Before Arranging Playdates, Ask About Guns

ABC asks suggests to the parent Before Arranging Playdates, Ask About Guns . Parents are responsible for their children and have to make a decision as to whether they want them in a house that does or does not have guns in it. I'd rather have my kids in a home where the adults have accepted responsibility for the safety of my child rather than turfed ot off to the police. But my problem with the piece is this...

Daniel Gross, the CEO and co-founder of PAX, the nation's largest nonpartisan gun violence prevention organization, said that 40 percent of homes with children have a gun.

"Nearly 1.7 million children live in homes with firearms that are loaded and unlocked, and every day eight children die from guns," he said. "These statistics are unacceptable.

Your are right Mr. Gross these statistics are unacceptable. Was it Mark Twain that said lies, damn lies, and statistics? That statistic falls into the damn lies category because of what it doesn't tell you. Child is defined as age 0-19. The stat includes those killed as a result of suicide and criminal violence. It doesn't tell you that most criminal violence in this country is carried out by males age 16-20. Seventy percent are adults age 17-20 engaged in criminal activity.

I don't know how many children die from accidental firearms injuries each day. I don't know how many of those deaths take place in a private home. I do know it is substantially less than eight.

Thanks to Tam