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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

New Report: Gun Access Affects OR Suicide Rate

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008   

Portland, OR – More than half the 500 people who commit suicide in Oregon each year use guns, and some of them are kids. The Children's Defense Fund says most child gun-related deaths in Oregon are suicides, and its new report suggests parents re-examine the methods they use for gun safety at home.

Ladd Everitt of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence says that even the best attempts to lock up firearms and to stress their safe use can sometimes be undone by kids' constant exposure to violence on TV and in movies and video games.

"We live in a culture that glamorizes guns. So it is very natural for children to be fascinated by guns, and I think that's a real challenge with gun education."

Tony Gomez, who manages a county violence and injury prevention program in Seattle, says gun owners may think about preventing accidental shootings – but overlook the other possibilities.

"Suicide’s actually a bit of a bigger problem than the unintentional shootings. So, a despondent teen getting to an easily-accessible firearm is a real problem. And it’s a real public health and a real public safety and community concern."

The CDF suggests locking guns up is a good start to protect kids, but may not be enough. The group also wants to see stronger gun safety laws, and more safe activities for kids when they’re not in school. Gun rights groups are wary of new gun laws, saying they might infringe on constitutional rights.

Gomez recommends the "Lok-It-Up" Web site:
http://depts.washington.edu/lokitup/ for gun storage safety information. The CDF report, "Protect Children, Not Guns," can also be found online at
www.childrensdefense.org.

Oregon also has a violence and injury prevention program, called "Safe Kids," through the Department of Human Services.




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