Asking about guns in the house

The mayor of Portland, Ore., is encouraging parents to put aside social niceties when their children are invited to play at another child's house, and ask if the inviting family keeps a gun in the house.

I remember the time I sent out invitations to my child's birthday party and a mom, who had just moved here from Miami, called to ask just that. I was shocked and initially somewhat offended. She told me it was a common question among families in her old community.

Now I think, awkward as the question is, that it makes sense -- for this reason: It reminds parents who do own weapons to take every precaution to keep them far from children.

The right to own a weapon comes is a private matter, but other families should have the right to be forewarned before they send a child to play in a home with weapons. The majority of unintentional shootings involve children who come upon easy-to-find, loaded weapons.

Wanting to be forewarned about the possible risks your child may face -- or having the opportunity to talk to your child about what to do if he ever encountered a weapon -- is a fair expectation.

So would you ever ask -- or tell?