The Reverend Jim Atwood gave an inspiring talk on his book “Gundamentalism”.  He is the father of local member Mebane Boyd.  He has been fighting for gun violence prevention for over forty years.  For those who missed the discussion I would highly recommend reading the book to gain some insight into the gun culture in this country and the issues involved around it.

This was my first opportunity to present the BeSmart program and review the simple, easy to remember ways to help keep our children safe from gun violence.

S – Secure guns in the home and vehicles, use gun locks and store ammunition separate from the gun

M – Model safe behavior,  point gun in safe direction and assume it is loaded; never trust the safety

A – Ask if there are guns in the home and how they are secured; including neighbors, friends and relatives

R – Recognize risks of teen suicide, change in mood, hopelessness, aggressiveness

T – Tell others to BeSmart and about the methods listed here to avoid gun violence to children.

Let your voice be heard!