Welcome legislators! As always, we count on you to put our fiscal house in order, tackle our tough decisions and save the lives of our children. It’s saving our children that should come first. Believe it or not, that could be the easiest and earliest legislation you pass. There’s already language being drafted for a bill that has Alaskans secure guns in their homes. Safety locks are cheap and easy. Here’s why we need this easy-fix, non-intrusive legislation:
1. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Alaska.
2. In Alaska, an average of 22 children and teens die by guns every year.
3. 59% of these deaths are suicides and 26% are homicides.
In the U.S., 35% of all gun deaths among children and teens are suicides and 60% are homicides. Let’s lead the states in reading, writing and math……not children killed by guns!
I’m a grandma and I have trigger-locks on the guns in my house.
Joyanne Bloom,
Juneau
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