Firearm safety measures Educate kids about guns

Regarding “County rolls out efforts to curb gun violence,” (City/State, Oct. 30): Free gun locks are a great start to keep guns out of the hands of children but this requires an adult to lock up the guns. What’s missing is teaching children what to do if they encounter a firearm in an unsupervised setting.

The Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program, sponsored by the NRA, provides Pre-K through third grade children with simple, effective rules to follow: “If you see a gun: STOP! Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell a Grown-Up.” This program has been taught nationally to more than 32 million children and utilized by more than

28,000 schools, law enforcement agencies and civic groups. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, unintentional firearm fatalities among children of the Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program’s targeted age group have declined almost 80 percent since the program debut in 1988.

Personally, I have instructed more than a hundred children in this program through Boy Scouts, my neighbors and community groups. The program materials are offered at little or no charge to any law enforcement agency, educational facility, hospital or library across the nation. This is funded through generous donations by NRA members.

Whether you are pro-gun or anti-gun, the fact is, guns are a reality and they aren’t going anywhere. Do something positive and educate your children. This is “common-sense” gun reform we all can agree on. Jeff Kesler, Sugar Land