Posted on 12/11/2001 11:37:24 AM PST by BCR #226
Attention Holiday Shoppers: 'Don't Put a Handgun Under the Christmas Tree This Year'
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizens for a Safer Minnesota (CSM), a gun violence prevention group, warned holiday shoppers not to put a handgun under the Christmas tree this year. CSM noted that handguns can pose health risks due to inherent defects in their design and fabrication. Additionally, most handguns lack safety devices like trigger locks and load indicators that would reduce the number of accidental injuries and deaths caused by the unintentional firing of guns.
Currently there are no health and safety regulations for handguns. Ironically, teddy bears and toy guns are subject to federal consumer product safety standards and are subject to recall.
"When holiday shoppers purchase virtually any product, they can be assured that their gift has been reviewed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, unless shoppers are buying a gun," said Rebecca Thoman, Executive Director of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota. "When we regulate teddy bears and toy guns more than we regulate a handgun, something is wrong."
Teddy bears are regulated under four criteria: choking (ex. eyes popping out posing risk to children), flammability, sharp edges, and sharp points. Toy guns and other children's toys have similar regulations. In 1997 teddy bears killed no one in the United States, but gun violence took 32,436 lives in 1997 alone.
CSM's Midwest Coalition to End Gun Violence partners, Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence and the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence joined together to educate the public that guns are not regulated as consumer products.
"Two-thirds of Twin City residents and nearly 80% of greater Minnesota residents mistakenly believe that guns are regulated by federal safety standards. It's our job to correct that myth," stated Thoman, referring to a survey recently conducted for Citizens for a Safer Minnesota.
"I think people assume that guns are regulated as consumer products because everything else they buy is regulated. They say, so why aren't guns in the list as well," said Catherine Griffiths, Midwest Regional Director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
According to a recent survey, Minnesota residents overwhelmingly support government safety regulations for the design of guns. 75% of Twin City metro residents and 66% of greater Minnesota residents support regulating guns as consumer products.
The Midwest Coalition displayed an array of consumer regulated products including an artificial wreath, Christmas lights, a toaster, a coffee maker, and a remote controlled toy Santa that carried a sign asking why teddy bears are regulated, but guns are not. CSM wants to know the same thing.
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http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X88722438
SOURCE Citizens for a Safer Minnesota
CO: Citizens for a Safer Minnesota
ST: Minnesota
IN:
SU:
12/11/2001 11:30 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
First of all, this article is so full of BLATENT LIES that it makes me sick. While true that the Consumer Product Safety Board does not deal with firearms, there is a reason for this. The BATF regulates ALL firearms designs sold in the US. Unlike the CPSB, the criteria that the BATF uses is mandatory and must be met BEFORE the firearm design is approved for sale to consumers in the US.
Also, unlike the CPSB, the ATF has legal binding authority to remove a firearms design from sale if it is found to be unsafe while the CPSB can only recommend a recall since they have no legal authority. Secondly, the idiots that wrote that article have no experience with firearms. They don't comprehend the problems that "Loaded chamber indicators" and "Internal trigger locks" cause. I'd like to know what "inherent defects" the author is refering too also. I also question the comment about "Additionally, most handguns lack safety devices like trigger locks and load indicators that would reduce the number of accidental injuries and deaths caused by the unintentional firing of guns". Where did this person get such information? I've never seen any study that supports this statement.
"Currently there are no health and safety regulations for handguns. Ironically, teddy bears and toy guns are subject to federal consumer product safety standards and are subject to recall." This statement is utterly false. All consumer product recalls are voluntary. Firearms are subject to recall as well as mandatory recall by the BATF.
"Two-thirds of Twin City residents and nearly 80% of greater Minnesota residents mistakenly believe that guns are regulated by federal safety standards. It's our job to correct that myth," stated Thoman, referring to a survey recently conducted for Citizens for a Safer Minnesota.
"I think people assume that guns are regulated as consumer products because everything else they buy is regulated. " Again, this blatent out right lie. We must show the people the absolute truth on this...
I tried to find the "editorial replies" in an effort to refute this garbage but I was unable to find it.
Mike
Handguns are stocking stuffers. Everybody knows that.
L
Handguns are stocking stuffers. Everybody knows that.
L
DEMOCRAT ALERT: Do not place barrel of gun in your mouth! I wanna do it!
Merry Christmas!
Once again, guns themselves are bad. It is as if they would hop right out of their wrapping to kill you and praise the NRA as it did so. It would first go for your kid then you then it would take away your grandmothers socialsecurity.
Idiots.
A couple of Claymores, decorated with hand-painted red and white accents, (THIS SIDE TOWARDS ENEMY) form a beautiful cover for most tree stands.
The creative hostess can also wire them in parallel to serve as a very effective deterrent against those pesky present-stealing elves.
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