Your Opinion: Gun Safety Awareness Day

Debbie Crossnoe and Susan Randolph,

co-leaders, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Dear Editor:

A mayor's highest duty is promoting the safety and well-being of the citizenry of their community. Reducing and preventing gun violence is a public safety issue regardless of political party.

We would like to thank Mayor Carrie Tergin for her leadership in declaring June 2 Gun Safety Awareness Day in Jefferson City in honor of the National Gun Violence Awareness Day observed annually on June 1. According to the CDC, an average of 47 American children are shot every day.

The effects of gun violence extend far beyond those struck by a bullet: gun violence shapes the lives of the millions of children who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting. Gun-related deaths are now the third leading cause of death for American children. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a non-partisan grassroots organization of moms, dads, grandparents, gun owners, non-gunowners, students, educators, law enforcement officers, clergy and physicians who support the Second Amendment and advocate for common sense solutions to prevent gun violence.

One of our primary campaigns is a gun safety program called Be S.M.A.R.T. developed to create a culture of responsible gun ownership. The five steps of the program are: Secure all guns in your home and vehicles; Model responsible behavior around guns; Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes; Recognize the risks of teen suicide; and Tell your peers to be Smart. For more information about what you can do to keep kids safe, visit www.BeSMARTforKids.org.

We would also like to sincerely thank Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler for providing our local Moms group with gun locks to be distributed via our Be S.M.A.R.T. program to prevent senseless gun deaths. We are grateful to have strong community leadership willing to work together to make our homes, schools and communities safe for one and all.