[California Tanker]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Public health officials, like the CDC, who maintains cause of death stats.

Maybe. Not all CDC members are doctors. I can also see why members of a police force may also be brought in, for example, to testify on the effects on crime.

Death by gunshot is a public health and safety issue, agreed? Like car seats or bicycle helmets? We have laws requiring use of these public health and safety devices, but no laws requiring use of gun safety devices like trigger locks or locked cabinets.

Every time I go to the Netherlands I am relieved by the sight of many hundreds of Dutch adults and children not being forced to wear bicycle helmets in the most bicycle mad country I've ever been to and grate upon the fact that California has a different take on the subject. However, yes, I will agree that gunshot death and injury is a public safety issue to be taken into consideration when formulating government policy and law. It is also not the only issue to be taken into consideration, however.

Why is gun safety different than car safety in your opinion?

Are pediatricians asking what sort of car it is, how many, and where it's stored?

Oh? Do you have the statistics? Specifically how many kids are shot accidentally every year, because they were playing with a gun at their own home or the home of someone else?

A quick google around seems to indicate the figure of some 60 children under age 10 killed (so presumably also add in a bunch wounded) accidentally by firearm in 1998. I can probably find more modern info, but I doubt it's going to be much different.

However, most firearms are not kept lying around the house for the purposes of the child's use or injury, thus making such events incidental to the purpose of them.

So how about making safe gun storage laws? Would that be acceptable to you?

Depends on how the law is framed. Mandating that the firearm is locked up is a legal non-starter, courtesy of Heller. An effect-based law would be far more acceptable. For example, here in California, you may be guilty of a misdemeanour or felony if a child under 18 years of age obtains and uses your firearm resulting in injury or death, or carries it to a public place. It is up to the parents/guardians to figure out how to attain that end result. The parents can choose to sell it, take it off-site, lock it up, keep it out of reach, wear it 24/7, or just train the kid to not shoot people or take it into public. How they get to the end-state is irrelevant, as long as it's achieved.

I own guns, CT. I don't have any problem with my kid's pediatrician asking me about it, just as she asked about water safety due to our proximity to a river.

I don't mind it as a stand-alone question either. I'm not about to get all defensive or aggressive if it comes up. The concern is the follow-up.

NTM