Do you support mandatory training for gun ownership?

[stevekl]

"I'm against mandatory training but I want to see a required gun safety class in high school"

Are the two not the same? If you're required to take a high school class in order to graduate, how is that not "mandatory training?

 

[NineseveN]

Indeed Trip20...

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

Yes -- for every child

Around about 12 years old. Mandatory for every child, right along with reading, writing, arithmetic and government. How else do we get a functioning common militia and educated voters?

 

[mp510]

I don't believe in any sort of cumpolsury firearms training, but I don't see it as unreasonable for somebody to demonstrate knowledge on how to safely operate and handle the firearm they are purchasing at the time of purchase. The 'well regulated' clause in the second should mean something, and I (unfotunately) don't see mandatory militia training as there was back then.....

 

[Manedwolf]

Nope.

One, mandatory means more government regulation, which means more government invasiveness and restrictions.

Two, a lot of people were taught excellent safety and shooting skills by a parent.

Three, the people that often need a gun for self-defense the most, the working poor in bad areas, often don't have the funds OR the time for a $100+ "safety course".

 

[Manedwolf]

but I don't see it as unreasonable for somebody to demonstrate knowledge on how to safely operate and handle the firearm they are purchasing at the time of purchase.

Aw, c'mon...it usually takes reading the manual to get used to something new, especially a rifle. You read the manual, take it apart, dry-fire it, etc...before taking it out to the RANGE.

I'm just picturing someone having to "demonstrate" how to operate an old Garand before they buy their first one...and promptly smashing their thumb.

And it's not fair to tell a private seller that they have to be a nanny to their customers, too, and make sure they know how to use their purchase. Personal responsibility, hm?

 

[SnP]

No, the 2nd Amendment does not grant the government the power to requir anyone to do anything to own a gun.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

Not until after there is mandatory training for having a kid.

 

[LAK]

1WildBill

I see your point, but a safety training course is not going to make Mr. Stupid into Mr. Smart. Stupid is stupid. We've just about all seen the video of the, ".....only one in this room with the training to handle this gun BOOM." .. [ETC] ..

My mistake; I thought you were making a case for mandatory training.

-----------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedestates.org

 

[Trip20]

Update

363 votes as of this post.

63 voters actually approve of mandatory training for gun ownership.

19 voters are somehow "not sure".

Roughly 29% -- over one quarter -- of those surveyed on a supposed pro-RKBA/pro-2A discussion forum are for more mandated control over the 2nd Amendment.

:banghead:

 

[Molon Labe]

Let's say I'm at the gun range shooting a rifle. According to 29% of the THR members who've posted in this thread, I should only be allowed to own & shoot a rifle if I have taken a safety course.

So how would anyone verify if I have taken the safety course? How would I prove to an LEO I have taken the safety course?

 

[engineer151515]

I'd only support mandatory training if it included mandatory gun ownership.


Issue all US non-felon citizens over 21 years old one ea AR-15 (A2 or A4) with 3 mags in a soft gun case.

 

[Trip20]

So how would anyone know if I have taken the safety course? How would I prove to an LEO I have taken the safety course?

Didn't you hear? There will be an endorsement noted on your national ID card, which is also used to verify whether or not you're a terrorist.

"PAPERS PLEASE, SIR!"

"HALT! I SAID PAPERS PLEASE!"

 

[zealot]

WOW! 63 (17.21%) for mandatory training, 19 (5.19%) not sure? I always try to stay civil in matters like this but, in matters like the ones we are facing, i.e., total gun control, mass invasion from the southern borders, etc. I say to those of you that voted for the training, may your chains rest lightly upon you!

Howdy Molon! Good to see another REAL American here!

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

I say to those of you that voted for the training, may your chains rest lightly upon you!

Well, speaking for myself, my vote for mandatory training was exactly for that, NOT for mandatory training as a precondition for owning or having a gun. No need to get all 2A.

Again, I think every child should be trained in safe and effective firearm use as part of compulsory education. That's why I voted "yes".

If I misinterpreted the poll, and it was meant to ask "Do you support mandatory training as a precondition to gun ownership?", then change my vote to "no".

 

[Trip20]

I don't think you misinterpreted the poll. The poll question is not posed very well. You probably just answered the poll question with out reading the initial posters comments to see what he was in fact asking:

While I'm not 100% secure in my position I think that mandatory training when purchasing a firearm would probably help our cause...

(snip)

...The biggest problem that I see with the idea is that a training requirement becomes a de facto waiting period while the buyer waits for the next available training class.

In addition, even if we're talking mandatory firearms training for children of ____ age, I wouldn't agree to it. Same as I do not agree with mandatory sex education.

I'm the friggen parent, I'll handle this stuff, thank you very much. You (the school/government) teach them math, science, english...etc, and I'll handle the rest.

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

Same as I do not agree with mandatory sex education.

I'm the friggen parent, I'll handle this stuff, thank you very much. You teach them math, science, english...etc, and I'll handle the rest.

I'm guessing you also want to take the history topics yourself.

I'm glad you're being proactive about the education of your children. Too many parents are not, or are not educated themselves, so compulsory education ends up being the safety net.

There's a lot to be said for home education, whether it be guns, sex, or anything else. Hopefully we agree that the kids need to be educated, though.

 

[DarthBubba]

NO,NO,NO,NO

NO,NO,NO,NO

Not another Gubermint mandated Skoolin project.
It wil only trn owt as Bad as our Publik skools.
Meaning it will add cost after cost and change nothing of the ignorance that most people have about guns and their safe usage.:banghead:

DarthBubba

 

[Trip20]

Hopefully we agree that the kids need to be educated, though.

Absolutely.

Whereas I was being a little facetious in my last post, I do believe there are a wide range of "subjects" where mandating a child’s attendance should be the parent’s decision.

While I may not agree with another parent’s beliefs regarding firearms, I support their right to raise their child as they see fit.

I only hope that same parent would support my right to remove my child from a class they feel is worthy, if it's not in line with my beliefs.

It’s a two-way street, ya know?

Personally? Yes, I like your idea very much :

I think every child should be trained in safe and effective firearm use as part of compulsory education.

Last summer I was able to convince an anti-gun-ish colleague to put her son & daughter in the hunter safety course. After a week or two of relaxed discussion, she realized the virtue in their children learning about firearms, learning to respect firearms, and learning how to safely handle firearms.

I give her credit for at least being unbiased enough to have her children learn, even if only for safety's sake. We need more parents like her.

 

[goon]

No.
If you give a bureaucrat power like that he will misuse it.

 

[1wildbill]

63 voters actually approve of mandatory training for gun ownership.

Anti's in disguise, we have been infiltrated!

My mistake; I thought you were making a case for mandatory training.

LAK
No problem, I thought the same about your comments.

I was in a gun store one day and a guy came in wanting "a box of bullets for a Glock", (he was holding his way too large jeans up with one hand, you know the type), the clerk asked him what caliber and were they for home defense or target shooting and the guy said, "Uh, home defense, just Glock bullets". Clerk explained there were different sizes of shells for Glocks and told him to find out what caliber the Glock was and come back. After he left, the clerk asked us if we could smell the weed on him, we could. Don't really have a point, except what kind of training does that guy need and do you think he bought the gun legally?

 

[ProficientRifleman]

Too easy

This one is too easy. I once had a conversation with a lady who was supposedly for CCW and Shall Issue laws. We started talking about training requirements and she was all for manditory training.

I suggested that, since all persons in our society will come across firearms at some time in their lives, and since all persons SHOULD know how to at least handle a gun in a safe manner (i.e. pick one up and not shoot oneself), that we should have manditory firearms familiarity and proficiency training in public schools.

She started gasping and turned ghost white...

 

[DRZinn]

Mandatory in the sense that it'd be a prerequisite to buying a gun?

Not only no, but HELL NO.

Mandatory in the sense that all students learn in school? Sure, why not.

I thin the most prerequisite for purchase I'd ever go for would be reciting the 4 safety rules. In any language.

 

[Soybomb]

Trip20, indeed we're doomed. People always cry liberal, Democrat, and gun-grabber but theres no need, firearm owners are more than willing to slowly handover their rights while talking big about what would happen if someone "came for their guns."

Did I get that some states have no course for CCW? Now I see that as a possible problem.

So you make your decisions on legislation based on how you feel? This is exactly the problem we have with concealed carry in illinois and wisconsin where you have people that say "I don't think thats a good idea, I can imagine alot of problems." The whole time of course they never look at the existing statistical evidence already present showing concealed carry to be safe. Several states issue licenses without training, I have nonresident NH and PA permits both with nothing more than sending them an application. Before you consider supporting something that infringes on the rights of firearm owners I'd encourage you to at least do your research on it first.

 

[Molon Labe]

The argument against mandatory training is almost too easy to win:

Pompous gun owner: Yes, I think training should be a prerequisite for owning a gun. There are just too many idiots out there with guns.

Liberty-minded gun owner: Under such a system, a gun owner must prove he/she has been trained before they can buy a gun, correct?

Pompous gun owner: Um, yea, sure.

Liberty-minded gun owner: How do they prove it?

Pompous gun owner: Um, well, uh, we can issue cards.

Liberty-minded gun owner: Like a driver's license, a "proof of training card" would be very easy to counterfeit. How would a FFL or an LEO verify the authenticity of the card?

Pompous gun owner: Um, well, they, um, um, they would call it in.

Liberty-minded gun owner: Ah, I see. So not only does your system require cards, but also a large, centralized, government-run database?

Pompous gun owner: Well, um, yea I guess. Um...

Liberty-minded gun owner: How is that different from registering all gun owners?

Pompous gun owner: Well, um, I don't know, um, um...

Liberty-minded gun owner: And I thought you were against registration?

Pompous gun owner: Well, I am! But, um, um, um...