As Ed noted earlier this week, everyone’s favorite loathsome nanny-state former mayor has pledged to refocus his gun-control efforts from the politically ailing Mayors Against Illegal Guns group to a new “grassroots” network (funded by his $50 million) to try to eventually “outmuscle” the National Rifle Association. This, evidently, is their first big ad.

First of all, who keeps a loaded handgun in a shoebox, underneath blankets and pillows, in the back of the closet? That right there is great description of how not to keep guns in your home — but that really isn’t the point here, and I’m not even going to go into the many other in-home hazards for children that cause still more accidental deaths every year. The point is that, absolutely yes, situations like this with accidental shootings of children in the home do happen occasionally, and every one is a tragedy we should diligently work to prevent. I one hundred percent agree with the ad’s plea to “start the conversation about responsible gun ownership in your home and community” — but most of the gun control bills out there today for which the group and others like it are presumably advocating have nothing to do with keeping guns out of the hands of children in the home. Most reasonable people can recognize that the benefits of having a handgun within reach for home defense far outweigh the risks, and most of the proposed gun-restricting legislation out there right now is about registering assault rifles, or limiting magazine capacities, or restricting concealed carry rights in alcohol-serving establishments and schools, or enhanced background checks, etcetera. I.e., nothing that will do anything to prevent the scenario played out above, and keeping guns out of the reach of curious children is primarily an issue of parental responsibility and educating children about the dangers of toying with firearms early on. That makes me think that perhaps this ad is more about scare tactics than any sort of practical, effective gun restrictions, no?