Red Flag laws protect loved ones from their own guns

Gun violence is a national health and safety epidemic in America. Statistics can be a cold way to represent the problem, but numbers don’t lie. Pennsylvania has seen an increase from 1,200-gun deaths a few years ago to over 1,700 last year. And a new stat just released is that more people under 20 died by firearm than any other cause for the first time in 2020. We all know it is a serious and complex problem.

So, what is the solution to reduce the carnage? To the gun rights crowd and many politicians, the answer is cracking down on criminal prosecution, and more guns for ‘self-protection.’ Prosecution is all well and good, but that is after the death and damage has been done. My belief is that the best way to reduce gun violence is to keep the guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to others, and to themselves before the shooting starts.

A little-known fact is that the number one cause of death by firearm in our country is suicide. Over 60 percent of gun deaths are self inflicted. And often a suicide victim takes others as well, as happened in Kennett Square, Chester County just recently. A husband, wife and 12 year old child senselessly died by the father’s murder-suicide, aided by access to a deadly semi-automatic pistol. One tool to reduce this kind of tragedy is ERPO. Extreme Risk Protection Order, also know as Red Flag laws, help family members protect loved ones who happen to be gun owners. In states that have ERPO the families of someone exhibiting dangerous behavior can petition a court to have the guns temporarily removed from his or her home for up to one year, or until the crisis has passed. States that have ERPO laws have seen a decrease in firearm suicide: 14 percent less in Connecticut after enacting their law.

The last time a gun safety bill was passed into law in PA was 2018, when Republican Senator Tom Killion of Chester County wrote a Domestic Violence Restraining Order bill, making it possible to take guns away from Domestic Abusers. Today, we have Republican Todd Stephens who is sponsoring an

ERPO bill-HB1903- in the PA House. I applaud Rep. Stephens whose party is not traditionally friendly to gun safety laws.

Eighty percent of Pennsylvanians support Red Flag Laws, and the bottom line is they save lives. Let’s get everyone behind this common sense bill, and help families protect their own with tough love when needed.