upon with trigger locks and rules about separate guns and bullets:

1. Other research shows that guns clearly deter criminals. Polls by the Los Angeles Times, Gallup and Peter Hart Research Associates show that there are at least 760,000, and possibly as many as 3.6 million, defensive uses of guns per year. In 98 percent of the cases, such polls show, people simply brandish the weapon to stop an attack.

2. Dr. Lott's study shows that up to 3.6 million times a year law-abiding citizens stop a crime from happening. In 98% of the cases (3,528,000 times per year) the gun is just displayed and the crime stops. The following information has been quoted from the Gun Owners Magazine Volume XVIII, Number 3, June 15, 1999.

3. The courts have consistently ruled that the police do not have an obligation to protect individuals, only the public in general. For example, in Warren vs. DC the court stated "courts have without exception concluded that when a municipality or other governmental entity undertakes to furnish police services, it assumes a duty only to the public at large and not to individual members of the community."

4. The Justice Department found that guns are used to thwart crime at least 2.5 million times per year with a savings of $38.9 billion annually. Easing restrictions on availability of guns will save lives and money.

5. Dr. Lott's study encompasses over 3,054 counties (all counties inclusive in the continental U.S.) throughout the United States from 1977 to 1992 and has shown conclusively that the more citizens that are armed conversely decreases crime, PERIOD. From murder down to aggravated assaults and everything in between, the armed citizen is a major deterrent. Guns must be available and be ready for use. Source: Dr. John R. Lott Jr. (University of Chicago), "More Guns, Less Crime"

6. Dr. Lott and Dr. Kleck both found that higher gun ownership rates are associated with dramatically lower crime rates. Further, it is the poorest people in the most crime-prone areas who benefit most from gun ownership. Safety rules that raise the costs of gun purchases would reduce gun ownership and hit these people the hardest. Guns must be available and be ready for use. Source: Dr. John R. Lott Jr. (University of Chicago), "Shoot Down Antigun Plans," Investor's Business Daily, July 22, 1999.

7. Another example of accessibility of guns in the home was proven in Dr. Lott's study. There was a drop in murders of children following the adoption of carry laws and the readily availability of guns. Armed citizens not only provided direct protection for these children, but CAUSED CRIMINALS TO LEAVE THE AREA WHERE THERE IS CONCEALED CARRY. Source: Dr. John R. Lott Jr. (University of Chicago), "More Guns, Less Crime"

8. more than 6,000 times a day law abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves-citizens actually shoot and kill over 1500 criminals a year twice the number killed by police Source: US Department of Justice

9. more than 200,000 time a year women have defended themselves against sexual abuse Source: US Department of Justice

10. There is only one policeman on duty for every 1,700 citizens, clearly the police cannot possibly protect every individual. The police are here to uphold the laws not defend people. The job of the police begins only after someone has broken the law. That is why the right to bears arms is still the best way Americans can protect themselves from the predators to society. Source: Dr. John R. Lott Jr. (University of Chicago), "More Guns, Less Crime"

Their first opening statement was: "firearms are a common household threat for children in the United States". Then they go on to state "the presence of firearms in the home increases the risk of firearm injury to children".

So from their two statements above one can assume that firearms and firearms related deaths and accidents are rampant throughout the United States. Secondly we then can assume that having a firearm in the house will increase the probability of such deaths implying to the reader "if you have a gun in the house get rid of it".

The statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Safety Council's 1998 Accident Facts shows that firearms related accidents and deaths are not the "common household threat for children" nor does the "presence of firearms in the home increases the risk of firearm injury to children". Source: Figures are for 1993. National Safety Council, Accident Facts: 1996 Edition

Fact: Accidental gun deaths among children have declined by over 50 % in nearly 25 years, even though the population (and the gun stock) has continued to increase.

Fact: Despite the low number of gun accidents among children (see below), most of these fatalities are not truly "accidents." According to Dr. Gary Kleck, many such accidents are misnamed -- those "accidents" actually resulting from either suicides or extreme cases of child abuse.

Myth: One child is accidentally killed by a gun every day. Dr. Gary Kleck notes that to reach this figure, antigun authors must include "children" aged 18-24. As noted below, there were only 205 fatal gun accidents for children.

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The Most Common Activities that Lead to Emergency Room Visits from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
1. Baseball/softball 404,000
2. Dog bites 334,000
3. Playground 267,000
4. ATVs, mopeds 125,000
5. Volleyball 98,000
6. In-line skating 76,000
7. Horseback riding 71,000
8. Baby walkers 28,000
9. Skateboards 25,000
(Firearms related accidents are not even listed)

In order, the official list of accidental death categories from the National Safety Council:
1. Motor vehicle
2. Falls
3. Conflagration
4. Other and unspecified drowning, submersion
5. Inhalation and ingestion of food, other object
6. Poisoning by solids and liquids
7. COMPLICATIONS AND MISADVENTURES OF SURGICAL AND MEDICAL CARE
8. Water transport
9. Air and space transport
10. Poisoning by gases and vapors
11. Other and unspecified firearm missiles
12. Excessive cold
13. Mechanical suffocation
14. Struck accidentally by falling objects
15. Electric current
16. Agricultural machines
17. Other and unspecified fire and flames
18. Drowning in a bathtub
19. Hunger, thirst, exposure and neglect
20. Ignition of clothing
21. Explosive material
22. Striking against or struck by objects or person
23. Shotgun
24. Other and unspecified machinery
25. Other road vehicles
26. Handgun Accidental Fatalities Nationwide

1997 - Accidental Firearms-Related Deaths Compared to Other Causes of Accidental Death:
1. Motor vehicles: 43,200 deaths
2. Falls: 14,900 deaths
3. Poisoning by solids or liquids: 8,600 deaths
4. Drowning:4,000 deaths
5. Fires, burns and related deaths: 3,700 deaths
6. Suffocation by swallowing object: 3,300 deaths
7. Firearms-related: 1,500 deaths
8. Poisoning by gases and vapors: 700 deaths
9. All other causes (including medical "misadventures"): 13,900

1988 - National Safety Council:
1. Motor Vehicles (50.5%)
2. Falls (12.5%)
3. Fires (5.0%)
4. Poisoning, drugs (5.0%)
5. Drowning (4.3%)
6. Suffocation, Ingested Object (3.9%)
7. Medical Misadventures (2.9%)
8. Environmental Factors (1.9%)
9. Firearms (1.5%)
10. All Other Accidents (12.3%) SPORT FATALITIES PER 100,000

1985 - National Safety Council:
1. Parachuting 82.9%
2. Hang Gliding 43.3%
3. Professional Boxing 12.5%
4. Scuba Diving 4.5%
5. Swimming 2.1%
6. Hunting 1.2%
7. Snowmobiling 0.7%
8. Football 0.4%
9. Water Skiing 0.3%

1980-89 - National Safety Council:

BALLOONS:
Out of 146 non-food choking deaths, 63 involved balloons (half were ages 0-2)

POISONS:
3.8 million injured kids ages 0-6

Out of 2200 infants and toddlers ages 0-4 that died in home accidents:
800 died in fires
350 drowned
350 died by electrocution, explosives, hot substances, or corrosive liquids
250 choked to death
220 suffocated
110 died in falls
60 were poisoned
40 died by inhaling poisonous gases or vapors
20 died in gun-related accidents (0.91%)

The next batch of slanted facts they present is statistics on the tragedy of children's deaths. They go on to state: "25% of all firearm-related deaths to children ages 14 and under are unintentional. More than 200 children age 14 and under die from unintentional shootings each year: more than 60% occur to children ages 10 to 14".

According to SAFEKIDS we have an epidemic on our hands. Now do the math. If we have 260 million people in the United States those 200 deaths equal 0.0000076% of the population. As I stated earlier, they have provided slanted, emotional, gut wrenching statistics. I have more respect for the Aynor Journal readership and I also do not have a private agenda like SAFEKIDS so I will present to you the verifiable statistics.

ACCIDENTAL GUN DEATHS OCCURRING IN THE U.S In 1996:
there were 1,400 such deaths, and 205 of those involved children under 15.
In comparison:
2,900 children died in motor-vehicle crashes
950 children drowned
and more than 1,000 children died from residential fires.
Hundreds more children die in bicycle accidents each year than die from all types of firearm accidents.
For children under age 5, cigarette lighters kill five times as many as die from all accidental gunshots (150 versus 30). Yet when was the last time that a child's death from a bicycle or cigarette lighter received national news coverage?

Children Accidental Death Rates (Ages 0-14) Cause and Number of Deaths:
Motor-vehicle 3,044
Drowning 1,023
Fires, burns 1,015
Mechanical suffocation 449
Ingestion of food, object 223
Firearms 205

The above statistics are taken from Dr. John Lott's book "More Guns Less Crime". This study is the most comprehensive, longitudinal study that has been compiled about gun control. The Houses of Congress use Dr. Lott as an advisor because of his study's accuracy. Dr. Lott's study longitudinal study ranged from 1977 to 1992 with a significance factor of .01%.

SAFEKIDS at the end of their article want to show the public how credible and what an upfront organization they are so they list some very "important people" as credits to what they are trying to accomplish.

Vice President Al Gore and former Surgeon General Everett Koop, MD. But really to the unknowing how credible are these people? They aren't. These people in their own way are conspiring to take away your rights and tell you how to live. President Clinton and Vice President Gore are using false and misleading arguments in their efforts to push antigun legislation, says firearms-policy expert Dr. John Lott Jr.

1. Both Clinton and Gore contend that 13 children die every day from guns, evoking in media ads the images of innocent elementary school children being slaughtered-- but 11 of those 13 deaths per day involve 15-to-19-year-olds, primarily homicides involving gang members.

2. They say guns purchased illegally for resale to criminals account for between one-third and one-half of guns used in a crime -- but their figures assume guns that were both sold and used in a crime within three years were purchased for such illegal resale, and their figures purposefully exclude most gun crimes.

3. They contend that the Brady law reduces crime -- yet the only academic research conducted on the Brady law established that the national waiting period had no significant impact on murder and robbery, and was actually associated with a small increase in rape and aggravated assault. And the lies continue.

Now for the piece de resistance: Your tax dollars support the Surgeon General who heads the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Center for Injury Prevention Control (NCIPC) and other supposedly medical venues. What if I told you that Dr. Koop, his predecessors, and Surgeon Generals after him have been using your tax money to promote their antigun views. What if I told you that they have published in the New England Medical Journal (and other esteemed medical papers) lies and slanted studies to promote their antigun agenda. For decades this travesty prevailed until last year when the pro-gunners got the Congress to investigate the Surgeon General and his above-mentioned offices.

Now for the results: Last year Congress took away $2.6 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In budgetary terms, it was a pittance: 0.1 percent of the CDC's $2.2 billion allocation. Symbolically, however, it was important: $2.6 million was the amount the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control had spent in 1995 on studies of firearm injuries. Congressional critics, who charged that the center's research program was driven by an antigun prejudice, had previously sought to eliminate the NCIPC completely. "This research is designed to, and is used to, promote a campaign to reduce lawful firearms ownership in America," wrote 10 senators, including then­Majority Leader Bob Dole and current Majority Leader Trent Lott. "Funding redundant research initiatives, particularly those which are driven by a social-policy agenda, simply does not make sense." After the NCIPC survived the 1995 budget process, opponents narrowed their focus, seeking to pull the plug on the gun research specifically, or at least to punish the CDC for continuing to fund it. At a May 1996 hearing, Rep. Jay Dickey (R-Ark.), Cosponsor of the amendment cutting the CDC's budget, chastised NCIPC Director Mark Rosenberg for treating guns as a "public health menace," suggesting that he was "working toward changing society's attitudes so that it becomes socially unacceptable to own handguns." In June the House Appropriations Committee adopted Dickey's amendment, which included a prohibition on the use of CDC funds "to advocate or promote gun control," and in July the full House rejected an attempt to restore the money.

The CDC's reports and studies never give long-term trend data linking gun sales to murder rates, citing only carefully selected partial or short-term correlation's. If murder went down in the first and second years, then back up in the third and fourth years, only the rise is mentioned. CDC publications focus on fluctuations and other unrepresentative phenomena to exaggerate the incidence of gun deaths and to conceal declines. New England Journal of Medicine is opposed to gun ownership is also the official position of the U.S. Public Health Service, the CDC's parent agency. Since 1979, its goal has been "to reduce the number of handguns in private ownership," starting with a 25 percent reduction by the turn of the century. Source: Public Health Pot Shots, "How the CDC succumbed to the Gun "Epidemic" by Don B. Kates, Henry E. Schaffer, and William B. Waters IV

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