ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 26, 1996 TAG: 9612260027
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
WONDER how many toy guns Santa left under the Christmas trees for good little boys and girls.
Almost surely not as many as 20, even 10, years ago, before many parents rebelled at the glut of looks-like-real Uzis and other make-believe weapons being promoted to kids by toy manufacturers and retailers, feeding the culture of violence that has enmeshed childhood.
But, even if Santa delivered fewer toy guns this year, the real thing is as common in many homes as TV sets. They're brought in by the parents themselves, convinced that weapons are necessary appliances for the family's self-defense and safety. And, sad to say, children's continuing fascination with guns still sometimes leads to tragic consequences: Thousands of youngsters get their hands on real guns. Some, aping the bang-bang, you're-dead scenes they see on television, accidentally kill or injure themselves or others.
A real gun, of course, can never be made as safe as a water pistol. But the technology exists - has, in fact, existed for years - to ``kidproof'' handguns and prevent many such tragic accidents. The technology includes grip safeties that would require the user to exert pressure above the capacity of most youngsters under the age of six, and internal combination locks, similar to those on briefcases, that prevent the gun from being used except by someone wearing a magnetized ring.
Outrageously, gun manufacturers have balked at adding these features to their wares. They say no-can-do, even though Smith & Wesson, the world's largest gun manufacturer, made guns that couldn't be operated by children in the 1880s.
With firearms a major cause of injury-related death of children, the industry's claim that child-proof guns are beyond technological feasibility is unacceptable. This is the industry, don't forget, that ingeniously found ways to produce bullets that can pierce policemen's protective vests, as well as plastic handguns that can evade detection by metal-detectors in airports.
The world would be better off if there were fewer guns, period. But, meanwhile, the least manufacturers can do is use available technology to better protect children. Parents, legislators and public-health officials should insist on it - and so should gun-rights advocacy groups that proudly boast they put a premium on gun safety.
LENGTH: Short : 46 linesby CNB