Virginia Elem. schools to teach NRA gun safety course

[Danno 1,228]

The part of this story I find amusing is the people who object to this course.

THe very same arguments they are using are the same ones heard from those who object to Gov Sex-ed.

I'd bet anything those crying that -this is an issue for parents to teach at home... are the same ones who can't see that logic about sex-ed classes.

-------------------------------

Virginia to Teach Gun Safety in Elementary Schools

A new law will require Virginia's education department to come up with a gun-safety curriculum for public elementary schools that incorporates guidelines from the NRA.

Schoolchildren in Virginia who aren't old enough to pack their lunches yet will soon start learning about packing heat.

Move over, Crime Dog McGruff. There's a new mascot on the playground and he's got the backing of the powerful National Rifle Association.

The NRA's Eddie Eagle will soon be offering his brand of gun-safety lessons to the state's schoolchildren.

A new law will require Virginia's education department to come up with a gun-safety curriculum for public elementary schools that incorporates guidelines from the NRA.

The law allows local school divisions to offer gun-safety education to pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade. While each school board can decide whether to offer it, those that do must use the state curriculum -- which will include rules used by the NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program.

Some parents are up in arms over the new law.

"I personally don't think firearm safety has a place in the schools," Lori Haas, spokeswoman for the Virginia Center for Public Safety, told FoxNews.com. "That's up to the parents to teach that at home."

Haas, whose daughter is a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, said her group is outraged that state lawmakers are placing "a burden" on the state school board that it didn't ask for.

"For the general assembly and governor to dictate to the board of education in writing curriculum is not their area," she said, calling the law a "freebie to a special interest group."

Legislation passed in March by the General Assembly had included an amendment that allowed the curriculum to include materials from the National Crime Prevention Center. But Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed removing the amendment because there is no such group, and the legislature on Wednesday approved his change.

The legislation meant to refer to the National Crime Prevention Council, home of McGruff the Crime Dog. But McDonnell spokeswoman Stacey Johnson said that rather than fixing the name, the governor deleted it because the council doesn't have a current stand-alone gun-safety program.

NRA's Eddie Eagle website says that the program's goal "isn't to teach whether guns are good or bad, but rather to promote the protection and safety of children."

The Eddie Eagle mascot advises children: "If you see a gun: STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult."

Eddie Eagle does not promote firearm ownership or use and firearms are never used in the program, the website says.

"Like swimming pools, electrical outlets, matchbooks and household poison, they're treated simply as a fact of everyday life," the website says. "With firearms found in about half of all American households, it's a stance that makes sense."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Are homosexuals eligible too?

[Ali G. 37]

This is what happens when an idiotic republican gets hold of the state.

His other awesome implementation is confederate month. What I have come to realize is talking a big game but doing squat for the economy is the republican way.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Ali G.

[Ali G. 37]

The part of this story I find amusing is the people who object to this course.

THe very same arguments they are using are the same ones heard from those who object to Gov Sex-ed.

I'd bet anything those crying that -this is an issue for parents to teach at home... are the same ones who can't see that logic about sex-ed classes.

Do you actually think this is a good thing? How about learning how to design jets or cure diseases? Nope, they are being taught this #######.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

This is what happens when an idiotic republican gets hold of the state.

His other awesome implementation is confederate month. What I have come to realize is talking a big game but doing squat for the economy is the republican way.

Isn't that really the political way? They all talk a good game and only deliver on a small percentage of what they promise. "Read my lips, no new taxes."

[Danno 1,228]

Are homosexuals eligible too?

Eligible for what?

And wouldn't you be the one to know?

[Kar_98 10]

Oddly enough, that was what I picked as topic for a college essay the other day.

All guns are always loaded

A tragic accident took the life of little Johnny last weekend. His older brother shot him in the face at point blank range. Except it wasn’t an accident, it was neglect. The boys’ parents had neglected to tell them about the basic rules of safe gun handling. Whereas it is quite debatable whether or not anybody in general, or children in particular should have access to guns in first place, firearms do exist and everybody needs to be aware of a few simple rules regarding them. Teaching adults and children four basic rules of gun safety can prevent injuries that often are lethal.

These rules are 1, treat all guns as if they were loaded, always; 2, never point a gun at something you don’t intend to destroy; 3, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire and 4, be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.

It is important to keep these rules in mind whenever one encounters firearms. The first rule really is the most important one, and the other rules merely elaborate its point. If for instance you accidentally come across a pistol in a friend’s bathroom, your first course of action should not entail putting it to your head and pulling the trigger to see if it’s loaded. Just assume it is; put it away, and stay out of trouble.

The same applies at the sporting goods store. We all love to hang out at #######’s All American Pawn, Live Bait and Gun Store to parlay with our associates. You’re always welcome to inspect the merchandise there, but picking up a hunting rifle, pointing it into a random direction, sweeping patrons and proprietor alike, will earn you a swift eviction from the store. See that hole in the ceiling? Somebody assumed that surplus carbine of World War 2 vintage wasn’t loaded. Imagine a hole of that size in somebody’s body.

Sometimes we just want to have a fun afternoon at the range; whether we’re massacring countless innocent paper plates, shoot at soda cans or even specialty targets we purchased from #######’s All American Pawn, Live Bait and Gun Store. When taking a break, it is customary to chat with other people around you, and to compare toys. Maybe you brought a shiny Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum and somebody else has a customized Kimber. You hand over your wheelgun and receive the automatic in return. You are both supposed to check if the respective guns are loaded, but even though both of you have just checked, you’re well-advised to still treat both guns as loaded. Mistakes happen to the best of us, especially with guns with which we are not familiar.

Had the parents of little Johnny instilled at least that one rule in their children, he might still be alive today. Please learn the basic rules of firearms safety, and teach them to others. The NRA’s “Eddie Eagle” program teaches children what to do if they find a gun.

[Ali G. 37]

How about not having a gun in a household of kids? You think that helps. Rural / small town America is regressing daily.

Kids are not killed because they are inexperienced with a gun, they are killed because they are playing with a weapon. Like saying perhaps if we train kids with nukes, we can then allow them to play with them.

Contrary to propaganda, most homicides are carried out be someone the victim knows. Hence no training nor weapon would prevent that.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Ali G.

[Danno 1,228]

Do you actually think this is a good thing? How about learning how to design jets or cure diseases? Nope, they are being taught this #######.

Understanding that we are speaking of the public school system here I think it would be folly to expect this gun safety course will be the one thing holding kids back from the Science/ engineering future.

But I think it could reasonably be argued is "health and safety" are the new focus of todays education we would be foolish to by pass gun safety, with hundreds of millions of firearms in the land of freedom, there is probable a greater chance of a child encountering a gun than Angel Dust....

The Dare-program has wasted untold millions and the head-start program untold billions neither have any lasting impact... yet they keep getting funded.

Sex ed has hardly reduced sexual activity among youth, to the contrary STDs are now common place, yet we still allow this folly to take up class time and tax payer dollars.

So now we are on this path of teaching kids everything except "book learnin" so why not gun safety too?

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

Some parents are up in arms over the new law.

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

These rules are 1, treat all guns as if they were loaded, always; 2, never point a gun at something you don’t intend to destroy; 3, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire and 4, be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.

#4 is one many seem to forget.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Good idea.

[Ali G. 37]

Understanding that we are speaking of the public school system here I think it would be folly to expect this gun safety course will be the one thing holding kids back from the Science/ engineering future.

But I think it could reasonably be argued is "health and safety" are the new focus of todays education we would be foolish to by pass gun safety, with hundreds of millions of firearms in the land of freedom, there is probable a greater chance of a child encountering a gun than Angel Dust....

The Dare-program has wasted untold millions and the head-start program untold billions neither have any lasting impact... yet they keep getting funded.

Sex ed has hardly reduced sexual activity among youth, to the contrary STDs are now common place, yet we still allow this folly to take up class time and tax payer dollars.

So now we are on this path of teaching kids everything except "book learnin" so why not gun safety too?

By you own admission these preventative programs failed, so why would teaching them to use a gun work either? No sex / no guns is what works.

Engineers and scientist don't become gun tooting fools. Those guys become... well I don't want to offend Charles.

Funny you consider a gun freedom. Too bad you have all of these guns yet strangely enough the highest crime rate in the first world - per capita. Perhaps you need even more guns, with one on each hip.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Ali G.

[lostinblue 1,989]

One of the better ideas that they have come up with in a long time. And why stop at with this. Hunting safety,first aid and CPR should be required.

[Ban Hammer 13,656]

Engineers and scientist don't become gun tooting fools. Those guys become... well I don't want to offend Charles.

you'll have to try a lot harder to offend me.

so when are you selling your pistol again?