Guns kept in our homes or residences continue to wind up in the hands of children far too often, leading to unintentional, violet situations that result in our kids or someone else's kids losing their lives because we fail to ensure firearms are properly stored away children. Whether you hear about it, read about it, see it on television or witness it, the reality of the matter is that adults have the responsibility of protecting children from situations that can leave families changed forever!

From personal research, take for instance the year 2015-2021- there were 713 child deaths in the U.S. from unintentional gun injuries, the majority (85%) of which occurred in a house or apartment. Of those in a home setting, 56% happened in the victim's own home, enough said!

Additional Firearms Deaths and Key Safety Information:

Specific Breakdown by Intent (Ages 0-17)

• Unintentional Deaths: From January 2015 to December 2021, the #NotAnAccident Index recorded 926 total deaths from unintentional shootings by children (which includes the child shooting themselves or someone else, who may be an adult). The majority of these incidents (71%) occur in or around the home. From 2015 to 2024, there were at least 1,382 people killed in total from unintentional shootings by children.
• Homicides: In-home firearm homicides of children and teenagers more than doubled between 2010 and 2021 in some studies. In data from 2020-2021, about 24% of all child/adolescent firearm homicides occurred at home, but for children aged 12 and younger, this figure rose to nearly two-thirds (63%).
• Suicides: Data on the exact location of all youth firearm suicides is not as specific as the location data for unintentional deaths. However, suicides by firearm among children and adolescents have increased over the past decade. In 2023, 29% of child and adolescent firearm deaths were suicides.

Firearm Storage and Security Measures

• Store firearms unloaded: Always ensure guns are completely unloaded, with any rounds in the chamber removed, before putting them into storage.
• Use a secure locking device: Store firearms in a high-quality gun safe, locked cabinet, or lockbox that uses a key, combination, or biometric lock. Hiding a gun is not sufficient.
• Store ammunition separately and securely: Ammunition should be kept in a separate locked location from the firearms.
• Keep keys/combinations inaccessible: Ensure keys or lock combinations for both firearms and ammunition storage are kept in a secure place that children, teens, and unauthorized individuals cannot access or guess.
• Utilize secondary locking mechanisms: Use a trigger lock or cable lock on the unloaded firearm as an additional safety precaution, even when it is inside a safe or lockbox.
• Avoid leaving guns unattended: A firearm should be on your person and under your immediate control at all times when not in secure storage.

Firearm Education and Communication

• Educate all household members: Discuss the risks of firearms and proper safety rules with all members of the household, especially children.
• Teach children safety rules: Instruct children that if they ever find a gun, they should Stop, Do not touch, Leave the area, and Tell an adult right away.
• Model responsible behavior: Always handle firearms safely and responsibly and use correct handling procedures, such as keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
• Have "the talk" with other parents: Before your children visit other homes for playdates or sleepovers, ask the host parents if there are unsecured guns in their house.

Fi

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Whether here in the United States or around the World, people suffer or perish from starvation daily. It should be a subject that should be unapplicable to all of us but it is not the case and most likely never will be. However, so many of us are blessed to have never been in this position but we do not do enough to fight this issue. I, for one, have never been in the position of starvation but there have been many times that I have said to others, "man, I'm starving like crazy!" I obviously know that this is not the real truth for me and never has been. I only say it because I simply am used to always having food to eat. I'm certain that I am not the only person who says this. What is your take?

To do our parts in the feeding plan to fight starvation challenge, I ask for you to please, this week, or as soon as you can, go into your pantries, cupboards, basements, storage sheds or grocery stores and pull out or purchase, at minimum, $50-$100 worth of non-perishable foods and donate it to your local food banks, shelters, directly to a family or to an individual in need! To make it even more spirited, get your families, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc., involved and try to make it a yearly event, whether you do quarterly, semi-annual or annual. Just think about, and go for it because I assure you that you will be blessed in your giving!

Additional Information:

Types of Non-perishable Foods

• Canned foods: Fruits, vegetables, beans, and protein like tuna or chicken.
• Dried goods: Rice, pasta, oats, dried beans, and lentils.
• Packaged foods: Granola, cereals, and crackers.
• Jarred goods: Nut and seed butters, honey, and jams.
• Shelf-stable liquids: Cooking oil, shelf-stable milk, and some juices.
• Other examples: Jerky, powdered eggs, and certain hard liquors.

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Good evening All!

Every day, we see, read or learn about senseless deaths taking place at crosswalks in every state across America and around the world. You can especially see intense footage of such tragedies posted directly to social media. I mean, scenes that are hard to watch!

Now, we all know that crosswalks were put in place to protect our pedestrians. However, we have lunatic drivers out there that are in such a hurry and far too often ignore the crosswalk right of way, ultimately leading to some of the most tragic and violent deaths imaginable, especially when it involves our children.

As you listen to the story, you will learn about the unnecessary death of a young teenager caused by a driver in a hurry to beat the crosswalk right of way signal. The death is as tragic and brutal death as you can ever witness.

At the end of the day, I just want us to be more cognizant of our surroundings before we make the decision to negotiate a crosswalk area, especially for those of us with children. So with that said, parents and for anyone listening who knows of others who can use this important, life-saving plan, I issue you a challenge to first talk with your children and then implement my following 8-step Crosswalk Plan:

1. First and foremost, please have a conversation with your children about being extremely cautious before negotiating a crosswalk and even discussing fatality information with them, not to scare them but to inform them!

2. Stress to them that it is very important to remove headphones, earbuds and get off their phones and pay attention to traffic before crossing.

3. Talk to them about looking closely at whether there is a crosswalk signal to push. If so, push it, and then wait cautiously for at least a full 3-5 seconds before crossing to ensure that drivers know you have the right of way.

4. If it is a non-signal crosswalk, if you see vehicles coming just pause in place, let drivers see that you intend to cross, make sure the vehicles come to a complete stop and then you cross.

5. Drop the bad habit of running across the crosswalk just to beat the traffic because you are in a rush or you think it’s a fun game to outrun vehicles.

6. Drop the bad habit of talking on your phone with your head down and not looking out for danger while you cross.

7. Drop the bad habit of crossing over like you own the right of way and giving people mean-mug looks that can be taken the wrong way.

8. If you see our Elderly, Special Needs or someone struggling to make it across, take the time to assist them so that they have safe passage as well!

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