For the third time in three years, Cleveland State Rep. Bill Patmon has proposed legislation requiring that firearms stored in the home be locked away—and thus inaccessible for immediate self-defense—with criminal penalties for violators.
While storing firearms safely is an obvious concern for any gun owner, there’s no evidence that a “one size fits all” mandate will protect anyone, except possibly violent home invaders emboldened by the knowledge that homeowners have been effectively disarmed. Prosecutors already have the ability to charge gun owners if their reckless behavior results in the death or injury of children.
Moreover, it has been education—not legislation—that has reduced gun accidents among children, and Americans of all ages, to the lowest levels recorded in a century. Efforts like the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program have helped reduce accidental firearm fatalities among children by 89 percent over the past 40 years.
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