Utah gets 'D-' for gun laws that safeguard children

Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City UT) ^ | January 9, 2004 | By Donna Kemp Spangler

[glock rocks]

Deseret Morning News, Friday, January 09, 2004

Utah gets 'D-' for gun laws that safeguard children

By Donna Kemp Spangler
Deseret Morning News

For the second time in a row, Utah received a near-failing grade from a national anti-gun violence group for failing to enact laws to protect children from guns.

Deseret Morning News graphic

"Our laws on guns are abysmal," said Marla Kennedy, executive director of Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.

For the past 10 years Kennedy has lobbied for legislation that would protect children from access to guns. Sen. Paula Julander, D-Salt Lake, plans to resurrect a bill during the 2004 Legislature to do just that.

The proposed law comes at a time when the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence issued its annual report, which once again gave Utah a "D-" grade on its gun laws as it applies to children. The group, named after President Ronald Reagan's press secretary Jim Brady who was shot and disabled during a 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan, marked Utah down for passing a law that allows concealed handguns to be carried into schools.

"We routinely get a near-failing grade," said Kennedy. "I'm hoping this will spur Utahns to vote out legislators who routinely have given Utah a D-."

To gun-rights groups the report card is like a broken record.

"They should be called the Brady Bunch," said Janalee Tobias, founder of Women Against Gun Control. "And just like the Brady Bunch was a fairy-tale family on TV, (the Brady group) is still living in a fairy-tale world. If they want to disarm themselves after 9/11 the rest of us don't want to be victims. Now is not the time to pass more laws."

The Brady group said Utah can improve its grade this year by banning assault weapons, requiring child-safety locks to be sold with guns to prevent unintentional shooting and holding adults responsible if they leave loaded guns around children.

Julander's bill would provide a criminal penalty for a gun owner who "negligently" stores a firearm in a way that allows a minor to get possession and harm himself or others.

It's a law that has failed to spark much interest on Capitol Hill. Gun-rights advocates have lobbied heavily against any bills that would deny or restrict a person's right of self defense.

"We've been trying in some form to get this through," Kennedy said. "I think there's a problem when legislators won't even talk about it."

That's particularly frustrating when Utahns overwhelmingly don't support guns in schools, she said.

The Brady group cited statistics showing 28 children and teenagers in Utah were killed by gunfire in 2001, an increase of 12 more children from the previous year.

On a positive note, the Brady group credited Utah for limiting the sale and possession of handguns by children, but the group said Utah should also require all gun buyers to go through criminal background checks to prevent criminals, fugitives and juveniles from buying guns.

"Utah lawmakers should be ashamed of the poor job they are doing to protect our children from gun violence," Kennedy said. "This year Utah went backwards by allowing concealed handguns into schools."

[glock rocks]

bring out your dead, it's an election year.

"And just like the Brady Bunch was a fairy-tale family on TV, (the Brady group) is still living in a fairy-tale world. If they want to disarm themselves after 9/11 the rest of us don't want to be victims. Now is not the time to pass more laws."

I love Janalee Tobias.

Gun Control isn't about GUNS

It's about CONTROL

[Support Free Republic]

Did you do well in the market this year?

If so, then maybe you can afford to make a donation to Free Republic!

[glock rocks]

Half a stinkin gradepoint!

We've just got to try harder.

[RogueIsland]

Utah should be ashamed of itself. If your state isn't getting an F- from the Brady Bunch, you're not upholding the Constitution of the United States of America. Get off yer keisters, you pikers, and reach for that F!

[Puppage]

Our laws on guns are abysmal," said Marla Kennedy, executive director of Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.

....Outta the mouth of a thoroughly, unbiased source, of course.

[glock rocks]

....Outta the mouth of a thoroughly, unbiased source, of course.

mouth?

[Puppage]

This year Utah went backwards by allowing concealed handguns into schools."

And, HOW were the killers in that Pearl,MS. school shooting stopped???? By the Principle, who just happened to have a concealed weapon on (gulp!) school property.

BEHOLD! The mind of thedefenseless!!

[Puppage]

mouth?

Her, Liehole, perhaps?

[joesnuffy]

Since we are tying all this to child safety..

How many were killed by bicycles, backyard pools, household chemicals, skateboards,roller blades,lack of car seats,drunk drivers,battered by parents,...

How many were saved from home invasion, rape, murder, robbery...because dad or mom or both had a handgun handy...

Even the pacifists who (out of irrational 'gun fear') won't own a gun (or learn how to safely and expertly use it) to protect their children are lucky enough to live in a state where the violent criminals don't know for sure who is and who is not armed..and are just a little bit apprehensive of breaking into homes after dark....and plying their trade..

Fear of breaking into a gun owner's home..keeps even gun grabbers kids safe....

[glock rocks]

Fear of breaking into a gun owner's home..keeps even gun grabbers kids safe....

Yep, and we got an F for allowing concealed firearms.

It isn't about safety, it isn't about crime.

It's about control.

[AppyPappy]

I hope Virginia gets an F.

[glock rocks]

This year Utah went backwards by allowing concealed handguns into schools."

that's a bald faced lie. Concealed firearms have been allowed in schools since Shall Issue was passed, years ago. A newer law which might have been interpreted to affect concealed carry in schools was cleaned up so as to no longer have that appearance.

[glock rocks]

I hope that someday we all get F's.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Ohio received a D- and will receive an F next year with the recent passage of concealed carry.

[DBrow]

And how does Utah's juvenile firearms accident rate compare with more enlightened states? This comparison of results seems to have been left out, hmmm.

[glock rocks]

This comparison of results seems to have been left out, hmmm.

we got high marks for our laws surrounding kids' possession and purchase of weapons... the grabbers certainly wouldn't want to shoot themselves in the foot, as it were :o)

[glock rocks]

congrats!

[milbuf]

Of those 28 so called children (Brady group counts children up to age 24) anyway..how many of those children were killed by police as they committed a crime and how many were killed in gang or drug related activities with stolen or illegal weapons. "assualt weapons" probably did not figure in even one death. Children killed by firearms count those killed by law officers as well. so these figures are not a true measure of gun safty issues. In fact in Utah most children probably get training and are quite comitent with firearms.

Milbuf

[CholeraJoe]

Proudly living in Montana, a state Sarah Brady calls, "among the worst in the nation."

[Yo-Yo]

I just don't get it! Michigan has had Shall Issue CCW laws for a few years now, but we got a D+!!!

Ah, I see why now, we had a couple of speed bumps:

"However, the campaign noted that Michigan prohibits people under 18 from possessing a gun without adult supervision or buying a firearm — two categories the state received an `A-' on in the group's report card."

Sigh, better luck on next year's report card.