About 80 million Americans have firearms, and many new additions were under the Christmas tree. Let us renew and resolve our commitment to gun safety in 2011.

Develop a safety reflex: an obsession with gun safety rules to the point that they cannot be violated.

First, before handling any firearm, assume it is loaded until you have cleared it (unloaded, opened the action and checked for empty.)

Never believe anyone who tells you a gun is unloaded. You must check it yourself.

If you cannot clear a particular gun, do not handle it.

Second, always and without exception, keep a gun’s muzzle pointed toward the safest direction. Never “sweep” or point a gun at anyone or anything of value.

Third, always and without exception, keep your finger off the trigger and alongside the frame until ready to shoot.

Now, here’s the hard part: after shooting, always take your finger off the trigger, and place it back alongside the frame.

If we all, always and without exception, observe those three fundamental gun safety rules, gun-shooting accidents will go to zero.

Here are three additional gun safety rules that must be observed:

•Always keep guns unloaded until ready to use.

•When shooting, always be sure of your target and what is beyond.

•Always, without exception, keep guns inaccessible to unauthorized people, especially children.

There are many other gun safety rules and principles, but these three are critical.

Be obsessed with gun safety, and resolve always and without exception to observe all gun safety rules in 2011.