THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Regarding ``Keep guns away from children'' (letter, Feb. 28) from Alice Mountjoy, who is president of Virginians Against Handgun Violence Inc.:
First, latchkey children have more than just firearms at their disposal. They have baseball bats, knives and ropes, among other things, when home alone.
Ms. Mountjoy did not once mention any program that VAHVI has or is implementing to educate our children about what to do when a firearm is present. She proposed only legislative action to enact more laws.
I suggest that VAHVI support the Eddy Eagle Hunter/Firearm Safety Program. With some of the money VAHVI raises, the program could be used to distribute firearm-safety locks or firearm safes to gun-owning adults who do not have them.
Legislation should not be the only action VAHVI can take. Passing another law will not solve the firearm-safety problem. Get with the Eddy Eagle program and make firearm-safety education our priority.
MARK L. BETCHER
Virginia Beach, Feb. 28, 1996 by CNB