Nancy Buchanan: Help us end gun violence through awareness
"We are not trying to take your guns away from you. Rather, we advocate safe storage of guns to ensure people’s safety," columnist Nancy Buchanan writes.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.
Every day, I turn on the TV and learn that there has been another shooting. According to the Gun Violence Archive, we average an estimated 320-330 people who are shot each day in America. Of these, 130 people die from their injuries. On average, in the United States, there are one to two mass shootings each day where four or more people are shot.
I ask myself: “Why aren’t our legislatures doing anything to stop these senseless deaths?” It seems it is not a priority. Is it because the National Rifle Association funds political campaigns? Although the NRA only gave $868,000 in direct contributions to candidates in 2024, it donated tens of millions of dollars in outside spending for TV ads, mailings and voting efforts to support its preferred candidates.
In fact, the NRA spent roughly $54 million to help elect Donald Trump and other Republicans in 2016. So, I don’t wonder why our legislature does nothing to stop these deaths. Money talks.
But our Michigan Legislature passed a safe storage statute, MCL 28.429 (effective Feb. 13, 2024), to ensure that guns are safely stored and kept out of the reach of children. When it is reasonable to know that a minor is, or is likely to be present on the premises, the law requires that firearms be stored in a locked box or container, or unloaded with a locking device that is properly engaged to make the gun inoperable.
The penalties are steep. If there is an unlocked gun on your premises that a minor obtains, you could be imprisoned up to 93 days and fined up to $500, or both. If a child accesses a gun on your premises and that gun inflicts injury, you could spend up to five years in prison and be fined up to $5,000, or both. And if a child accesses a gun on your premises and kills someone, you could be imprisoned for up to 15 years and fined up to $10,000, or both. Money talks.
The United Methodist Church of the Dunes and St. John’s Episcopal Church, both in Grand Haven, have gun safety/violence prevention teams, and we work together for the safety of our community.
June is Silence the Violence month, drawing awareness to gun violence and the impact it has on our country.
We are not trying to take your guns away from you. Rather, we advocate safe storage of guns to ensure people’s safety. One way we do this is by educating the public about gun safety laws and giving away free gunlocks and safe bags.
— Nancy Buchanan is a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Team at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven.
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