I have family members in Texas who own guns and are avid hunters. I live in D.C. and have never owned or even lived in a house with guns.
In this time of extreme political partisanship, there are few issues that divide Americans, including families, more than the issue of guns. And there seems to be little effort to understand the lives and perspectives of others — urban vs. rural, coastal vs. the vast middle of the country, gun owners vs. gun haters.
All sides of the gun debate deplore the deaths resulting from gun violence. Yet there is little agreement on solutions — prayers and thoughts vs. activism, arming teachers vs. banning guns on campus, fortifying schools vs. banning assault weapons. The divide seems wide.
But perhaps there is at least one area of common ground. A way to respect that each side has a valid perspective and that there may be a common middle. I think my Texas relatives would say, “I love my guns, but I hate gun violence.” And I certainly would say, “I respect your right to own a gun, but I hate gun violence.”
I believe that safe gun ownership may be the starting point for discussion. Forty-two percent of adults have a gun in the house and two-thirds of gun owners say that the gun is for protection. But at the same time, we have 1.7 million kids in this country living in households with unlocked and loaded guns.
The lack of proper storage contributes to eight kids a day being seriously injured or killed by guns in homes. Many of these “Family Fire” incidents could easily be prevented by proper storage. We need to ask ourselves whether guns are currently providing needed protection or causing more damage.
What is the answer that will allow gun-owning households to protect against accidents, suicides, and arguments that escalate to shootings? One answer is safe storage of guns in the home. What does this entail? First, locked cabinets for gun storage. Second, ammunition kept separately from unloaded guns. And third, personalized smart guns that prevent unauthorized persons from using them. Examples include guns that can be activated by fingerprint sensors or embedded computer chips within close range of an authorized owner’s wristband or trusted device.
I don’t want to take away my Texas relatives’ guns. But both I and they want to reduce the number of gun deaths and injuries. Let’s work to find common ground and start talking to one another about safe gun storage.
Jeanne Connelly, a longtime D.C. resident, is president of the government affairs consulting firm Connelly Consulting LLC.
