According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, approximately 24,000 Americans are killed annually with handguns; as many as are killed annually by drunk drivers. If you must keep guns in your home, here are some ideas on how to keep them as safely as possible. Explain to your child that guns don't solve problems. Teach your child that guns can kill or cause life-long disabilities and pain. Children imitate what they see. The average American child sees 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on TV and in the movies before they graduate from elementary school. Talk to your child about the differences between television violence and real-live violence. If you have a gun in your home, keep it unloaded and locked away from your child's reach. If you must have guns within reaching distance of small children, make sure that they have a trigger locking device installed on them. Always store bullets locked in a separate place from the guns in which they are used. Stress to children how to contact someone for help in the event something does happen. They must not be afraid to go for help. A life may depend on it. Even if you do not have children in your home, you need to protect visiting children by following the same precautions.

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