Gun safety in grade school why vs why not

[usmc1371]

Ok so I have to write a persuasive essay for my class and the point of my essay is that basic gun safety should be taught in grade school right along with "don't play with matches" and "don't talk to strangers". I need some reasons why this would be a great idea and whats the oppisition to teaching basic gun safety to young kids.

all thoughts on the subject are welcome and I need both sides ie. it would lessen accidental shootings or No way I wan't my kid exposed to anything to do with guns in any way.

I plan to stop by my old grade school to see if the principle will answer a few questions about the subject tommorow.

 

[shotgunjoel]

"Do you really want your kid to find a gun, and not know what to do?" "Guns are very common, decent chance of kids encountering them."

 

[General Geoff]

It's a matter of public safety. Now that firearms ownership has been established as a constitutionally protected individual right (via Heller), firearms safety (and perhaps even basic marksmanship) should be taught in public schools.

 

[Huddog]

The Eddie Eagle program is a great one but I don't know if it will give you a lot of Why teach it. There really is no reason not to teach children to leave Guns alone, don't touch them, tell an adult etc. I think if you are talking true gun "handling" basics it is too much to expect from public schools with the different maturity levels of kids. Besides do you really want the government schools to teach this they do such a great job with math, science, english and all the other things they are supposed to teach.

 

[cavman]

I could have sworn that i have come across in the past a study where children and guns were observed. The scenario that I remember went something like this:

Two groups of kids one with guns knowledge and the other without were put in a room with toys, and in the toys was/were guns.

The upshot was that they kids who had no prior instruction on safe handling starter shooting each other up for fun (read tragic accidents in the home) . The other kids recognized the weapon as real and behaved much more responsibly and didn't.

I tried my Google-fu but it was weak.

Besides, shooting builds good skills and responsibilities that come with competition, in addition to general knowledge that may provide obvious Health and Welfare benefits.

 

[kyle1974]

you guys are all wrong...

we can only teach gay marraige and the proper way to put on a condom.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Since the office of the school is to educate children to function in society and since firearms are a part of American society, firearm safety should be included in the curriculum.

But that's just one mother's opinion.

 

[usmc1371]

thanks for the help and keep up the good work. I am finding tons of sites saying don't have guns in your house and it will not be a problem what a croc.

 

[Isher]

If I remember correctly,

The sequence went something like this

(Starting at age four or five)

Single blade pocketknife

(And yeah I cut the **** out of myself right away)

Light hatchet

For cutting kindling

A Collins Trapper Axe

A single shot .22

Then a single shot .20 ga

All with careful attention to use and practise.

Along with that,

Lots of chores, done every day.

And my Dad's iron rule

That you always took care of the animals

Before you took care of yourself, be

They chickens, dogs, horses, hogs,

Whatever.

Now, not to sound like too much of a fossil here,

Where in hell does this poor sanitized

Thing called "gun safety" fit in

Within the context of these kid's lives.

Not that I'm against,

Its just that so much else, critical and simultaneous with living,

Was exactly part and parcel of that whole process,

Pulling weeds and herding chickens,

is seemingly long gone lost.

So, if I had a lonely piece of advice,

I would put your challenge in place within their life as a whole,

Not just guns 'n ammo.


isher

 

[dogtown tom]

I teach in Plano, Texas and the "Eddie Eagle" books are in our elementary school libraries.

 

[catspa]

In some states, including WA, Hunter Safety Education classes are offered by the DFW or an equivalent agency. They are oriented toward hunting and hunting firearms but contain a heavy safety component. Our students look forward to the shooting session at the end of the class, which is held at a local gun club and offers a hands-on opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of responsible gun-handling.

I first got involved in the program in 1993, and to this day none of our students has been involved in a shooting accident, so I know it works.

Parker

 

[Tiomoid]

If we are to educate our children, gun safety should be reserved for older children in the last years of highschool. Seniors/Juniors etc.

 

[ants]

Gun safety in schools? What were they thinking?

Cars kill a lot more people than guns do, so why don't they teach driver safety in school? Huh?

Sexually transmitted diseases kill more people than guns do, so why don't they teach sex education in school? Huh?

Heart disease and diabetes kill a lot more people than guns do, so why don't they teach health and physical fitness in school? Huh?


[Am I making the point simple enough for them?]

 

[TAB]

Its the parents choice rather or not they want thier kids to get such training.

Teachers have a hard enough time teaching the 3 Rs... there is no reason to cut down the time they have to do that.

 

[usmc1371]

Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating for public school to teach kids "how" to use a gun just that I think they should teach some basic safety, IE the eddie eagle program. I graduated HS in 1996 and had to take sex ed, drug awareness, first aid/cpr, and drivers ed in regular class. Never once did any one ever say don't play with guns. Good thing I started shooting at age 5 and grew up shooting and hunting so safe gun handling was second nature for me.

I am sure the days of HS shooting teams are long gone.

 

[Isher]

usmc1371 -

Not disagreeing.

Graduated in '69.

Actual, present, parents, on the whole,

Seem to be incredibly more effective

Than mass, gummint enforced eddication.

For what its worth.

isher

 

[usmc1371]

Isher, I value your input and agree fully that parents should be the ones to teach gun safety. The reason I would like to see some safety taught in school is for the kids who's parents are eathier lazy or not educated enough to teach their kids the very basics.

 

[Rockwell1]

I'm going to be the desenting opinion I guess.

It is not the place of the school to teach my children about gun safety, it's mine.

As parents I think we cede too much authority and too much of the responsibility of raising our children to the schools.

I want my kids to grow up learning my values not the values of their leftist, dope smoking , America hating, 7th grade english teacher.

 

[SMMAssociates]

usmc1371:

I graduated in 1963. I think "how to tune your flints" had just been removed from the curriculum.... (Who knew that muzzleloaders would take off again....)

My vote is "Definitely" for things like Eddie Eagle. Yeah, it's "stay away from guns", but "we" can fix that at our end if it's an issue. The little bitty ones need the "don't touch without an adult present" help anyway, even if we're providing most of it.

For those who are scared to death that a kid might know what a gun is, well, they can hope that their kids would absorb enough to "run away", and not become victims. It's not fair to their kids to take the risk that a kid will find a gun.... I'm not talking about the anti's favorite "gun laying on the bed" argument - that's our responsibility, and those who can't keep 'em secured are a whole 'nother problem. A problem that can only be HELPED by things like Eddie Eagle....

After that, well, if the school's got a rifle team or some such, great. Otherwise, it's up to us. Eddie Eagle will save lives just by keeping the kids away from guns while they're too young, or too "protected" to learn more. We'll likely save a few more with the proper training later on, but the anti's can't see that....

Regards,

 

[cookand]

I'm with TAB,

My kids will go to school to learn science, math, english, and the other basics. Religion? We go to church for that. Guns? They go out back for that.

Not everyone likes guns, or wants to be around guns. They shouldn't be forced to take some course on it. Won't do a damn bit of good anyway. Its ideas like this that bolster the anti-gun crowd imo.

Just let the 2nd be what it is. It protects those that want to defend themselves with a firearm. Nothing more, nothing less. In this political climate, we should be thankful to our fathers they worded it that way.

 

[General Geoff]

Not everyone likes [strike]guns[/strike] chemistry, or wants to be around [strike]guns[/strike] chemistry. They shouldn't be forced to take some course on it. Won't do a damn bit of good anyway.

See the problem with that logic?

 

[TAB]

you don't have to take chem to get your HS dipolma...

 

[General Geoff]

Yes you do. At least in my HS you did.

 

[TAB]

All thats required is a physical science.

 

[General Geoff]

required courses in my HS were biology, chemistry, physics and one other science credit.