Sounds like they want to teach actual firearm safety. Every high school in America should offer a class like this. Maybe there would be less kids dying because of their negligent parents.
There’s states where you can’t get a hunting license without hunter’s safety classes, which are often offered in school. No reason that a genteel general firearms safety class shouldn’t be offered. They’re making it opt-out, so I say rock on.
I think it’s fine. Hunting is a popular sport here and very much needed. They used to give drivers training in school too. That’s how I became the world’s greatest driver.
I think that the boilerplate Eddie Eagle kind of stuff is fine and probably a good idea. Teaching how to handle firearms without maiming yourself or others, and impressing the lethal consequences if you do not respect them. I’m quite soured on gun culture but the reality is that guns are ubiquitous in this country and this training would save lives.
But I don’t think marksmanship or shooting sports should have any place in modern public schools. Beyond the possibility of a disturbed child enrolling specifically for access to firearms, it just gives paramilitary, Hitler youth vibes.
If you read the article, the classes are for middle schoolers and high schoolers. They’re too old for Eddie Eagle stuff. And quite a few at that age are wanting to hunt with their parents.
But will the students also be learning about who NOT to shoot? Or will they be trained like the gop has been training them currently, to hate everything not like themselves.
This sounds like a great way to put guns in the hands of people who should not receive training in shooting eg people on the Asocial Personality Disorder Spectrum
No firearms or ammunition would be brought onto school property for the class and parents would be able to opt their child out of the course without any academic penalty. The content would focus on safe handling, cleaning, maintenance, types of firearms and safe hunting practices.
Read the article.
This is much preferred over banning “scary looking” rifles and magazines over 10 rounds.
