The Bexar County Commissioners have approved a program to acquire 3,800 small gun safes/lock boxes and 1,000 cable locks for guns to give away to county residents this summer. Bexar County is in Texas and includes San Antonio. The money for the program is part of ‘The American Rescue Plan Act‘ of 2021. The Act authorized a minimum of 1.9 Trillion dollars of spending, focused primarily on leftist programs.
The Bexar County Commissioners Court approved the distribution of 3,800 portable handgun safes and 1,000 handgun cable locks free of charge to county residents throughout the summer.
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According to the release, the initiative received approximately $145,000 in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The program involves cooperation between Bexar County and University Health, a local healthcare provider in San Antonio and Bexar County. They are officially known as the Bexar County Hospital District and are a separate governmental entity and political subdivision of the State of Texas. People are supposed to pre-register to obtain a small gun safe/lockbox and/or a cable lock. One gun safe/lockbox and one cable lock will be allowed per household. From the University Health site:
GunSafety4Bexar, a program by University Health and Bexar County, is distributing gunlocks and gun cases to families with firearms. The goal is to reduce firearm injuries by urging owners to store their guns unloaded, locked and separate from ammunition.
One gunlock (as supplies last) and one gun case per household. Pre-registration is required.
At the registration site, this information was available:
Visit the Bexar County Parks & Recreation website for more information on the parks below. You may sign up for any precinct event and do not have to live in that precinct.
- Precinct 1: Thu, June 15, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Padre Park (6030 Padre Dr, 78214)
- Precinct 2: Sat, August 19, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Rodriguez Park (2060 Rodriguez Ave, 78227)
- Precinct 3: Sat, July 8, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Bullis County Park (27583 Blanco Rd)
- Precinct 4: Sat, July 15, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Pletz County Park (3831 Belgium Lane, 78219)
- Countywide: Sat, July 22, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Comanche Park (2600 Rigsby Ave, 78222)
At the University Health site, twelve different locations are given where pickup is possible. This correspondent was able to contact one of the locations. At the location contacted, locks were available, but the gun safes/ lock boxes were not yet available as of June 7th, 2023. To obtain a gun safe/lock box, pre-register and pick it up at one of the five locations and events listed from June 15 to July 22, as shown above.
At the University Health site explaining the program, this statement is shown. From universityhealth.com:
Firearms have become the leading cause of death in children and teens in the U.S. Mass shootings across Texas and the nation have captured headlines. What we hear less frequently about are the many firearm injuries that occur because guns aren’t safely stored. The result–gun-related suicides, unintentional discharges and firearm theft.
Analysis:
The wording states firearms are the cause of death. This removes volition from people and grants it to an inanimate object. This is a deceptive use of words. Firearms are not a cause; they are a method of death. When firearms become difficult to obtain, those who deliberately use them to cause death (homicides and suicides) choose other methods. The overall homicide and suicide rates remain the same or are changed so little, and the difference cannot be measured. Another deception is the listing of causes of death. Only suicides or unintentional discharges are mentioned. 68% of 0-19-year-old firearms-related deaths are homicides. Of deaths of people 0-19 years of age (children and teens) where firearms are involved, the numbers for 2020 are these, according to the Center for Disease Control:
Intentional deaths: Homicides – 2,811 (68%)
- Suicides – 1,293
- Legal intervention – 25
- Total intentional deaths where firearms are the method used: 4,129
- Undetermined intent – 90
- Unintentional deaths where firearms are involved: 149
Total firearm-related deaths: 4,368. Of those where the intent is known, 68% are homicides. Homicides are not mentioned in the University Health statement.
When over 96% of the deaths listed are intentional acts, it is unlikely the distribution of gun safes/lockboxes and cable locks will have any noticeable effect.
Opinion:
Gun safes/lockboxes and cable locks can be useful, particularly in preventing the theft of firearms. Preventing theft is desirable. Reducing the deaths of children and teens is desirable, but the program is unlikely to have a significant effect on those statistics.
The characterization of guns as causal agents at the University Health site is Orwellian propaganda.
If gun owners are in the San Antonio/Bexar County area and are willing to undergo the hassle of registering and waiting to obtain a small gun safe/lockbox, this program may be useful.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
