Should firearm safety be taught in public schools?.....

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am totally in favor of something neutral like "Eddie Eagle" in the curriculum, provided it is optional and not mandatory. (Yes, one would be foolish not to avail oneself, but no one should be forced.)

 

[RNB65]

Of course it should. It should be mandatory. There would be a lot fewer accidental shootings and deaths if someone would just give kids a little understanding of basic firearms safety.

 

[mortablunt]

It should be made part of the national mandated curriculum and at least taught from a gun neutral, if not pro gun stance. Of course, the Brady Campaigns and VPC's of the world would moan endlessly and the international community would never let us live it down. The gun safety teaching would definitely have to go into types of guns, carry, self defense, and that sort of thing.

 

[El Mariachi]

I'm in my mid 50's and grew up in a very nice beach small town in So Cal, never got into any trouble, enjoyed surfing and fishing with both my parents and went to our fantastic public schools which were replete with tons of 'extra-curricular' activities during school hours, that didn't cost squat. Things like metal shop, wood shop, auto shop, welding classes, electronics, print shop, photography classes, ceramics, cooking, journalism, swimming, fencing, and hell, even surfing. Those really were a great time to be a kid in this now gawd-awful state. But today? We don't have anything like that anymore, and I would posit that this is the cause of a gigantic increase in slothiness, lazyness, petty and major crimes, unemployment, no manners, no gumption or moxie, lack of personal responsibility and a general cloud of malaise enveloping our young kids today. These kinds of activities really need to make a come back if we want to turn around this country. Because quite frankly, not only will every kid Nnotget a college degree, but there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG and ZERO SHAME with being a skilled, blue collar worker......

 

[Red Cent]

Public schools does not teach firearms safety
Charter schools do not teach firearms safety
Christian schools do not teach firearm safety
How many home schools teach firearms safety?

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

I don't think anything should be taught in public schools. LOL

 

[fgr39]

it absolutly should be taught, my fiancee (a teacher) who never fired a firearm until I took her shooting (she likes that I have a hobby and will go from time to time but not a gun person) believes that gun saftey needs to be taught in school and feels by not teaching it that kids are being put in danger.

 

[Neverwinter]

Public schools should teach firearm safety, as part of its health education. Just as kids without sex education are a risk to their peers, kids without firearms education are also a risk. An education which just tells them to just leave it alone and tell an adult isn't going to be any more sufficient than abstinence education in protecting their health.

It is possible to go too far in regards to firearms education, just as with sex education. What they need is the information which allows them to be safe, but everything beyond that is unnecessary.

 

[vellocet]

It, in fact, used to be. I still have my safe firearms class card from Fairfax county,Virginia from 1967. We all had to take it. I wonder if I could use it to pass the class section for getting a ccw? Why they did that in high school there is a puzzle, 'cause back then there were no deer at all anywhere. So many now people have to poison them. Strange.

 

[vellocet]

Hey. It used to be taught. Anyone want to pick up on this? Want to see the card? It was paid for by the NRA and done during school hours. Anyone remember? There was a well-known war going on at the same time. Anyone?

 

[303tom]

It is in ours !

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

No different than teaching automotive safety, or home safety. Yours truly got his various safety educations in the Boy Scouts, but not everyone has that option. How long does a safety block of intruction last ? 2 hours at the most? I'd even volunteer my time if they let me.

 

[mortablunt]

^ I'd be willing to volunteer my time to teach others about guns and safety. I've offered everyone in my family free basic one on one instruction. I'm not a certified teacher, but at least I'd feel safer knowing that they could handle something like an armed home invasion. I've taught one of my friend's father how to use a gun for self defense and the relevant issues. It was a cursory thing. "Aim down the sights." "Squeeze the trigger." "Don't go out looking for your enemy." "If you shoot, make it your last resort and aim for the vitals." "The moment they turn tail or stop moving, cease fire." "A knife is a devastating weapon in the confines of your apartment." Let the Police know that you used your gun." "Talk to a lawyer." "If the intruder grabs your gun, hit them while they cannot guard themselves." "If you have a knife or another gun, use it at this point." "A bullet that can kill a man will definitely go through walls and can kill someone in another building." The guy is an immigrant who grew up in Communist Hungary and was conscripted. It just so happens that teaching home defense manual of arms was not part of the training program.

 

[Dr_B]

We have driving safety courses, so I see no reason we shouldn't have firearms safety. Especially since owning firearms is a right and owning a vehicle is only a privilege. However I doubt it will ever become mainstream because those who run schools are generally afraid of guns, and any time guns are mentioned in connection with children people get really uptight.

 

[fpdsniper]

I would love to see it at our local schools here. I teach NRA Basic Pistol now, but would expand to teach gun safety to kids if the schools would allow it. Might have to see what I can do with this.

 

[Psa1m144]

Schools should partner with the NRA and teach firearm safety. I have thought this for a long time. It would be VERY beneficial.

 

[Alex23]

100% alexander

Here in Chicago the "authorities" are as anti gun as you can get. One alderwoman suggested that we at least teach firearm safety. OMG the press, mayor etc. had a stroke. No surprise, being Chicago.

Yes but you have to be rational about this. Chicago has no crime at all thanks that policy. And the city is a model of good governance totally free of corruption. The police force is the finest in the world and is amazingly effective.

/ Stops drinking liberal kool-aid.



More seriously, it is an interesting idea teaching gun safety in school. I grew up in a small town and our parents, uncles, or grandparents taught us to shoot at a very young age. But not everyone lives in that kind of environment and gun safety is a practical skill everyone should master - it's not hard but it does make sense.

 

[Hugo]

Of course firearm safety should be taught. Knowing how to use something safely is wise. Of course many in government and school systems will be foolish and choose to ignore the idea of training. SRO (cops assigned to schools) would be ideal to teach this since they need to engage the students at their school more anyway.

Also "How to use a fire extinguisher" should be taught with at least a short video to all kids. Fires happen everywhere and as kids you need to be trained early for the next 50 years of your life or so to be able to deal with it.

Plus they have driving safety videos they make students watch. A few more on equally important topics is a wise move.

 

[Deus Machina]

I think that gun safety should be added to the anti-drug, anti-gang circuit. Some of you guys remember things like the DARE officer coming for a couple Wednesdays, or the like.

I think there should be an optional class on safety and use. Bring back a rifle team, even air rifles, and use that as an excuse.

Aside from that, a class in the DARE style on just how not to shoot yourself. Safeties usually work like this, don't rely on them. Hold it like this. This is how you clear it. Really basic stuff that it seems like your occasional Fudd hasn't learned. Not so much how to use it, just how to not set it off through ignorance.

Edit: I agree with Hugo on this. "Sex Ed" one week, "DARE" (IE: If you ever touch a drug, you will freak out and die) another, "Fire Safety/How To Use An Extinguisher So The Burning Ashtray Doesn't Burn Down Your House" the next, and so on. Things that everyone should know, at the very least.

 

[MtnCreek]

The short answer to getting proper firearms instruction in schools is to get the government out.

Restaurants, shooting ranges and grocery stores have to compete to get your business by providing goods and services faster, better or cheaper than the competition. Education is a service just like any other and would be subject to the market forces of supply and demand if not for a government imposed monopoly that exists now.

Suppose we had “public” restaurants and grocery stores like they did in the Soviet Union? Quality would be low and variety would be very limited. You would have to take what they offered as you would have little choice. Education is no different. If you would like to see gun safety taught, or even competitive high school rifle teams return, the focus should be on the root cause of the problem, socialized education. It forces every child into a ‘one size fits all’ curriculum that reflects the values of the centralized planners in Washington and the agendas set by whatever special interest groups can afford to lobby Congress. We all know that socialists and collectivists are staunchly opposed to individual ownership of weapons and right now, those groups are heavily vested in public education.

You may not be interested in politics but politics may be very interested in your guns.

Amen Brother Sparks!
Want to know why the government should administer education? Go to the source. http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/

 

[Deus Machina]

The problem with this is that, without government-sponsored education, only the rich get any decent education at all. We end up with poor families that can't educate their children, who grow up to be uneducated and utterly unemployable adults.

I'm not saying private schools don't provide better. But we need something for free, or those on the bottom rung don't even have a chance to climb.

But that's a debate for elsewhere.

 

[Lonestar49]

Let's see -

...

OMG, you'd have the anti's up in arms.. sick/saying but true

Then up the road the liable suits would come out of the walls (of such schooling) if done/allowed/a chosen course, etc.

I believe it should be a choice/course but then like driving classes and restrictions with young drivers, etc., which, given what I've read, seen, etc., over the decades since I earned my driver's license with the only instruction coming from my Mom and Dad and no wipe-outs/accidents or "injury's or deaths" given the privilege along with responsibility's and consequences, I survived.. lol

Maybe best to leave it to Mom and Dad for such instruction and once any kid becomes of age, 18 and older, let them make the decision/s of how, if any, they go about getting good instruction..

Gonna file this one under "Hope" as that is the best we can hope for, decisions made with understanding and self responsibility's that (should) go with one's "decisions/choices" in a world that, so far, has taken such responsibility's and made excuses for most with "ism's" of this mind/quark and that mind/quark..

Freedom of choice/s has been replaced with "this is-am or that" for every/most bad choices/mistakes people make.. They're all sick one way or another without due fault of their own..

Except for the_gun - it's always the_main problem to "most" that have none and, with none, no understanding of how_they_work, the same as driving that car.. right, safe, way or out of control due to many factors.. But the_car remains "a must have" vs the gun/s "must go" for most..

OMMV,


Ls

 

[Loosedhorse]

Schools should partner with the NRA and teach firearm safety. I have thought this for a long time. It would be VERY beneficial.

Could never happen around here. The NRA is seen as by some as a terrorist organization, specializing in facilitating the murder of children and police. The VPC considers Eddie Eagle to be "Joe Camel with feathers."

Massachusetts decided at some point they needed a kid firearm safety program. Couldn't use the tainted NRA Eddie Eagle "Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult." So they "improved" it by making it longer and harder to remember. Even had some other mascott (maybe a turkey?) before the program folded. The CPHV came up with a "STAR" program, which also seems to have folded.

I understand that VA has "Finnigan Fox" as its children's gun safety mascot.

 

[MtnCreek]

LoosedHorse,

From the Joe Camel w/ Feathers link:

Black Hills Ammunition, Inc. In 1994 Black Hills Ammunition was a member of the Fair$hare Program, in which participants contribute "at least 1/10 percent of their annual gross revenues." The company contributed $1,000 or more to the Foundation. Black Hills Ammunition manufactures black powder and explosives.

So that's what that red tip is on my Black Hills Gold loaded w/ 155gr A-Max; it must be RDX!

 

[J-Bar]

No.

Virtually 100% of teenagers drive cars, but driver's ed. is not in every school, and it is elective in those schools who offer it. A much lower percentage of teenagers will handle a gun. The analogy between cars and guns is invalid.

Addressing gun safety in public school can be handled in one sentence..."If you see one, don't touch it until you get proper instruction". It's like teaching a toddler not to stick dimes in an electric recepticle in the wall, or not to take candy from strangers.

Anything more than that should not be part of the curriculum.