''Good News'' statistics that won't make national headlines

According to statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics, covering annual numbers and rates of death due to accidents and other reasons from 1981 through 1999, the annual number of deaths involving firearms has decreased very year since 1993, and firearm accident deaths have decreased almost every year for decades.

Of course, during this same period of time, the number of Right-to-Carry states has risen steadily and are now higher than ever. Hundreds of thousands of additional firearms are in the hands of law-abiding citizens daily across the nation, and accident rates continue to decline.

Sen. Steve Austria, who chaired the committee which rammed Bob Taft's lock-box, or "Carjacker protection" loophole, into Am. Sub. HB12, testified on the floor that the language was necessary to protect children from accidents.

"...Of all the changes made by the Senate, as a father, I am most proud of the work we did to ensure the safety of Ohio children under this bill."

Senate President Doug White said "the bill as passed by the Senate gives law-abiding citizens the opportunity to protect themselves by carrying a concealed weapon, while protecting the best interests and safety of all Ohioans."

Yet not one other right-to-carry state has a provision restricting licenseholders' access to their firearms if children are in their vehicles, and accidents continue to decrease.

Whatever is the real intention for the Senate's insertion of this UNsafe language, it won't be to reduce accidents. Perhaps quite the contrary:

As we reported in an exclusive story last week, the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association and Fraternal Order of Police agree that this provision may well lead to an increasing number of accidents, if citizens were forced to repeatedly handle, holster and unholster a loaded firearm. These unsafe practices would be mandated as a result of Taft-sponsored Senate amendments.

Click here for more information on the good news about firearms safety in America.

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How a Republican (who won't act like one) governor is stalling HB12

Insisting on 'Carjacker Protection': What does Bob Taft have against children?