Editorial: When it comes to gun locks, politics should never matter

Gun violence has the potential to touch anyone. Suicide by gun, accidental shootings, mass shootings — these tragedies are not bound by politics or labels.

When a fatal shooting happens, it does not matter if a gun owner is a staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights or a fierce advocate for gun safety measures. It does not matter if the household is Republican or Democrat. All that matters is a life has been taken away. The very purpose of a gun lock is to help prevent these tragedies. For everyone.

And likewise, just as gun violence can touch any one of us, the responsibility to reduce gun violence falls to all. We may not agree as a nation on policies — although polling has shown broad support for universal background checks and so-called red flag laws — but we share a collective responsibility to reduce gun violence.

That’s why it’s so frustrating — absurd, really — that political considerations have limited the disbursement of taxpayer-funded gun locks to Texans. We can’t imagine that was the intent when Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $1 million grant to distribute 625,000 free gun locks across the state — at least, we hope that was not the intent.

But as Express-News reporter Allie Morris recently outlined, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the group Texas contracted with, does not want to provide these locks to those associated with Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, which have called for stricter gun laws.

But this is taxpayer money, meaning the funds and locks belong to all Texans, not just those with certain views. Beyond this, it’s hard to believe, although hardly surprising, that something as benign as a gun lock would be so blatantly politicized. At least 35 accidental shootings by children took place in Texas last year, according to data from Everytown for Gun Safety. This led to 18 deaths.

One of those deaths occurred here days before Christmas when Jeffery Taylor, 7, shot himself with his mother’s gun while his family slept. Perhaps a gun lock would have prevented this tragedy.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is providing these locks to law enforcement agencies across the state. We see no reason why law enforcement would honor such silly restrictions. Why not provide the gun locks to any Texan interested in having one? It just might save a life.