On Tuesday's CBS Evening News, a report filed by Nikki Battiste promoted the alleged need for stricter safe storage laws that would threaten criminal punishment for parents who do not safely store their guns within certain guidelines.
Even though researchers like John Lott have found that such laws are more of a problem for gun owners than a help, the report only devoted 21 seconds out of an almost two and a half minute report to giving some of the NRA's point of view against such laws.
Fill-in host Major Garrett set up the piece: "We turn now to the issue of gun safety. A new study says thousands of young lives could be saved if adults took proper care of their weapons. And there is a growing movement to lock up parents who don't lock up their guns."
Battiste began by recounting the story of 15-year-old Ethan Song, a Connecticut resident who accidentally shot and killed himself while he played with a gun that belonged to his friend's father. Referring to Ethan's parents, Battiste related: "The Songs had no idea the home had firearms, and they say careless gun storage cost their son his life."
Battiste soon continued:
A recent study by Harvard researchers estimated up to 32 percent of youth firearm deaths by unintentional injury and suicide could be prevented if guns were properly locked and stored and ammunition was kept separately. Only three states and Washington, D.C., make unsafe storage regardless of whether a child ever touches the gun a crime. There is no federal law for safe gun storage. ... But today the Song family is fighting for one in their son's name.
The CBS reporter then moved to promoting the new proposal for a gun law in Congress: "Ethan's Law, introduced to Congress today, states that 'unsafe storage of a firearm resulting in injury or death of a minor' is a crime and punishable by up to five years in prison."
Then came a clip of a gun shop owner explaining how a safe storage unit works, suggesting it is simple to use.
Battiste was seen with the Song family briefly pressing back on their views by asking: "Some opponents of safe storage laws say it's an infringement on their freedom.
After a clip of Ethan's father arguing that such a law "could save thousands of lives," Battiste spent the last 16 seconds of the report quickly giving the NRA's dissenting view:
In a statement to CBS News, the NRA says there is no scientific evidence that government-mandated one-size-fits-all storage schemes reduce juvenile, accidental firearm deaths or suicides." But they say it could make it harder for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, Major.
