Opinion: It’s time to ask other parents about guns in their home

by Joanna Cattanach of Chick Talk Dallas

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It may be awkward, but it could save my child's life.

Parents, do you ask about guns in the household when your kids are playing, staying, or visiting other kids? Maybe it’s time you should. In my Voices column today for The Dallas Morning News, I talk about the sometimes uncomfortable position we parents find ourselves in when it comes to judging other parents.

But in the wake of the Sandy Hook mass shooting, isn’t our duty to ask other parents basic questions like, "Do you keep a gun in the house?" Frankly, I am not sure I want my child to play in a household where guns are freely displayed, where parents brag about gun rights, no gun locks, and where my child might be hurt. Let’s face it: Nancy Lanza, the mother of the shooter in Connecticut, had a loaded weapon in her house. And she kept guns and ammunition in her home.

I don’t know what scares me more as a parent -- knowing that there are guns in homes my son might play in or knowing there are parents who knowingly arm their homes with a mentally unstable child. It’s scary to think about, but I want to be the parent who asks the awkward questions, and I welcome the questions right back. If that means we don’t have sleepovers with your child, that is fine. But isn’t it our job as parents to be advocates for our children? I’m advocating safety.

Pegasus News Content partner - Chick Talk Dallas