From today’s Deseret News, “Life” section. I suspect such advice will
become more common. Some letters to Dear Abby, or even the editor of
your local paper may be order. While a potentially unattended purse
could pose a hazard to ill-trained children, keeping a gun on your person
(in a pocket in this case) is probably the safest location for the gun in
terms of avoiding theft or unintended handling by a child. Furthermore,
I fully suspect 1 year old is much more likely to injure themselves with
the medicines in non-child-resistant containers likely to be in the purse
of a senior citizen than with the gun that is there. Both the writer and
Abby ignore the evidence that while both carry guns everywhere they go,
to date there has been no problem.

And Abby is ignorant of the likelyhood that any “Old West” saloon keepers
who did require patrons to check weapons were doing so to avoid
deliberate discharges associated with intoxicated customers rather than
because guns in holsters are somehow going to leap out and discharge
themselves. Unless grandma and grandpa are routinely getting looped
while visiting, such comparisions are irrelevant.

<http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145011236,00.html?>

Tell in-laws to check weapons at the door

By Abigail Van Buren

Dear Abby: I need some advice on how to
handle a sticky situation with my in-laws. My husband’s father carries a
concealed handgun in his pocket, and in
addition to this, his wife carries one in her
purse. My father-in-law is in his early 70s, and it was not until
recently that I learned they carried these loaded
weapons everywhere they go. This includes our
home.
We have a child under the age of 1, and
I am so afraid that the gun may go off while my father-in-law is holding
our child. The other possibility is that it may
go off in a public place. My father-in-law
does have a concealed gun permit, but the thought of his gun going off by
accident and injuring our child or someone
else has really upset me.
My husband says if it bothers me, I
should say something to his father. How should I bring this up to the
in-laws if my husband will not talk to his dad about
this?
I really do want to have a good relationship with my
in-laws, but guns in my home or around my child at any time will not be
tolerated. Please help! ? Desperate in
Dallas

Dear Desperate: Tell your pistol-packing in-laws
that the world may be a dangerous and scary place, but they are safe when
they are in the confines of your home. Then do
what any saloon keeper in the Old West would do to
safeguard the customers: Insist that they check their weapons at the door
and put them in a place the toddler cannot
possibly reach or get into.

[snip irrelevant other letters]

[The only contact info given today is]

To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,” send a business-size,
self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $3.95 ($4.50 in
Canada) to: Dear Abby,
Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.
(Postage is included.) ? Universal Press Syndicate