There is No Need for Gun Safety Locks

In the summer months of the year 2000, a horrible tragedy occurred in California that left two children dead before the police killed the intruder. A fourteen-year-old girl, whose father had trained her in the use of firearms, could not access her father’s gun when she needed to because it was locked in accordance with California’s state law (Pratt). This preventable tragedy is one of many reported scenarios that scream that there is no need for gun safety locks.

The critics respond with the need for gun safety locks, citing examples of children finding unlocked and loaded guns in their homes. These children might subsequently harm themselves or cause harm to others with the firearm. The belief is that proper parenting can help to reduce an unfortunate occurrence between children and firearms. “The best protection is to discuss guns with your children, just as you discuss sex or drugs” (Tavares). Other experts concur with this opinion (Sherman). The best advice for family members is not to hold secrets from each other especially if the secret could have deadly consequences such as storing a loaded gun in the house.

The second amendment contains 27 words that express the right for Americans to bear arms. The United States courts have scrutinized this amendment continuously and some state and local ordinances seeking to limit the freedoms of firearm owners everywhere have held this right hostage. The most recent decision by the Supreme Court has ruled that Federal law supersedes the state laws concerning the second amendment.

Therefore, suddenly more Americans might have the right to own a firearm unless these people are already disqualified from gun ownership through some crime committed in their past. Too many traffic violati...

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...es, relying on the safety lock to be the guardian against accidental discharge of the weapon with disastrous consequences in some cases.

Works Cited

Caffrey, W. “Trigger Locks – A False Solution?” Taking on Gun Control. W. Caffrey, 2008. Web. 17 June 2010.

Kopel, Dave, and Eugene Volokh. “What Kids Don’t Know can Kill Them.” GunCite. N.p., 27 May 1999. Web. 17 June 2010.

Leonardatos,Cynthia, Paul H. Blackman, and David B. Kopel. “Smart Guns/ Foolish Legislators,” 2001. Second Amendment Project. Dave Kopel, 2010. Web. 25 June 2010.

Pratt, Ehrich. “When Safety Locks Kill.” Gun Owners of America. Gun Owners of America, 2010. Web. 25 June 2010..

Sherman, Ralph D. “Trigger Locks are Dangerous.” The Hartford Courant, 12 Sep 1998. Atty. Ralph D. Sherman. Web. 17 June 2010.

Tavares, C. D. “Triggerlocks and Airbags.” Middlesex News, 19 July 1998. Web. 17 June 2010.