Gun Education in Schools

[shdwfx]

I think the average John Q. Public's aversion to firearms is largely a lack of education.

100 years back, America was much more rural, gun ownership was mainstream, and parents took responsibility to train their children about gun safety. Today, most parents are as clueless about guns as their children.

The NRA's Eddie Eagle program is great, but many school systems absolutely refuse to consider it. A LEO in my area tried to bring Eddie to a local elementary school, and the principal was all for it. Then, the press got wind of the story. The superintendent found out, overruled the principal, and shut it down.

Sadly, a few years later, a kid in that school system accidentally shot his friend in the face, killing him. Neither of them were aware of safe gun handling or the 4 rules.

Would you be for requiring gun safety education in public schools? If they can teach sex ed, why not push for gun safety ed? It would be a hard sell and could take years, but a program in place like that would go a long way towards winning "hearts and minds." The truth shall set you free.

 

[dmxx9900]

Yes I would like for this to happen but it will never happen because of the encouragement of weapons in schools will come in and promoting gun use bs will be arguments the anti's will use to make it sound like they are training youth assassins or paramilitary fanatics even though it will only be a safety course on guns to prevent dangerous situations to the uninformed youth when they come across some random handgun they know nothing about and how to safely handle the situation.

These days especially could use a gun safety course starting in elementary till high school because of the large number of uninformed and ignorant youth and parents out there who know zilch about guns other then retarded Holly Wood movies which are usually negative with guns and present poor gun handling and safety.

 

[shdwfx]

I have conflicting feelings on this.

1) I am not for forced ed of any sort for a topic that the parents ought to be teaching.
2) However, most parents don't know enough about guns to safely instruct their kids on this important subject

It is interesting that the same sorts of "anti-promotion" arguments were made against sex ed. Of course, the point isn't to encourage prostitution or promiscuity just as gun safety ed is not meant to 'train assassins'. (disclaimer: I also oppose the current sex ed system due to their content, but that's another issue). Gun safety training does not require the use of live firearms. Air Soft pistols work fine for this.

I guess the question is how do you balance the real need for safety training with an aversion to forced federal intervention? And, what would be the best course of action to ensure our kids grow up with a knowledge of safety fundamentals? Obviously, I'll teach my kids, but there are too many children out there that are accidents waiting to happen the first time a firearm crosses their path.

 

[Kman]

I've been preaching this for years, an elective course on firearm safety is a must. It should be an active part of the curriculum in every public school.
Only through education and experience can someone grasp the serious nature of handling and respect that firearms command.

 

[LWGN]

I think the easiest way to get this happening is to work to include a unit on gun safety in already existing health classes.

Considering that the New England Journal of Medicine devoted nearly half of their most recent issue to the "public health problem" of "gun violence", anything that helps reduce this epidemic of death should be included in health classes, don't you think?

 

[mekender]

i am in the process of working with my local range to re-establish the local youth program that was lost when the guy that used to do it passed away a year or so ago... i think that education like this is vital to a young childs development

 

[CalebJns]

Funny this is brought up...the Private Christian School, my wife teaches at, hired a new Principal this year...he is rather odd (totally different topic). My brother-in-law and I are constantly discussing shooting, etc...the new Principal has NEVER fired a GUN. For the Harvest Festival (School Fair) I talked my wife into hosting the BB gun shoot at School, with Kids everywhere...I had the awesome priviledge of teaching some kids (as well as adults) how to shoot for the first time...one of which was the Principal, who was skeptical at first about us doing it...needless to say, we were highest profit booth of the night. But my eyes were opened to how many parents, as well as kids, don't have a clue about guns. I was sure to invite the dad's that were with their kids to take the opportunity to "teach" their sons and or daughters how to shoot, even if it was a BB gun. But wow, some didn't even have a clue...I am currently trying to talk the Principal into allowing me to teach a safety course...I doubt it will go through, but the seed has been planted, as well as I have him interested in shooting...he has asked to tag along on my next shooting day...one more for the group!!!

 

[btucker1947]

gun safety in schools

I saw a quick flick on the news 4 or 5 years ago . An undercover DEA agent as he intoduced himself. He demonstrated the handling of a 38 in a 4th grade class room. He shot himself in the foot. I'm not making this up.

Next the camera blurred his face , after he shoots his foot. He's limping, you know it hurts.
He was cool though, and asked all the kids; if they were OK. everyone was,and he was going to the next gun demo. He asked his helper to hand him what was in the box.
When an assault rifle was in his hand, everyone in the room ran out of there screaming.
The news people were laughing histerically, on TV at the Under Cover DEA ,as he described himself.
They rerun it twice;.......they thought it was that good LOLO.
But it was not on TV again. I Wonder if his Boss was watching.:banghead:

 

[shdwfx]

The gun in the incident you referenced was a Glock (.40 S&W). It's pretty infamous.

The very first mistake was having the demo firearms and ammo in the same room. It is just a bad idea to have the two together for a classroom session. That is what inert training guns or Airsoft are for.

 

[shdwfx]

LWGN, pushing to include gun safety as part of health class is a great angle.
(just so long as the material didn't treat guns like alchohol or drugs).

 

[Oana]

Well, the NRA has Eddie Eagle, which is a good program, but it hasn't been implemented many places, and it's for the younger set.

I agree, there should at least be some semblance of gun safety taught in schools. Not as alcohol or drugs, like shdwfx said, but as a tool. Teach the four rules at a minimum, and you could probably remove a huge risk factor in "accidental" (negligent) shootings. A firearms elective would also be great - shooting, or even the mechanical end.

 

[emb]

The irrational fear of guns is just that. Education will help that, but I don't believe that it will ever be allowed in the public school system. Many popular opinions are founded solely on ignorance.

Here in Florida telling parents that this is a good thing to teach to their children along with hunting and other outdoor pursuits is like watching a bomb go off. "There will be blood running in the halls!" It doesn't make sense, but then facts rarely get in the way of good argument.

When I was in grade school, I lived in a small town southwest of Spokane. The entire, and I mean the entire, 7th grade class participated in the Hunter Safety Program. I still have the little green card. I was participating in the NRA postal shoots at the college ROTC 22 range and walked to and from home with my rifle over my shoulder and the bolt in my pocket. My friends left their rifles on the bus in the care of the bus driver. The high school kids brought their rifles to school if they were going hunting after school.

I don't recall a single incident, complaint or objection. Ahhhh.... What happened?

 

[Sato Ord]

I'd love to see good gun safety courses in schools starting with elementary school and continuing until graduation. It doesn't have to be a regular, semester long class but something that is taught periodically like the fire safety, and the awareness of strangers types of classes.

Such awareness of firearms among school children would go a long way toward preventing accidents like the one already mentioned in thread.

However, it goes so far against the liberal attitude that all guns are bad that you ain't gonna see such classes in school anytime soon. Every time this subject crops up the antis rally in force against pushing the "dangerous gun culture" off on innocent kids. I guess they feel it's better to let those kids learn the hard way even if it means some will die and some will be traumatized for life because of being involved in accidents involving firearms; accidents that can easily be prevented by a little education.

 

[btucker1947]

safety was Taught by our parents

Most of the kids I grew up with in the 50's & 60's had a father that had been a Soldier in WWII or Korean War. They were the ones who taught us. Weapon , piece, rifle, not a gun. Keep it clean and ready.

No loaded guns in the house.....was my fathers rule. We were showed how to dissemble and clean every rifle or shotgun we owned.
Safety was always the highest priority. Never point a gun at anything , that you don't intend to kill.

Always check chambers when some one hands you a rifle , shotgun or pistol. Check your bore that it's clear , and mirror polished or Dad will make you clean it again. I never heard of cosmoline until I was told about, Soldiers pulling M-!'s out of a barrel of cosmoline and they had to clean them.

It's our turn and our job now. I am truely blessed as you all are too. We are Americans.

 

[Hokkmike]

At our school:

1. We have a competitive shooting team.

2. Hunter education courses are held here.

3. Many of the faculty and school board members are avid shooters.

Yes, it is a PUBLIC high school in Pennsylvania.

That being said, firearms or weapons are not permitted on school property. All shooting and instruction wit hactual guns is done at a cooperating hunting club 7 miles away.

I have some 13 year old girls who have shot 11 point bucks with guns you might only dream about. (generous dads)

 

[Geno]

When I was still instructing Hunter Safety, I taught the classes at the high school. I took my firearms to the school and locked the bolts in the high school vault. I locked the firearms in the closet in my classroom's office. We also had a hunting club. Oh how the times have changed.

 

[alaskanativeson]

However, it goes so far against the liberal attitude that all guns are bad that you ain't gonna see such classes in school anytime soon.

It depends on where you are. In my last district up here in Alaska we had a standards-based education system. This means there is no numbered grade system, students don't automatically pass from one grade to the next automatically at the end of the year. They need to actually do work and reach a certain proficiency in the subject material in the level they're in before they move to a new level regardless of the time of year it is. This means you can have a smart, motivated student ready to graduate as soon as they are willing to complete all the work, it's a great system (in theory - I'd like it a lot if I taught somewhere that students had any motivation to try.)

Anyway, to bring this in to guns, a couple different levels require gun safety as part of their Personal and Social Standards. By the highest level they must demonstrate safe gun handling and firing procedures. That meant I had to actually go out and shoot with the students.