South African firearm training

[Flashpoint]

I learned something new yesterday. A group of friends were over at the house and among them was a couple from South Africa. The subject turned to shooting and target practice (it usually does at some point b/c my back yard is were all my buddies come to shoot) and Ivan brings up that he would someday like to be able to teach his son (age 2) to handle a firearm. He goes on to say that in South Africa from grads 1-8 they teach firearm safety so when they get into high school (they don't have middle school in South Africa) they are ready to go to the school's shooting range. Is that cool or what? It's kind of like shop class but all the boys are required to go. From the class the instructors learn who the marksmen are and put together teams to compete in shooting competitions with other schools. The idea of schools teaching kids to use firearms was just an unfathomable thought. I was just wondering while I was typing this out, what effect would a program like this have on the number of school shootings in America? I have never heard of school shootings in South Africa and Ivan never mentioned any. Then again the culture and general discipline is different in South Africa. The idea of implementing such programs would make for some interesting what ifs.

 

[El Tejon]

Flash, even New York City public schools had rifle teams until the late '60s.

 

[Sunray]

Yep, up here, in the olden days, every high school had a cadet corps. Shootng was normal. There was even a disused range in the high school I went to. The guy who owned the gun store I worked in got his high school letter for shooting.
Then again, I can just imagine the horror stories that would result if the current crop of leftist, panty waisted, overpaid, underworked whining plugs teaching high school now ever had to deal with firearms. It's bad enough they will allow a completely unqualified teacher teach PC repair never mind let them try and teach teenagers to shoot.

 

[Flashpoint]

I guess I'm showing my age.

 

[toro]

In an overprotective world, we have raised several generations which would have been quickly and seriously reduced in numbers in an older culture. The pioneer farmer, the frontier herdsman, the seafarer in the days of sail--these people were accustomed to the idea that the consequenence of stupidity could easily be death.

So, if a person felt that safety were the first consideration in handling weapons, he would never handle one, and thus achieve the dubious felicity of placing himself in greater danger from his foes than from his own weapons. This is why we have become so afraid of guns. Schools and even some parents have given their children a terrible fear of the handgun.

A defensive handgun enables us to be equal with the criminal and extremely hazzardous for the criminal to molest us. Therefore, safety in pistolcraft is first obtained by learning to hit one's target--quick, strainght, and hard. It therefore behooves us to learn to handle our handguns correctly--with percision, and indeed with as much safety as we can allow. I think it is commendable for parents to teach their children first, gun safety then to shoot. We all live busy lives, but teaching one's children to shoot is a must. I do wish our school system was not so PC.

Mrs. Toro


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1 Kings 10:18-29
Moreover the king (Solomon) made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with gold. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Before the '90s, many high schools had JROTC programs and along with those programs, rifle teams and marksmanship training. Granted all they had were .22s but that's good enough. Then the Big Scare over guns came along and many programs shut down (in Calif) and ranges closed. I wonder how many Boy Scouts have their merit badges for shooting?

 

[Lars]

I was on the high school rifle team in Everett WA from 88-90.
We shot against mostly 4H teams.

 

[Jaco]

There is still some basic firearm handling taught at soem SA schools, but with the government trying to disarm the civilian hands, that would not last much longer.

School shootings are very rare here.

 

[duckfoot]

Goose Creek High School JROTC Rifle Team 90-94,

Still there I think!

 

[Oracle]

Some schools in GA still have rifle teams. I know that Griffin High School still does.

 

[Harold Mayo]

Hey, Jaco...

School shootings are very rare here, too. The media would just like people to think that they're common.

 

[Harold Mayo]

Just noticed something...

Hey, Flashpoint...? Where are you located in NE Arkansas? Maybe we need to get together.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Glad to hear some High Schools still have rifle teams or JROTC.

 

[Thrash1982]

I went to Pike High School in Indianapolis, IN (graduated 2001). We still have our ROTC shooting range upstairs but now it is only used for air rifle. No more .22s. We also had an ROTC rifle team.

 

[SodaPop]

I guess I'm showing my age.

That's ok, some of our THR members were at the Alamo.