Summary
In recent years, significant progress has occurred in the enactment of sensible gun control legislation. Further measures are required to ensure the safety of children from gun violence. Among the measures needed are those requiring safe storage of guns, with penalties for adults improperly storing guns, enabling children to access weapons to injure or kill.

Conference Position
The Catholic Conference supports the enactment of sensible gun control legislation to protect human life.

Rationale
In the past decade, guns in the U.S. have killed 10,000 children. Every day, 12 children die from guns in this country. In the seventeen states which now have safe gun storage laws, accidental shootings in the home have been reduced by 17 percent. Additionally, statistics indicate that suicide rates are higher in homes where there is a gun. Adolescence is recognized as a particularly vulnerable time in a young person's life as they struggle with feelings of worthlessness and search for an identity and purpose in their life. The ready access to guns places adolescents at particular risk when they may be feeling vulnerable and entertain feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of hurting themselves.

Legislation that would require the safe storage of guns would remove an unnecessary risk to children and adolescents at particularly vulnerable times in their lives. This legislation would most affect children and youth not trained or authorized to use guns, their potential victims, and the families of both. There would be less violence, trauma and fear for them and their communities.

Society has a responsibility to enact laws that protect human life and safeguard against the destruction of life. While we acknowledge that personal liberties are involved, the protection of human life requires certain limitations on personal freedoms. The enactment of safe gun storage legislation is a step needed to protect innocent human life.