A NEW
ANALYSIS OF SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR HAS SHOWN THAT THERE HAS BEEN
ROUGHLY ONE TODDLER RELATED SHOOTING FOR EVERY WEEK IN 2015.
THIS IS AN ARTICLE IN THE WASHINGTON POST BY CHRISTOPHER
INGRAM, AND HE DID THIS ANALYSIS HIMSELF.
HE LOOKED AT ALL OF
THE DIFFERENT CASES THAT INVOLVED TODDLERS WHO EITHER
FOUND THEIR PARENTS GUN AND SHOT AND KILLED THEMSELVES, OR SHOT
AND KILLED SOMEONE ELSE.
ACCORDING TO HIS RESEARCH,
AT LEAST FORTY-THREE INSTANCES THIS YEAR OF SOMEBODY BEING SHOT BY
TODDLERS THREE OR YOUNGER.
IN THIRTY-ONE OF THOSE FORTY-THREE
CASES, A TODDLER FOUND A GUN AND
SHOT HIMSELF OR HERSELF.
IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES, IT IS
TYPICALLY A MALE TODDLER DOING THE SHOOTING.
THEY FOUND THIS GUN BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE
RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS?
TURNS OUT THEY ARENíT RESPONSIBLE AND THEY'RE PUTTING IT IN A
PLACE THAT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO A TODDLER.
THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS YOU THAT IN 2015 SO FAR, AT LEAST THIRTEEN
TODDLERS HAVE INADVERTENTLY KILLED THEMSELVES WITH FIREARMS.
THIRTEEN MORE INJURED THEMSELVES, TEN INJURED OTHER PEOPLE, AND
TWO KILLED OTHER PEOPLE.
THIS VASTLY UNDERESTIMATES THE NUMBER OF TODDLERS SHOOTING
THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
WHY?
FIRST OF ALL, EVERY TIME THERE'S
JUST A MINOR INJURY IT PROBABLY DOES NOT MAKE IT INTO THE PRESS.
HE GOT ALL OF HIS INFORMATION
FROM MEDIA REPORTS.
IF IT'S A MINOR INJURY, IT NEVER MAKES IT
INTO THE NEWSPAPER.
SECONDLY, ALL THE TODDLERS THAT SHOT A GUN
ACCIDENTALLY AND NEVER HIT ANYTHING, THANK GOD, THAT
PROBABLY DOESN'T GET REPORTED TO THE POLICE NINE OUT OF TEN
TIMES.
SO THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS MUCH, MUCH HIGHER OF THE TIMES
THAT TODDLERS HAVE GOTTEN A HOLD OF A GUN AND SHOT IT.
THESE ARE
JUST THE ONES THAT HIT SOMEONE, AND OBVIOUSLY THE TODDLERS ARE
NOT AIMING.
THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE TIME I HOPE THEY ARE
MISSING.
SO, IF YOU ARE IN
FAVOR OF UNREGULATED GUNS, WHICH ACTUALLY VERY FEW AMERICANS ARE
ñ AMERICANS AGREE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SHOULD BE REQUIRED
TO LOCK UP YOUR GUN INSIDE YOUR OWN HOME SO THAT A BABY DOESN'T
GET IT ñ SIXTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF AMERICANS AGREE WITH THAT.
OUR POLITICIANS SAY, "NO WAY."
MY CHECKS COME FROM THE NRA, I WON'T EVEN LET YOU LOCK UP
YOUR OWN GUN IN YOUR OWN HOUSE.
HOW INSANE IS THAT?
THE NRA DOESN'T WANT A LAW THAT
ADVOCATES FOR PARENTS LOCKING UP THEIR GUNS IN A SAFE PLACE SO
THAT THE KIDS DON'T GET A HOLD OF IT.
ANOTHER SOLUTION WOULD
BE A SMART GUN, WHICH WOULD LINK
IT TO THE LAW ABIDING CITIZEN WHO WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE
WHO COULD SHOOT IT.
THE GUN WOULD NOT WIND UP IN THE WRONG HANDS, AND IF IT DID
THE INDIVIDUAL WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SHOOT IT.
THE NRA AND GUN ADVOCATES ARE AGAINST SMART GUNS.
WHY?
THAT IS THE DEFINITIVE CASE FOR WHY THE NRA DOESN'T GIVE A
DAMN ABOUT YOUR LIFE.
IT WANTS CRIMINALS TO GET THE GUNS.
THAT
IS THE ONLY REASON YOU WOULD BE AGAINST THE SMART GUN.
THEY
HAVE THEIR BS EXCUSES.
WHAT IF THE THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON IS NOT
PROGRAMMED FOR THE SMART GUN, AND THEIR MOM IS ABOUT TO BE
RAPED AND KILLED, AND THE THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD SHOULD BE ABLE
TO GRAB THE GUN AND KILL THE INTRUDER.
A STORY THAT MIGHT
HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.
THE
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE
TIME, IT IS MUCH SAFER ñ CRIMINAL BREAKS IN, YOU WRESTLE FOR
THE GUN, HE GRABS IT AND TRIES TO SHOOT YOU BUT HE CAN'T,
BECAUSE ONLY THE OWNER CAN SHOOT IT.
THE NRA HATES SMART GUNS,
WHY?
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PEDDLE IT, YOU CAN'T SELL IT TO
ANYBODY.
YOU CAN'T SELL IT TO GANGS AND DRUG DEALERS WHO WANT
TO BUY LARGE AMOUNTS OF GUNS AT A TIME.
THAT'S WHY THEY HATE SMART GUNS.
A GOOD GUY SHOULD HAVE A SMART GUN.
THEY HATE IT.
I ALSO THINK THEY WANT THAT ENVIRONMENT OR THAT ATMOSPHERE
OF PARANOIA.
THE MORE PARANOID YOU ARE, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE
TO GO OUT AND BUY MORE GUNS.
IF YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE MASS
SHOOTINGS AND KILLINGS ARE HAPPENING, WHAT HAPPENS?
A LOT OF PEOPLE GO OUT AND BUY GUNS BECAUSE THEY THINK
THEY'RE GOING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
THAT STATE OF PARANOIA SERVES THEIR PURPOSE.
THEY LOVE IT.
FINALLY, ON THE SMART GUNS, IF THE NRA WAS HONEST ñ AND,
LOOK, THEY CLAIM, I DON'T WANT CRIMINALS GETTING GUNS, I JUST
WANT GOOD, LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE TO GET GUNS.
THAT IS WHAT ALL
THESE GUN ADVOCATES SAY.
AND THEY SAY IF YOU REGULATED THE
GUNS, ONLY THE CRIMINALS WOULD
HAVE THE GUNS.
A GREAT WAY TO SOLVE THAT IS SMART GUNS.
BECAUSE IF THE CRIMINALS STEAL YOUR GUN, IT WOULD BE USELESS.
ONE REALLY QUICK FACT THAT I WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS, AND YOU
CANNOT DRAW TOO MANY CONCLUSIONS BECAUSE THERE ISN'T MUCH DATA,
BUT ACCORDING TO INGRAM, "MISSOURI HAS SEEN THE
MOST WITH FIVE, FLORIDA HAD FOUR, TEXAS 3.
WITH THE LOW NUMBER OF TOTAL CASES AND ISOLATED
NATURE OF THESE INCIDENTS, I CAUTION AGAINST DRAWING
CONCLUSIONS FROM THE MAP ABOVE.
BUT IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THE SHOOTINGS DON'T NECESSARILY
FOLLOW BROADER POPULATION TRENDS.
CALIFORNIA, THE MOST POPULOUS STATE IN THE NATION, HASN'T
HAD ANY.î
THERE ARE ALSO NO PUBLIC SHOOTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST
ENTIRELY.
THE MORE GUN CONTROL YOU HAVE, THE LESS BABIES DIE.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE IS THIS YEAR?
ABOUT ONE A WEEK.
ONCE A WEEK A TODDLER WILL GET A HOLD OF A GUN AND SHOOT SOMEONE.
NOT SHOOT IT, SHOOT SOMEONE.
THIRTEEN TODDLERS HAVE ALREADY KILLED
THEMSELVES.
THE NRA THINKS, THAT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
LOCK UP THE GUNS, SMART GUNS, REASONABLE
REGULATIONS?
HELL NO.
IF THESE BABIES HAD TO DIE, AND THEY ARE
AMERICANS, COLLATERAL DAMAGE.