Drizzt
Member
Kids, cookies, pizza, firearms
Doug Grow, Star Tribune
February 24, 2005 GROW0224
Before the gun safety training class that a Minneapolis gun shop owner is planning for Minneapolis kids, all ammunition will be "secured."
Everyone agrees that's a good idea.
After that, though, questions arise about a plan by Mark Koscielski and his friend Joel Rosenberg to offer a free gun-safety program Friday evening at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, 2926 Chicago Av. S.
The program is for children, 6 years old and up. Pizza and cookies will be served at the class, which is to "take the mystery -- and mystique -- out of guns."
Koscielski, who seems to thrive on agitating city officials and those who support gun control, says that he and Rosenberg are motivated by good intentions. Koscielski says he's weary of reading stories about shootings based on accidents or foolish behavior.
"We had a boy killed because he pointed a pellet gun at a police officer," Koscielski said. "We've had cases where somebody gets drunk, points a gun at somebody and kills them. When I was a boy [in Minneapolis public schools] we had gun-safety training and it didn't seem like these sorts of things were happening."
Koscielski said he and Rosenberg, who are certified firearms instructors, won't be teaching children how to shoot. Rather, they'll be teaching kids what to do if they find a gun.
"We'll be telling them, 'If you find a gun, don't touch! Somebody call 911.' "
But the two men also will teach kids how to handle a gun.
"Take the mystery away," Koscielski said.
Margorie Hardy, a psychology professor at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., has a brief response to the Koscielski-Rosenberg plan.
"You're kidding," she said.
Teaching children how they should react around guns will have no impact on how they will react, said Hardy, who has done studies on children's play and guns.
"I'm sure those children will leave the store telling you it's not safe to handle a gun, but that doesn't mean they won't handle a gun," she said. "It doesn't work to tell a child not to touch medications; that's why we have child-proof caps. It doesn't work to tell a child about the dangers of drowning; that's why we have fences around swimming pools. The only thing that's effective is to keep the environment safe."
Gun safety is an adult issue, Hardy said.
Her point of view is shared by Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, which has called for tighter control of guns. Rebecca Thoman, executive director of that organization, sounded a little startled by the Koscielski plan. She is concerned that such programs lead to bad public policy.
"We end up with policy in which we believe we just need to train children rather than have tighter restrictions," Thoman said.
She said she fears a resurrection of "Eddie Eagle" legislation, a National Rifle Association-backed scheme that actually had some political support a few years ago. Under this legislation, gun-safety training would have been a part of education for kindergarten through third-grade children in the state.
But Mike Hammer, the education coordinator for the state's Department of Natural Resources, said he has empathy for Koscielski and Rosenberg. Once upon a time, Hammer pointed out, the DNR had gun-safety training programs in many of the state's school districts, including Minneapolis. But after a number of awful school shootings, anything having to do with guns -- including safety training -- fell out of favor in most school districts.
The DNR still trains about 22,000 Minnesota kids, 11 years old and up, every year. It also has training information on its website for parents and kids.
But much as he believes in safety-training programs, Hammer also appreciates the positions of such people as Hardy. Giving a kid a safety course isn't enough; adult supervision after training also is vital, Hammer said.
Koscielski hopes kids will bring their parents Friday. (Parental or a guardian's permission is required before a kid will be allowed in the door.)
While talking guns, pizza and cookies, Koscielski started recalling the good old days.
"In fifth grade at Bancroft school [in the mid 1960s], we had a Halloween parade through the hallways," he said. "I was GI Joe and I was carrying my .22 rifle. A teacher came up to me and said, 'You don't have ammunition do you?' I said, 'Nope.' She said, 'OK.' "
It's always been a good idea to keep the ammo out of the hands of kids.
Doug Grow is at [email protected]
http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/5257325.html
Doug Grow, Star Tribune
February 24, 2005 GROW0224
Before the gun safety training class that a Minneapolis gun shop owner is planning for Minneapolis kids, all ammunition will be "secured."
Everyone agrees that's a good idea.
After that, though, questions arise about a plan by Mark Koscielski and his friend Joel Rosenberg to offer a free gun-safety program Friday evening at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, 2926 Chicago Av. S.
The program is for children, 6 years old and up. Pizza and cookies will be served at the class, which is to "take the mystery -- and mystique -- out of guns."
Koscielski, who seems to thrive on agitating city officials and those who support gun control, says that he and Rosenberg are motivated by good intentions. Koscielski says he's weary of reading stories about shootings based on accidents or foolish behavior.
"We had a boy killed because he pointed a pellet gun at a police officer," Koscielski said. "We've had cases where somebody gets drunk, points a gun at somebody and kills them. When I was a boy [in Minneapolis public schools] we had gun-safety training and it didn't seem like these sorts of things were happening."
Koscielski said he and Rosenberg, who are certified firearms instructors, won't be teaching children how to shoot. Rather, they'll be teaching kids what to do if they find a gun.
"We'll be telling them, 'If you find a gun, don't touch! Somebody call 911.' "
But the two men also will teach kids how to handle a gun.
"Take the mystery away," Koscielski said.
Margorie Hardy, a psychology professor at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., has a brief response to the Koscielski-Rosenberg plan.
"You're kidding," she said.
Teaching children how they should react around guns will have no impact on how they will react, said Hardy, who has done studies on children's play and guns.
"I'm sure those children will leave the store telling you it's not safe to handle a gun, but that doesn't mean they won't handle a gun," she said. "It doesn't work to tell a child not to touch medications; that's why we have child-proof caps. It doesn't work to tell a child about the dangers of drowning; that's why we have fences around swimming pools. The only thing that's effective is to keep the environment safe."
Gun safety is an adult issue, Hardy said.
Her point of view is shared by Citizens for a Safer Minnesota, which has called for tighter control of guns. Rebecca Thoman, executive director of that organization, sounded a little startled by the Koscielski plan. She is concerned that such programs lead to bad public policy.
"We end up with policy in which we believe we just need to train children rather than have tighter restrictions," Thoman said.
She said she fears a resurrection of "Eddie Eagle" legislation, a National Rifle Association-backed scheme that actually had some political support a few years ago. Under this legislation, gun-safety training would have been a part of education for kindergarten through third-grade children in the state.
But Mike Hammer, the education coordinator for the state's Department of Natural Resources, said he has empathy for Koscielski and Rosenberg. Once upon a time, Hammer pointed out, the DNR had gun-safety training programs in many of the state's school districts, including Minneapolis. But after a number of awful school shootings, anything having to do with guns -- including safety training -- fell out of favor in most school districts.
The DNR still trains about 22,000 Minnesota kids, 11 years old and up, every year. It also has training information on its website for parents and kids.
But much as he believes in safety-training programs, Hammer also appreciates the positions of such people as Hardy. Giving a kid a safety course isn't enough; adult supervision after training also is vital, Hammer said.
Koscielski hopes kids will bring their parents Friday. (Parental or a guardian's permission is required before a kid will be allowed in the door.)
While talking guns, pizza and cookies, Koscielski started recalling the good old days.
"In fifth grade at Bancroft school [in the mid 1960s], we had a Halloween parade through the hallways," he said. "I was GI Joe and I was carrying my .22 rifle. A teacher came up to me and said, 'You don't have ammunition do you?' I said, 'Nope.' She said, 'OK.' "
It's always been a good idea to keep the ammo out of the hands of kids.
Doug Grow is at [email protected]
http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/5257325.html
