Do guns turn children into criminals?
WASHINGTON, DC — Want to dramatically reduce the chance that your child will commit a gun-related crime or — heaven forbid — go on a shooting spree? Here’s a surprising suggestion from the Libertarian Party: Buy your youngster a gun. “The evidence is in: The simplest way to reduce firearm-related violence among children is to buy them a gun and teach them how to use it responsibly,” said Steve Dasbach, national director of the Libertarian Party. “When it comes to preventing youthful violence, the Second Amendment apparently works better than the so-called solutions being proposed by politicians, such as a ban on assault weapons or mandated ‘child-proof’ safety locks on guns.” Says who? Says a detailed study by the federal government entitled “Urban Delinquency and Substance Abuse.” The study was conducted from 1993-1995 by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In an attempt to determine the relationship between “problem behaviors” li