With more families having guns in their homes in order to protect their families from desperate criminals – there has also been an increase in terrible accidents involving children shooting themselves with the very weapon that was intended to protect.

Of course, ultimately – this boils down to the issue of parents educating their children towards the dangers of a gun. While a hand-gun or rifle should only be feared by those who do wrong, children, teenagers, and even adults should possess a healthy respect towards weapons in the home.

As part of this, we thought the below cartoon and poem would possibly help children and adults understand the importance of being safe around guns. As a warning, this image is violent, and may alarm your child if you choose to show it to them. However, it might be a visual reminder that sticks with them – serving as a powerful lesson learned without the loss of life. And please, if you are a parent who has a gun in the home – take a moment to explain to your child how to treat a gun (as if it’s always loaded), or train them when ready.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CARTOON – Jack Horner teaches Gun Safety