I like doctors just fine, but I’m not overly fond of the various organizations that speak for doctors. The American Medical Association has been on my crap list for years, for example, because they routinely step into anti-gun arguments and don’t know what they’re talking about. They see the narrow view of things and think that makes them experts. Pediatrics, as a specialty, also does that.
So when I saw that the city of Toledo was honored by the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics for its “safe storage” effort, I almost got a little concerned.
But just for a second.
The City of Toledo has been named Store It Safe Community of the Year by the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) recognizing the City’s commitment to promoting safe storage practices and protecting the health and safety of children and adolescents.
The Store It Safe initiative brings together pediatric healthcare providers, community organizations, public officials, and other partners to promote education and safe storage of firearms. The Ohio AAP launched the Store It Safe in 2015, and the program has expanded its work through provider education, community engagement, safe storage resources, and suicide prevention efforts.
Toledo City Council formally declared its intent to become a designated city in February 2026. The resolution emphasized education, collaboration, and voluntary safe storage practices with the goal of supporting families and reducing the risk of unintentional injuries and firearm related harm among children and teens.
“Keeping our children and our community safe is one of my highest priorities”, said Councilwoman Erin Kramer. “Through the City’s Locks Save Lives program, we are making it easier for families to take a simple but important step towards preventing firearm injuries by providing free gun locks at every Toledo-Lucas County Library branch. I am grateful to our partners who help make this program possible, and I remain committed to working together to build a safer Toledo for everyone”.
Now, there’s no doubt that firearms should be secured when not in use. I tend to take a more liberal view of the term “in use” than some people might, but they shouldn’t be where young children can get to them. That’s a potential recipe for disaster.
And Toledo’s program is interesting, not because it’s a law — it’s not, after all — but because it’s focused on education. As I wrote last week, education works far better than legislation, anyway.
Toledo couldn’t put out a mandatory storage law, even if it wanted to, as the state has a preemption law. So instead, Toledo tried to do something that might actually work by educating people about safe storage and handing them the locks to make it easier. Remove as much friction as you can in the process, and you get a better result. It’s true of almost anything.
For keeping children safe, that’s even more essential than normal.
Look, I don’t want to see kids get hurt. No decent person does. We want them all safe so they can grow up healthy and happy. I wouldn’t wish the loss of a child on my worst enemy, especially through something that could be avoided with just a little more forethought. Like locking up the guns so young hands can’t get curious with the wrong thing.
Good on Toledo for focusing on education and not just griping about what they can’t do.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their extreme gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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