Mom honors slain son's birthday with gun safety plea
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FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Driving home a message is how Heather Jiggetts celebrates what would have been her son's 21st birthday Thursday -- waving gun safety signs on a street corner in Federal Way.
"I miss him," Jiggetts said. "I miss him a lot."
Terry Hayes was 14, playing video games at his dad's house in Virgina, when a younger cousin pulled a .12 gauge shotgun from a closet and accidentally killed him.
"He took the gun out, put the gun to my son's face said, 'Do you dare me to pull the trigger?' My son looked over and the trigger was pulled," Jiggetts said.
Every year, Jiggetts honors her son with the signs, encouraging people to lock up their guns and save lives. Her brother holds a sign across the street.
"It's devastated my mother, sister especially and me," Staff Brown said. "I had him, for many years I was the only man in his life."
Back in Virginia where Jiggetts' body is buried, she went door to door handing out 36,000 donated firearm safety locks.
"In Virginia, police departments gave me over 1,500 gun locks at a time," she said. "Here I can't get one -- no money, no money."
But that doesn't stop her from promoting gun locks.
"I do it on the day of his death and on his birthday and I will continue to do it til the day I die," Jiggetts said.
Doctors tell her that day could come within a year. Jiggetts has stage 3 cancer.
"I may not have much longer left but time I do have left I'm gonna keep promoting gun safety," she said.
She says this could be the last birthday she's out here and her wish is to pass out gun locks in Washington before she dies too.
"I miss him," Jiggetts said. "I miss him a lot."
Terry Hayes was 14, playing video games at his dad's house in Virgina, when a younger cousin pulled a .12 gauge shotgun from a closet and accidentally killed him.
"He took the gun out, put the gun to my son's face said, 'Do you dare me to pull the trigger?' My son looked over and the trigger was pulled," Jiggetts said.
Every year, Jiggetts honors her son with the signs, encouraging people to lock up their guns and save lives. Her brother holds a sign across the street.
"It's devastated my mother, sister especially and me," Staff Brown said. "I had him, for many years I was the only man in his life."
Back in Virginia where Jiggetts' body is buried, she went door to door handing out 36,000 donated firearm safety locks.
"In Virginia, police departments gave me over 1,500 gun locks at a time," she said. "Here I can't get one -- no money, no money."
But that doesn't stop her from promoting gun locks.
"I do it on the day of his death and on his birthday and I will continue to do it til the day I die," Jiggetts said.
Doctors tell her that day could come within a year. Jiggetts has stage 3 cancer.
"I may not have much longer left but time I do have left I'm gonna keep promoting gun safety," she said.
She says this could be the last birthday she's out here and her wish is to pass out gun locks in Washington before she dies too.
A. Teach your children to be responsible and respect authority
B. Teach your children gun safety:
 1. Always treat every gun as if it were loaded and ready to shoot
 2. Carry your gun so you can control the direction of the muzzle, even if you stumble
 3. Be sure of your target before you shoot
 4. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are aiming at a safe target
 5. Never point a gun at people or at anything you are not willing to destroy
Â
Make your children memorize and recite these rules before they can own toy or air rifles and enforce them even with their toys, and you will not have a problem like this sad story and many like it.
How about people take responsibility to teach their children some elementary gun safety?
I do not agree with this bill. The premise was to ban assault rifles with high capacity magazines, now they've included any handgun that holds more than 10 rounds. Most 9mm handguns on the market today exceed that, simply because the size of the guns allows for more of the small caliber rounds.
If you are a gun owner you must read this. Democratic lawmakers in Olympia, Wash. last week introduced
legislation that would allow county sheriffs to inspect the homes ofsemi-automatic rifle owners once a year. Seattle Times columnist Danny
Westneat describes the move as âOrwellian.â
Here' the link for senate bill 5737:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5737.pdf
Ah yes...read the Seattle Times article. You failed to mention that that language has been removed completely from the proposed bill.   The bill that you linked to, is the correct and updated version, which is why it contains no such language. Best to read these things before you start posting inaccurate information.
@lakeviewThis is the corrected copy last from week. The same exact link had the original mandate proposing law enforcement entering homes of owners who had a specific type of gun. Citizens of our state did not appreciate having law enforcement visiting their homes once a year and they had to do a revision- the 2nd revision was in the senate bill I just posted (I apologize if I offended anybody with supposed misinformation.) The outline for home inspections was in the first senate bill 5737 Maybe they thought they could "slide" something like this past the people. Did you see any local media coverage on this?Â
@rightandexactYes, and first they tried to pass the buck saying aids were responsible for adding that language but it turns out it is not the first time they've tried to pass such a bill.
@rightandexact  Can you please quote exactly the language in the bill because I read what you linked, which is an amendment, and there is absolutely nothing in there about the sheriff doing annual inspections in your home. Â
Maybe you linked the wrong bill?Â
@lakeview
that Orwellian requirement has since been removed.
It's great what the mom is doing now and I commend her. But I do wonder if she was aware all those years ago that her ex husband had unsecured guns in the house in Virginia. I bet yes.Â
When I was a young child there was a shotgun and ammunition in a bedroom closet and a 22 rifle and ammunition in the broom closet. There were 5 children in the house. There was never a problem with any of us playing with them. At 14 I was allowed to take the 22 rifle and go rabbit hunting with my older (2 years) brother and a friend. Never a problem. So, what is the problem going on today? It's obvious and it's not guns. By the way, gun crime and accident statistics do not support the hysteria concerning guns today.Â
I'm assuming you had parents that taught you responsbility and how to apply that responsibility to a gun. THAT is what the problem is now-a-days. Before I shot a gun for the first time, I was taught how to take it apart and put it back together for weeks for safety purposes. Granted, I was in my early 20s at the time, it was still the responsible way for someone to teach me. People don't take responsibility for their weapons and assume their kids won't touch them.Â
@refinneJÂ The problem is not with kids touching their parents weapons. Yes I know it happens but 9 out of 10 times when a shooting occurs it involves gang members and 9 out of 10 times they did not get the gun from their parents house.
I'm talking about kids and guns. In 2003, 60.9% of the firearms used in school related homicides came from the shooter's home or the home of a relative. Taking responsility for your weapon could have prevented approximately 60.9% of school related homicides in Washington state. Kids use guns because they are easily accessible in the home. Whether they get the gun from home also wouldn't matter if gun-owners would lead by example and SHOW the importance of gun safety.
@JT I was raised hunting, in fact I took my hunters safety course at age 9 and have had guns ever since with no issues. My dad taught me the importance of being safe as I am sure yours did. I accidentally shot my pellet gun once without telling my dad... I thought I wouldn't see to live another day. Parents need to teach their kids to respect a weapon and earn their trust before making them available....
@Northriver @JT My big brother (about 13 at the time) shot his BB gun without permission and my father found out. He cut the gun into 3 pieces. Lesson learned.
What a great thing for her to do. Gun safety should be #1 priority for any gun owner. That shotgun should have been locked away or unloaded and the shells should have been far out of reach of a child.
MANY gun owners are totally delusional about gun safety, children, gun deaths. There are far too many parents out there who don't even teach their children to be courteous to others let alone to be safe handling a gun and the gun numbers have grown exponentially which means gun deaths will do the same. This is a society out of touch with reality, with one another - more invested in what it wants 'individually' than with all of us as a whole and - wow - do we look juvenile, unintelligent, under-developed to the remainder of the world. No wonder so many people in other countries consider us THE major threat in the world today. We behave more like children than the children we are suppose to care for.
@ytboarder, While it's true that the education side of guns has been lacking, it's not for lack of effort from pro-gun proponents. The NRA has several programs that teach gun safety, Eddy Eagle being the most prominent and successful, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIEBrb_wRYc). The problem has been the foment demonization of guns and gun owners to such a point that schools have run so far away from the gun issue that they won't even allow gun safety or anything else related to guns to enter the curriculum, thus creating a fascination for guns. Children need to be taught gun safety.Â
And then there are those of us whose children were trained from infancy, first DONT TOUCH, then take them out with .22s when they were 5 or so, ONLY under adult supervision and worked on the safety rules and the execution of them. Guns were locked up, kids knew that touching was NOT allowed. they were trained that if someone ELSE had a gun at home, there was NO "lets just take a look", no show and tell and that they were to come HOME IMMEDIATELY if that might occur. Then formal firearms safety training in the form of a WDFW Hunter Ed class and other training. My elder son was on the FFA Trapshooting team, the younger hunts birds with me. I also trained all my brother's kids, and my cousin's kids as well as taught Hunter Ed for over 15 years and coached the Trap team.
I grew up with guns in the home, much the same training, was on the rifle team in Jr High and High School and college. Hunt, fish, target shoot, competitively shoot. Heck when i was growing up the next door neighbor had dynamite, caps and fuse available for blowing stumps...I was taught how to use it safely. No problems.
The federal government has offered tax credits to those people purchasing diesel or electric vehicles (thousands of dollars!) in order to influence their behavior. Why not have a federal tax credit for gun safe purchasers to encourage safe gun storage? Would be good to see our legislators do more than talk about solutions. (gun safes are exempt from WA sales tax)
Interesting idea. While I hate our tax system and how so many pay so much more than they should because others get credits and writeoffs for whatever the government deems worthy, this is an idea that doesn't infringe on anybody's rights (more than the IRS already does) and may actually be workable. Thanks for a reasonable post on the issue instead of more hyperbole.
&If we as a nation can not at least agree on making sure that a gun is secured away when not in use and then see that policy is put in place to hold those who don't accountable we will continue to see these kind of tragic events happen.
We need to use the technology that is out there to develop a trigger lock that only opens with the owners fingerprint as the key. Owners of guns need to be legislated to seeing their guns are secured away in a like lock box/safe when they are not being used.
To many have died because of this lawlessness of others,it is time we as a nation grow up and take responsibility and think of responsibility before our 2nd Amd rights.
We all should be ashamed for our lack of action
@nwlib, you know I don't agree with most of what you say, and that's OK, I'd still like to hear your opinion. In this case I will say this; If someone come up with a trigger lock that pops off when I give it a squeeze I'd use it. I don't think there is one yet, (I've never seen one and I should know if there was one), but I agree. I'd use it.
@SargeMcC Well to borrow an old sane.. "we can put a man on the moon"... certainly we have the smarts to make a device that is quick. RIGHT! Maybe the trigger systems on the gun need to be modified.Â
And I will reenforce this. When a gun is not being USED it needs to be properly stored in a safe type unit that only the owner can access. so when your not at home..lock it up. maybe then these guns wont fall in to the hands of criminals so much. And a portable storage unit need to produced for travel.
AGREED
Guns are basically very powerful tools, like a chainsaw or nailgun.
Teaching children to be deathly afraid of guns is a losing strategy, it will eventually glamorize weapons to them in their "forbidden" nature. Instead, when children are old enough they should be taught how to handle firearms properly like any tool, be it a knife, a saw, a hammer, etc.Â
Exactly. Take away the mystery of guns. Teach the children about guns and safe handling.
I have no issues with people who want to put gun locks on their firearms or locking them in a gun safe, primarily ones that are not in use. However, I wouldn't recommend one on your primary use firearm, it will impede you when you need it most. I do have a issue when they are rammed down my throat. The lesson here is TEACH your children to respect and handle firearms safely. ALWAYS handle firearms as if they are loaded, don't take anyone's word for it or make assumptions.
Thank you for doing your part to protect the innocent. I am a gun owner and a mother of two small children. Before I even purchased my gun, I sat down and had a talk with my children. When I purchased my weapon and brought it home, I sat down and had another talk with my children. And even though my gun is out of reach of my children, I periodically sit down with them and talk with them about gun safety and how they should NEVER EVER touch a gun. Period. They've got it. I bought my gun to PROTECT my family. This also includes being a responsible gun owner and educating myself, my children, AND keeping my gun out of the reach of "unauthorized personnel." (Sorry, ex Navy so I have a little military-eze in my vocab on occasion.)
I can respect her plea for gun safety - if a weapon is not under your direct control (defined by on your person or in arm's reach) - please lock it up! Keep ammo and the firearm separate unless it is your personal defense weapon under your direct control (sure I know a couple people who have more than one). Also, you can teach kids about firearm safety when they are little so they know better.Â
The problem with gun locks is they are awful hard to get off in the dark in the middle of the night when a intruder is in your house. "Where'd I put the f***ing key?"Â The problem with loaded unlocked guns is kids and idiots can get a hold of them. Don't know what advice to tell you folks. Since I don't have any kids or idiots living in my home I leave them loaded and where I can get to them. If I did have kids or idiots around I probably wouldn't do that. SargeMcc below is right. Educate the kids. Don't know what to say about the idiots.
@Ankle BiterThe other problem is the false sense of security. Do a youtube search for
Defcon 19: Deviant Ollam - Safe to Armed in Seconds: A Study of Epic Fails gun lock
sorry for the profanity in the vid, but he really shows just how pathetic most of these locks really are.
What to do about teh idiots (other than get them elected to office)? Give Darwin a chance.
My father is a gunsmith and as such, I grew up in a house with guns. My brothers and I were taught from the time we could understand words to treat all guns as if they were loaded, never point a gun at something you don't want to shoot, and never put you finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot. None of us ever had an accident with a gun even though they were readily available. You see, the mystique of gun was lost to us. We knew all there was to know about guns, from safety to shooting to even how to build a gun. But through all the years, safety was always stressed, and knowing the power of guns, safety was always heeded. Education is paramount.
Education is paramount.Â
Bless her heart. I can never understand why some folks seem to get more than their share of heartbreak. Good for her on doing the right thing. Shame on the State of Washington for being stingy with the gun locks. Â What is valued in this State puzzles me...Â
@DTÂ "What is valued in this State puzzles me"
I can see that you are puzzled. It happens to people with addled brains.
@komoispropaganda @DT What was that attack for? That was uncalled for.
I am sorry for your loss.... I also understand your plea....
Thank you - what a smart and brave thing to do. I know this is a very controversial issue, but I personally feel enough is enough.  When children die due to something we could prevent or at least try to prevent, yet nothing changes, something is wrong.  I would be interested in information on how to help.Â
For a little perspective on gun rights -- today I talked with a friend of mine, from Nottingham (Eng.) -- where is is illegal for a private citizen to own a gun (unless for agricultural reasons, when a permit may be issued). It's a reminder that gun ownership is NOT considered to be a "human right".
@felines99Â And I found this information about where your friend lives...Â
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5006852.stm
http://www.ukcrimestats.com/Police_Force/Nottinghamshire_Police
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Updated-police-map-puts-Nottingham-crime-context/story-17086120-detail/story.html#axzz2LbhMlvwU
Hm...Makes you think... (Gotta love statistics and sources to back up your position, whatever it may be.Â
@CaliGirl@Heart @felines99 Gotta love a brain which can understand and use statistics!
@CaliGirl@Heart @felines99 Yeah, gotta love them. Cuz' the only thing your links claim is that crime is worse in Nottingham than the rest of England. That in no way suggests that the situation would be improved if the citizens could own guns!!!
@felines99 And their nation is ALSO heading straight down the toilet, with greater financial and entitlement problems that we have. Their crime and homicide rate is also on the rise. Not the best model to choose.
@RN1 @felines99 Nonsense. Rest assured, one hundred years from now, the British flag will still be flying, and the nation will endure.
@Bornhere @felines99 John Howard, Time magazine: "The Second Amendment, crafted in the immediate post-revolutionary years, is more than 200 years old and was designed to protect the rights of local communities to raise and maintain militia for use against external threats (including the newly formed national government). It bears no relationship at all to the circumstances of everyday life in America today. Yet there is a near religious fervor about protecting the rights of Americans to have their guns -- and plenty of them."
@felines99
What exactly is YOUR interpretation of what the framers had in mind.
@DrOrpheus @felines99 @RN1 Telling me to "emigrate to England" is NOT the American way, nor is it what the framers of the Constitution had in mind when they considered the issue of free speech!!!
@felines99Â @RN1 Funny we're talking about right to bear arms and Britain flying its flag for centuries to come in the same place. Emigrate to England if you don't like our constitution.
@felines99That's great, but we are not debating human rights, we are debating the rights the U.S. Constitution, Amendments and the Bill of Rights give us Americans.
@Alert Eagle @felines99 And I am questioning whether the Constitution SHOULD give us rights to gun ownership!!!
@Bornhere @felines99 See my reply to you via e-mail, since the website will not publish my lengthy reply. But in short, my response is YAWN.
@felines99Â
Watch all of this video and then come tell me again that only LEÂ should have guns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mKdBxpKqUvsÂ
@Bornhere Been there, done that. This is not about understanding our Constitution. I'm nowhere denying what the Constitution provides with regard to the second amendment. I AM suggesting that a society would be better off if only LE were allowed to use guns against other citizens. You need to do some reading yourself -- re how other countries deal with the question of gun use by the citizenry.
@dg54321 @felines99 @DrOrpheus @Alert Eagle Your sledgehammer approach is getting you in trouble. I said nothing which would indicate that I opposed Ms. Parks' right to do as she did. IDIOT.
@felines99Â
Please read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Then research and study the Federalist Papers. You should then understand the how and why of our Constitution.
@felines99@DrOrpheus@Alert Eagle "Only in your little mind is it a "natural right"
You were saying, stone-thrower-in-glass-house? The onus is on people like YOU attempting to infringe on Constitutional and natural rights to conduct yourselves civilly. I suppose you think Rosa Parks should have just gone to the back of the dang bus and shut up too huh? Bigot.
@DrOrpheus @felines99 @Alert Eagle Again, the rights of man have been the subject of philosophers for thousands of years. Gun rights have never been recognized as a "natural right". (BTW, anyone who has to resort to name-calling to win an argument only weakens his case.)
@felines99Â @Alert Eagle Nope, it doesnt give us any rights, it only secures the rights of the citizens from being messed with by evil nazi fascist liberals like you. In fact, they didn't want to originally lay out a list of rights, as that would belittle the ones they didn't list, so after debating, it did seem pretty important to the drafters to go out of their way to name gun ownership as its own amendment rather than lump it with the rest of our rights protected under the 9th amendment.
@Alert Eagle
They do not give us rights. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights affirm and protect our natural rights.
@Bornhere @felines99 Fraid not. Not if you mean by natural right a right which man possesses by virtue of simply being "human."
@DrOrpheus @felines99 @dg54321 @Bornhere @Alert Eagle Neither Jefferson, Franklin, Adams or Washington thought man has a "natural right" to self-defense. Gun ownership is a right which accrues to an individual out of CIRCUMSTANCES, not because of his human nature.
@felines99
Eveery living creature on THIS planet has a natural right to self-defense. What planet are YOU from?
@felines99 @dg54321 @Bornhere @Alert Eagle Since you're the expert on the subject, who exactly defines what natural rights are? Some of your favorite poets? You didn't include Charlton Heston in your list, or Jefferson,Franklin,Adams,Washington.
@dg54321 @felines99 @Bornhere @Alert Eagle Only in your little mind is it a "natural right".
@felines99 @Bornhere @Alert Eagle The right to self defense IS a natural right, and in a world filled with criminals that have guns and will not get rid of them, gun ownership IS a natural right. You can try to twist and distort any way you want but that will not change.
@Bornhere @Alert Eagle The natural rights of man have been written about for thousands of years, and gun ownership has NEVER been considered a "natural right" of man. See Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, etc.