To the editor:
“Love our Kids; Lock Your Guns.”
You may have seen yard signs, shirts, pins and banners around town with this important message. The United Church of Wayland stands behind that motto through efforts with gun owners, law enforcement, city and township government, area schools and concerned citizens, working together to protect children from accidental shootings.
We do this by encouraging our community members to secure their guns in their homes and vehicles, away from the curious hands of children.
It’s not a stretch for us to agree that adults are responsible for protecting children from harm. It’s an effort we can and should all support. And safe storage of firearms has become the law in the State of Michigan. Adults are being held accountable when children hurt others with unsecured firearms in their homes.
So what can we do?
- Safely store all firearms at your home and in your vehicle and store them unloaded.
- Apply cable locks to all guns (free at the Wayland State Police Post and Wayland City Police office).
- Take the additional step of storage in an electronic lock box, gun case or safe.
- Talk to children about how they should respond if they should come across a gun.
- Teach kids the safety plan for your home; increase your shooting skills through shooting classes and ranges.
•Join Wayland Community for Gun Safety Facebook page to learn more and to request a sign for your yard or window.
Visit the United Church of Wayland web site for information on gun safety meetings. We invite every interested person to join our Gun Safety Team.
Let us know of your interest on our Facebook page. Help us reduce the tragedy of accidental shootings.
Nancy Whitley,
Wayland Community for Gun Safety