---

Lawnmower Accidents And Gun Bans

(FROM OHIOCCW.ORG)
Yes, you read the headline correctly - this is a story about accidents with lawn mowers. No, you did not accidentally logon to the wrong website.

The Daily Chief-Union of Upper Sandusky (Ohio) has published a story, informing readers about the dangers of lawn mower usage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 75,000 people per year require emergency room treatment for injuries caused by lawn mowers. The paper noted that most injuries are the result of human error, and was even kind enough to offer a few safety tips:

* Read the instruction manual before using a lawnmower.
* Be sober.
* Do not remove safety devices, shields or guards on switches and keep hands and feet away from moving parts.
* Add fuel before starting the engine, not when it is running or hot.
* Never let children operate lawnmowers. Keep kids 15 years of age and younger away when lawnmowers are in use.
* Do not leave a lawnmower unattended when it is running.

There's more, but we'll stop there, before you loose all interest.


So WHY are we writing a story about 75,000 accidental lawn mower injuries on a website that focuses on self-defense rights?

Because according to the Centers for Disease Control, less than 17,700 people received non-fatal injuries due to a firearms accident in 2001.

Because when you add to that accidental number those injured intentionally, due to violent attack, the total number is still less than those injured by accident with lawn-mowers - 63,000.

Because there is no Ohio Coalition Against Lawn Mowers. Because the Million Mom March isn't ambulance-chasing and holding press conferences every time someone is injured with their Lawn Boy. Because Bob Taft (our anti-ccw governor in Ohio) isn't dictating legislation that lawn mowers be stored safely and not be operated in the presence of children under 18.

But most of all, we're writing this story because unlike a firearm, no one's life has ever been saved with a lawn mower.