Parents, prove you love your children by locking up your firearms from them | Opinion

Lock up guns from kids

We just lost more American children to gunfire at school. Last Monday’s fatal shooting in Madison, WI, was the 83rd school shooting in the USA this year, surpassing any previous year’s count, and more than double the 36 school shootings 10 years ago.

These numbers demonstrate a growing problem, unique to our country. Research shows that about 75% of the firearms used in school shootings are unsecured weapons from the shooter’s home, or a friend or relative’s home.

Properly storing guns, securely locking them and separating them from ammunition, is one simple way to reduce gun violence.

The two weeks between Christmas and the first week of January have the highest rates of unintentional shootings of the entire year (Brady United). It is estimated that safe storage reduces the risk of family fire by 73%.

Having personally lost a childhood friend to an accidental shooting by an unsecured firearm when I was 9, I would love to see all gun owners in Fresno take time to lock up their firearms, especially as kids come home from school for the holidays. Enough Gun Violence/Brady Greater Fresno will happily provide the locks.

Tess Johnson, vice president, Enough Gun Violence/Brady Greater Fresno

Thanking God for the help

After shopping at Costco, I used my key fob to unlock my car and the car alarm began blaring. I pushed all the buttons and couldn’t shut it off.

A woman appeared next to me out of nowhere and we finally got it off. I got into the car to drive away and my battery was dead.

I called my husband, who arrived with jumper cables. In the parking stall next to my car was a nice man who let us connect the cables from our vehicle to his. My car still didn’t start.

Finally my husband went into the store and bought a new battery, which he installed, and then was able to drive my car home.

The point of my story is that there are still kind and helpful people in this fallen world we inhabit. I want to especially thank the man and woman who tried to assist us and to thank and bless everyone in that same situation who would have helped a senior citizen in distress.

May God bless all of you.

Doris Myers, Fresno

This joke is not funny

Donald Trump isn’t naming a cabinet or other high government officials, he’s casting a very bad Saturday Night Live skit.

It’s not funny.

Jim Doyle, Fresno

Treat male and female coaches the same

There have been consistent incidents of officials treating women coaches differently than male coaches. This includes allowing male coaches to act aggressively towards the officiating team with no repercussions, but if a female does a fraction of that behavior, it is met with consequences.

I have seen officials dismiss a female coach’s request for clarification, but lean in to hear the feedback of a male coach. Officials have changed their calling behavior if a male coach incessantly critiques calls, but then retaliate towards female coaches if they do the same.

No officials have a conscious intent to demonstrate such prejudices, but are acting upon unconscious biases, which are triggered by our brain automatically making judgments. There needs to be change.

Officials cannot continue to discriminate against female coaches. Such behavior will result in detrimental consequences for women in sports. My call to action is for officials to acknowledge the unconscious biases they may have towards females and to ensure when officiating they treat all coaches the same, irrespective of gender.

Officials need to be held accountable. This is not a one conversation issue, but an ongoing journey of learning to ensure we see changed behavior.

Brianna Woods, Clovis

Correction: John M. McDaniel’s name was misspelled with his letter in last week’s package.