Department Of Pediatrics Web
Page -- It's "for the children"
From: "Bud Link" <[email protected]>
To: "David Bricker" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Department Of Pediatrics Web Page
Date sent: Mon, 20 Aug 2001 13:58:46 -0400
Organization: Aegis Design
Dear Mr. Bricker:
My e-mail to you contains specific questions to which, I think, specific answers
are appropriate.
But let me add this question in connection with your reply:
(7) EXACTLY HOW is the ASK campaign
"good for children?"
It should certainly be easy to answer, as an institution like
Hopkins necessarily bases its daily activities on scientific, independently
verifiable fact. Therefore, I'm sure Hopkins looked at the available literature
on firearms and other accident rates and similarly relevant data.
The records of the persons/committee(s) who chose to associate
Hopkins with the ASK campaign should have this information readily available.
Simple citation of the independent sources will be quite sufficient for me. I
can research them myself from your references.
Thanks again.
Bud Link
----- Original Message -----
From: David Bricker
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2001 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: DepartmentOfPediatricsWebPage
Mr. Link,
The Johns Hopkins Children's Center supports ASK because it is good for
children.
David Bricker
>>> Bud Link <[email protected]>
08/20/01 12:58PM >>>
re: "ASK" campaign
"The Johns Hopkins Children's Center
Monday is launching a national campaign that will encourage parents to ask other
parents if they keep a gun in the house before sending their children over to
play."
Please respond to my questions related to
the "ASK" campaign. They are put to your institution in all sincerity.
Thank you.
Bud Link
(1) How does the simple presence of
firearms cause harm to children?
(2) What direct evidence is there that
firearms are a greater threat to children than other items typically found in
homes? (e.g., swimming pools, cleaning chemicals, automobiles, bicycles, other
children, bathtubs, alcohol [in both beverages and in denatured form],
skateboards, stairsteps, swing sets, et cetera)
(3) If other household items are found to
hold greater risks for children than firearms, when will Johns Hopkins/PAX
establish similar programs encouraging parents to ask about such higher-risk
items?
(4) What are the qualifications and
experience regarding firearm handling and storage of those persons who
authored these recommendations?
(5) How exactly will asking about the
presence of firearms save the lives of children?
(6) Quoted from the PAX ASK campaign
website: "Ask your neighbor if they have a gun...If the answer is
yes...you need to make absolutely sure that all guns are stored unloaded and
locked - ideally in a gun safe - with the ammunition locked separately."
My questions regarding this advice:
(6a) What is the liability exposure of
Johns Hopkins should a family follow these recommendations and be victimized
by criminals?
(6b) Will Johns Hopkins indemnify a
family that has requested the parents of a playmate to lock up ALL guns and
ammunition should that family then be victimized by criminals and be unable
to defend itself because both guns and ammunition are locked away? To what
limits?
(6c) Do you have a written statement
from your risk insuror stating that they will pay claims arising from
families unable to defend themselves because they followed the advice to
lock up ALL guns and ammunition? To what limits?
(6d) What entity will cover the
liability of those persons who authored these recommendations? To what
limits?
(6e) Do these authors have personal
liability insurance? To what limits?
Considering that there are some 2,500,000
legitimate self-defense uses of firearms each year (98% of which involve firing
NO shots), these are entirely reasonable questions to put to any person or
organization advising that ALL self-defense firearms and ammunition be locked
away whenever any children are present.
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