Is a gun really the best symbol of safety?

The state Legislature has decided to make a designated state handgun, the Browning M1911.

The timing definitely is unfortunate in light of the recent mass killing in Tucson and the wounding of so many others, including a congresswoman. Ignoring that embarrassment, the name Browning is synonymous with great American gunmanship, along with other famous legacies as Colt, Smith and Wesson.

It is the stopping power of the .45 slug that has kept the M1911 produced by Colt in the holster of soldiers from the Philippines of 1911 through World War I to the U.S. Army slugging through North Africa, Italy and advancing on the beaches of Normandy. It was deployed in the freezing mountains of Korea and steaming jungles of Vietnam. The GI used it to protect himself and his buddies; security must be its call sign.

People argue that if we all had guns, our children would be safe. If this is true, it should be good enough for every father, mother, son and daughter in this great land. But to be fair, the Colt 45 needs to be placed alongside other instruments of safety, particular for children. Our elected representatives can unify to honor all the ways we permit our beloved children to live full and productive lives.

With that in mind, I propose other items that should be recognized.

The infant car seat, seat belts for more grown-up kids, air bags, scissor drawers to keep sharp cutlasses out of the hands of running toddlers, car and home smoke-free zones, bike helmets and sidewalks to separate the pedestrian child from racing cars. The list goes on.

There could be a state baby gate or a state cupboard latch. There could be a state walk around the car to avoid hitting anyone hidden in the shadows of a large van.

These life preservers will be designated as state treasures. They will be enshrined in some display case in the lower floors of the Capitol. There would be stickers with the state seal certifying that they had been approved by the Legislature as official means of saving lives of the indefensible.

Just like the state bird, state insect, state flower, state song and state Jell-O, these revered items will join a pantheon of great and noble animals, desserts and plants. The pictures of a bike helmet, car seat, extinguished cigarettes, air bags, etc., could be — no, must be — included in all literature about the state. Mr. Browning and the car seat would have equal space on the government websites and on any pamphlet promoting Utah's scenery, snow, historical sites and great people. A picture could show a baby in a car seat holding the pistol.