Gun Safety 101 Sparks Debate
Fox News
Saturday, May 21, 2005
LOS ANGELES " Arizona schools have added a fourth "R" to reading, writing and arithmetic " rifles.
Students who choose to enroll in this new course learn the safe way to handle a gun and earn one credit " the equivalent to ceramics or photography electives. Critics are gunning the debate; they say handing teenagers loaded weapons equals trouble.
"I'm afraid these programs are really geared more toward increasing peoples interest in guns rather than safety," said Dr. Mary Rimsza, director of the Student Health Center at ASU (search).
Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' William La Jeunesse.
However, some students say it is on target with their curriculum.
"We learn life skills, like when we miss [a shot], not to get mad. You learn a lot of cooperation with your team members," said student Kim Peters.
And many parents argue they would rather their children learn how to handle a gun and be safe, than be sorry.
"It is very important for a child to be proficient responsible with a firearm as a hobby or just practical shooting, he should know how to operate it just like you would teach a child how to operate a saw or any hand tool," said parent Scott Marx.
Arizona's State Game and Fish Department said it will dispatch qualified, trained instructors to every school that signs up.
I wish more schools would teach the hunting and shooting sports as elective courses.
It might even save a few lives along the way. But of course we will never know because it's not news worthy until someone gets shot.[:@]
Just like teaching them English. They don't use the language properly until they have been taught properly and comprehend what they have been taught. Children will not know how to use a gun safely until someone teaches them the proper and safe way to handle firearms.
I'm glad that at least in some parts of this country people have some common sence.
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This makes me think of how different things are from when I was in high school. All during the hunting seasons we all had our shotguns and rifles in our vehicle in the school parking lot. Most of the time the outfits were not even locked. Of course this was Small town South Dakota. I even brought a shot gun into school to take it to shop class to refinish the stock as a shop project. Every pickup in town had a gun rack with a couple guns in it. Some of us would even take the guns out in the parking lot to show the other guys what we were packing. Like I said times have changed even in small town SD. Although not as much as most places.
This makes me think of how different things are from when I was in high school. All during the hunting seasons we all had our shotguns and rifles in our vehicle in the school parking lot.
I know. How times change huh? Same deal at my high school in Alabama. Not only did we bring our guns in our trucks every day during hunting season but all the guys had a pocket knife on them as well. Not to cut anyone with mind you. There was never a knife pulled on anyone in the history of my school. If a kid brings a metal nail file to school now they act like they walked through the doors with a hydrogen bomb under their arm. And yet despite these new strict rules our high schools are far less safe than mine was. Goes to show you it ain't the gun or knife thats the problem it's the caliber of people you are dealing with.
Todd. Yes I never even thought about knives. Hell, no country boy ever left home without his trusty pocket knife if not a hunting knife as well. Who ever even thought about anyone in school being attacked by a knife or gun. They were for hunting animals.
If I screwed up in school it was not the cops I had to worry about, It was my dad. If I had time to get in trouble, He would have found me enough work at home on the farm to be sure that wouldn't be the case again.
I think gun safety should be thought in schools, it will keep these kids who have never seen or handled a gun from finding one and playing with it and accidentally shooting their friend or brother. When I was younger my father thought me about guns and even showed me the loaded handgun he keeps in his bed room. He told me it was loaded and that it was hidden in the bed room, that way if I ever found it by accident there would be no surprises and I would know not to touch it.
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The highschool I graduated from had a rifle team, and competed against other high schools - it was a school-sponsored sport! Boy has this country gone to hell, or what??
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yea i remember we had hunters education in school when i was in grade school 9-10years old, we used pellet guns and i thought it was the coolest thing ever. tought ppl who would other wise not know what a gun looked like the basic safety essentials. I thought it was a great idea. But like most good ideas that come through the school systems nowadays they scraped it and made you take one more PE. NICE work To the school board on that one. I know i would like kids knowin how to play kick ball more than i would want them to be able to understand that a gun WILL KILL YOU, and how to use them properly.
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that is great but lets put where it belongs trust the school ? I took my son and my girl when they turn 5 or 6 to the range and show the right way and the wrong way to handle a gun and now they are great shots and both hunt. I agree with with with you I did not worrie about the school when I got in trouble god forbid that dad found out not like now you cant even the dad when the kids has a problem..
"I'm afraid these programs are really geared more toward increasing peoples interest in guns rather than safety," said Dr. Mary Rimsza, director of the Student Health Center at ASU (search).
Duhhhh and what is wrong with that?
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Gun Safety in Schools Sparks Debate
