Cribs and guns

Dear Husband and I were 20 and 19 when we got married.  We lived very frugally for a long time.  Most of our furniture was second-hand or very cheap.  

However, we had/have a lovely crib and changing table.  My parents bought the crib for us, and my in-laws bought the matching changing table. Older son's baby room was beautiful because of them (use "them" either way in that sentence).  

We used the crib for three children and also lent it to friends.  It still is in fantastic condition. Recently, we've been wondering what to do with it.  Keep it in case one of our kids might want to use it some day?

It turns out that, as wonderful as our memories of the crib are, our kids' memories of the crib - what few there are - mostly involved trying to escape from it.  They have no emotional attachment to it at all.  We decided to donate both pieces....

...and found out that we couldn't.

There's a wonderful ministry, The Furniture Project, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Chapel Hill, NC.  They have a storage unit full of donated furniture, and they can furnish a room or an apartment for formerly homeless families, immigrant families, domestic violence victims, etc.*

As soon as I found that, I sent an e-mail to the director.  Now that we are able to donate to help others, I like to do so.  We could give our baby furniture to someone who needs it!

No.

She told me that there was a new law four years ago.  Drop side cribs had caused 32 deaths between 2000 and 2011.  They cannot be sold or donated.  Changing table regulations had also been strengthened.

Oh well.

I'm all for making things safer so I'm not complaining.

However...

In 2015 there has been at least one shooting by a toddler a week in the US...

They found that so far in 2015:

• 13 toddlers have killed themselves with guns
• 18 other small children injured themselves
• 10 injured other people
• Two killed other people

[From The Telegraph dated October 15, 2015]

That's just in 2015, and the year isn't over yet.  15 deaths from toddlers - almost half the death toll for a decade from the now-banned cribs.  

The second amendment reads:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Armed toddlers do not constitute a "well regulated militia."  People who leave loaded guns where toddlers can use them do not constitute a "well regulated militia."  People whose guns go off accidentally in their pocket or their purse do not constitute a "well regulated militia."  

Continuing with the article:   

The states with the most restrictive gun laws didn't have any recorded toddler shootings. California regulates gun sales quite heavily, requiring those who buy guns to pass a written safety test, and only guns from a very stringent roster can be sold.

If we can save babies and toddlers from cribs, we should be able at least reduce the harm from guns.  The death count is FAR higher.

 

 *  It turns out that our church is a sponsor for The Furniture Project, although, in the last twelve years, I'd never heard of the project.  Our church's website is very pretty, but not very useful.**

**  I just looked at it - you can't even tell from the website that our church has a choir!  Then we wonder why people don't join the choir?!