Presentation 2 -Priscila Velazquez

 Hello my name is Priscila Velazquez and this is my second blog for this class and this blog will be about gun control. Gun control is a controversial topic and can be triggering to many people and can cause distress while reading. As you read please keep in mind that just because it is a triggering topic it can be very educational to read about it and learn especially from a blog explaining from another persons point of view. Gun control has many sections and can be talked about through many different perspectives much as age, history, or laws. In this blog we will specifically be focusing on age and how it can help to teach young children about guns. Many people do not believe that it is good to show young people about guns or teach them how they work because it can cause them to be interested in using them at a young age. But, what people need to realize that children being educated on firearms can help prevent accidents to happen such as a misfire or holding a firearm facing themselves without noticing and it going off by mistake. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens under the age of 18. And the reality is that having firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional shootings, suicide and homicide. Between 2015 and 2020, there were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children that resulted in 765 deaths and 1,366 nonfatal gun injuries. In 2020 alone, at least 125 toddlers and children ages 5 and under shot themself or someone else. Cdc The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't helped either. From March to December 2020, unintended shooting deaths by kids went up more than 30% compared to the same time period in 2019.

 If you decide to keep guns in the home, be aware that many studies show that teaching kids about gun safety, or to not touch a firearm if they find one, is not enough. You can reduce the chances of children being injured, however, by following important safety rules. The AAP which is the American Academy of Pediatrics, has an amazing site that shows parents great rules and regulations to teach children how firearms are dangerous and they always have to be taken as a serious matter. It goes on explaining how Young children are curious. Even if you have talked to them many times about gun safety, they can't truly understand how dangerous guns are. If they come across a loaded gun, they can accidentally hurt or kill themselves or someone else. Teens can be emotional and may act without thinking. If they have depression or are feeling down, they may see a gun as an easy way out. In fact, most teens and preteens who kill themselves use a gun from their home or from the home of a relative or friend. Teens should never be able to get to a gun and bullets without an adult being there.People of any age who are depressed are at increased risk of suicide. If someone in the family has depression, or has had thoughts of suicide, all guns should be removed from the home. If the guns cannot be removed, it is even more important to store the gun unloaded and locked up with the bullets stored separately and keys hidden. The best way to prevent gun injuries is to never keep guns at home and avoid homes that do keep guns. If you do keep a gun at home, keep the gun unloaded and locked up with the bullets locked up and stored separately. Some people feel that keeping a gun at home will protect their family from an intruder. Unfortunately, a gun in the house is much more likely to hurt or kill a member of the household or a friend than an intruder. But if it is seen necessary to do so then it is crucial to teach the children that are living in the home about gun safety. This also goes for if your child is going to visit a friends house or even more if they are planning on having a sleep over. If your child is going to someone's house, it's important to know if there are guns in the home. It may feel awkward to ask, but most people will understand that you're trying to protect your child. gun control is, undeniably, an education issue. Psychologists and education experts have produced an unavoidable body of evidence that proves this. Notably, the research does not focus on the type of in-school violence that metal detectors and armed officers seek to control. Instead, it emphasizes how the deleterious effects of gun violence outside of the schoolhouse consistently seem to seep through mass its doors. Childhood and adolescent exposure to gun violence links to feelings of anger and dissociation, disrupts sleep patterns, and increases the frequency of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Researchers emphasize that secondhand experiences with gun violence can also expose children to these ailments. People who care about education must support smart methods to reduce the number of guns in circulation and to monitor who can get their hands on them. At their worst, guns make it easy for criminals to take the lives of children. But they also directly impact the ability of some children to maximize their potential, to thrive academically, and to experience childhood as it ought to be experienced. We can no longer afford to ignore the impact that gun-related trauma has on the American education system.Those of us concerned about education should not wait for the next mass shooting to push for common sense gun laws. Children are already feeling the effects of inadequate gun laws every day. Adults are here to educate children and guide them to what is right, gun control is one topic in which should be taught to children by either their parent or another adult but it should be taught. The importance of knowing how a gun works and how dangerous it could be can help save a life one day.