GUEST OPINION
Gun storage bill (Photo – pxfuel.com)
As a state-wide representative of Moms Demand Action of San Gabriel Valley and gun violence survivor, I am a passionate advocate for common-sense gun laws.
By Cindy Montoya
At the July 29th PUSD Board meeting, I will propose an important resolution to Pasadena Unified School District’s Board of Education on building awareness about locking up firearms in the home.
At the upcoming July Board meeting, I will advocate that PUSD pass a resolution on notification of responsible firearm storage. By passing this resolution, PUSD would be among the 17 school districts, including Glendale Unified School District, Monrovia Unified School District, and Burbank Unified School District, across the United States passing similar resolutions. By building awareness of locking up firearms in the home, PUSD can help to prevent the leading cause of injury-related deaths in children below the age of eighteen years old.
It’s very common that people see the words “gun” and “law” and they think they’re being judged or trying to take away their guns without really reading the resolution closely. As a Mexican-American, I know that some constituents look at the gun issue in a very different way, but this is not about pointing the finger at anyone. It’s not about asking if you have guns or not. It’s really just a safety issue, and about educating all our families – just like how we educate people about having a swimming pool, we tell them you need to have a gate around your pool. If you do have guns, it’s important that you make sure that they are securely locked up, so we do not increase the rates of suicide or unintentional shootings.
The resolution states:
Board of Education of the [PUSD] directs the Superintendent and staff to update the Parent/Student Handbook to include information about parents’ legal obligations regarding the secure storage of firearms.
Additionally, the resolution states that a letter would be sent home to parents/guardians in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Armenian “that explains the importance of secure gun storage and the legal obligations to protect minors from accessing irresponsibly stored guns, to be included in annual registration materials at each school site, and requiring a signature acknowledging awareness of secure gun storage responsibilities.”
I believe that the coronavirus pandemic has made the issue of safe firearm storage especially urgent. According to EverytownResearch.org, since COVID began last year, firearm sales have skyrocketed by 40% to new and inexperienced users. With more time sheltering at home, the unintentional deaths of small children have risen by a shocking 43%. In addition, we have seen a significant increase in mental health issues in both young children and teens, and the already-high number of teen deaths by firearm suicide has now increased by 9%. While perpetrators of mass shootings in schools have tended to be white, and the popular narrative around school shootings has focused on predominantly white schools, Black students represent approximately 15 percent of the total K-12 school population in America but constitute 25 percent of K-12 student victims of gunfire, according to EverytownResearch.org. These numbers are heartbreaking and we simply must do better. The National PTA stands behind the safe storage of firearms to protect children. We need to educate parents that this is the law.
This resolution has been endorsed by State Senator Anthony Portantino, Pasadenans Organizing for Progress (POP): Pablo Alvarado, Florence Annang, Julieta Aragon, Rick Cole, Kimberly Douglas, Mark Maier, Kris Ockershauser, Juliana Serrano, Ed Washatka; and California Director for Youth Advocate Programs and native Pasadenan, Brandon Lamar. A petition in support of the resolution and full list of endorsers can be found on this webpage.
I invite others to join me at the next PUSD Board meeting on July 29, 2021 at 3pm at Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room 351 South Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, California 91109. (More information about the meeting here).
Cindy Montoya serves as the CA Survivor Co-Lead for Moms Demand Action and was selected as a 2020 Everytown Fellow.
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