To the Editor:
I grew up in a faith-based family. As a preschooler, the seeds of my commitment to equality were planted in my heart: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world….” A youth organization, Youth for Christ, introduced me to a broad range of denominations and practices, Bible-quizzing, rallies and retreats, and pleasant relaxed relationships with other youth.
In entering this larger world, I was also introduced to the tragedy of gun-related accidental death. A boy I met there asked me to attend a YFC event, involving youth from many churches in the larger metropolitan area of my hometown. At age 13 or 14, this would have constituted my first ‘date.’
However, on that very day, R went on a hike with a group. I don’t know for certain who was present, but I do know that a shotgun or rifle was present because somehow, one of the men leading the hike (which supposedly was to teach gun safety) shot and killed R. His older sister told me that it was an accidental shooting death.
On the night of the special event, I was picked up by R’s best friend, whose parents drove us to what had become a faith-based, impromptu memorial for R.
I’ve thought about accidental gun deaths quite a bit since then. The number of accidental deaths in 2023 was more than twice as high as the deaths due to mass shootings. Accidental deaths are especially high among adolescents.
In 2023, there were 1,580 accidental gunshot deaths in the U.S. In addition to death, these shootings lead to tens of thousands of accidental gun injuries. These too cause extraordinary trauma as well as enormous medical expenditures. For example, in 2023, there were 411 reported unintentional.
Anytime one bullet enters the body of one person, a ripple effect of trauma, pain, regret and financial costs results. In R’s death, family members and many young people who knew him were traumatized. When death or gun injury impacts one human being, you could say the whole world has changed.
Who knows what gifts R and the people who died last year might have had for the world?
Who knows how many people grew up more fearful or anxious, hopeless or angry because of what happened to someone who was accidentally shot?
We have an excessive number of guns, a widespread lack of training, inadequate respect for firearms, and in some cases, a disrespect for other people. The attitudes some gun owners exhibit endanger us all. The negligence in caring for and properly storing weapons, and training everyone who has or is in the presence of a firearm, is costing us too many lives — more even than the horrible toll from mass shootings.
Gun control need not necessarily divide us into anti-gun and pro-gun factions. Greater respect for guns — and more importantly — for each other simply needs to be applied to this problem. We can agree that too many people are dying, and too many are being damaged by people holding the guns some seem to worship.
Let us start by mandating safety training for everyone, before permitting or licensing gun ownership. We train and test car drivers before licensing. Why not do the same for gun owners?
When I was a foster parent, I saw the parent required to submit to drug screenings routinely to visit her children. This was for the children’s safety. Why not consider screening the vision, ability, and alcohol and drug use status of gun owners as well?
If it’s for everyone’s safety, why lobby against preventing accidental death and suffering?
There have been tens of thousands of accidental shooting deaths since R was killed in the 1960s. I have faith that we can apply wisdom and resolve this gun-related issue.
Let us keep the future safer for all: reduce accidental shootings. Start now.
Karen Altergott Roberts
Franklin
