Dear Amy: When our family gets together for any holiday, my niece's husband has to bring a gun with him.
He has a permit. He thinks his permit gives him per-
-mission to carry a loaded gun wherever he goes. He even takes it to church.
I have requested that he leave the gun at home when coming to my house.
He says that if he cannot bring his gun then his family won't come to our home. There will be small children at the house, but he says it's OK because his kids are fine with it.
Should I let him bring the gun or tell them they need to stay home?


Dear Battle: I shared your letter with a spokesperson for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who responded with this statistic: "A gun in any home is four times more likely to be used to kill or injure a loved one in an unintentional or accidental shooting than it is to be used for self-defense (bradycampaign.org)."
This man may believe that he is somehow protecting his family, but by carrying a loaded gun he is placing them (and anyone else in the home) at risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4,000 children and teens are wounded or killed in unintentional shootings every year.
Your niece's husband may have a legal right to carry his gun, but you also have a right to maintain a weapons-free household.
http://www.denverpost.com/askamy