NationStates Jolt Archive

What do you think about a highschool course to teach safety when using firearms. Now keep in mind, this would not be a marksmanship class, just a class to teach you how to properly handle a gun.

There was that one class where the cop who was doing the class shot himself in the leg. That was a laugh.

It depends where in the world. If you have gun control close to nothing (not saying this is bad) it would be very smart. But if you have strict gun control laws (and they are working) like here. It would be useless if not even stupid...

it's a good idea. there's a great deal of accidental gun deaths in this nation. besides which, if kids have an oppurtunity to handle them from an early age, i do doubt they will carry quite the same draw as "that cool thing daddy tells me not to touch."
at the same time, however, it puts some very orwellian images into my head. rooms full of schoolchildren, field stripping assault rifles.

Gun safety classes are a good idea, but since some people have such a phobia about guns that they can't stand even the thought of them, they should be optional.

Personally i dont think there should be any gun control laws people should just be taught better morals, bunch of dumbass people dont have any morals

I think gun safety should be taught, but the use of guns should be actively discouraged.

If it was an elective that a student could choose to take or not to, it would be fine in my book.

Why wait until high school? Do you now how many young children shoot themselves/others by accident?

I think gun safety instruction is a very good idea, particularly in areas of high gun ownership. Furthermore, such instruction should include information on local, state, and federal laws regarding gun ownership, transport, and use.

Back in the late 1920's, my father took a rifle shooting class in school in Milwaukee. Apparently, that type of class was fairly common after WWI. I suppose the government encouraged the citizenry to have marksmenship skills in order to be better prepared for the next war.

I'm 56. I learned to shoot a rifle (a .22 cal) when I was 7...lived on a US military base in Germany, and all the kids went to the base rifle range on Saturdays to shoot (including my then 12 year old sister). Later, I grew up in Texas and spent alot of time hunting with my father.

I don't think shooting should be taught during the week day in schools -- there are simply too many academic skills kids need to learn during that time. But, I'm all in favor of having optional classes conducted on Saturdays.

if you're going to have guns, gun safety should be a priority. mandatory teaching of it in schools is the best way to do this

Ok, if you tell a kid to never touch a gun and if you have one, hide it; you have just guaranteed that said kid WILL touch said gun. To a child, nothing gives something more of an allure then making it forbidden. If that thing is a gun, you have an accident waiting to happen.

Be open and honest with guns, remove the fear and curiosity, and teach the kid how to handle the gun and more importantly to respect the gun. Personally I think that waiting till high school is a bad idea, start early or else you WILL install that allure. Whether at home or in school I would support mandatory gun safety courses.

I don't think that a "mandatory" class would be approved by the courts, anymore than making gun ownership mandatory.

I don't think that a "mandatory" class would be approved by the courts, anymore than making gun ownership mandatory.
do you not have core subjects in the states? subjects which all students must take?

If it was an elective that a student could choose to take or not to, it would be fine in my book.
Ditto. It sounds like a great idea, but if it was mandatory, I feel it wouldn't be long before it would become an indoctrinary course towards militarization of our youth.

Excellent idea as an elective course, though.

do you not have core subjects in the states? subjects which all students must take?

Yes, we have core courses. Those tend to be the reading, writing, math, science, and social studies courses. Just because you make a course "mandatory" doesn't mean everyone "must" take it....follow me for a sec....If forcing the student to take the course would violate a person's constitutional rights, then they wouldn't have to take it. For example, if you made Bible class mandatory, that policy would get shot down in a heartbeat. If you made "gun safety" mandatory, a person with a sincerely held religious belief against killing human beings would be exempted from the course.

What do you think about a highschool course to teach safety when using firearms. Now keep in mind, this would not be a marksmanship class, just a class to teach you how to properly handle a gun.

I like this but I believe marksmanship courses are a preferrable option.

I think its a good idea- as an after school elective. Maybe it would help reduce the ignorance and fear of guns themselves.

Yes, we have core courses. Those tend to be the reading, writing, math, science, and social studies courses. Just because you make a course "mandatory" doesn't mean everyone "must" take it....follow me for a sec....If forcing the student to take the course would violate a person's constitutional rights, then they wouldn't have to take it. For example, if you made Bible class mandatory, that policy would get shot down in a heartbeat. If you made "gun safety" mandatory, a person with a sincerely held religious belief against killing human beings would be exempted from the course.

Well, a gun safety course wouldn't be geared towards killing human beings. It would be geared towards not accidentally shooting yourself or your friends.

there would be no need here. Anyone who owns a gun generally does it for sporting or recreational reasons and is part of a gun club where they learn those sorts of things. My highschool had a shooting team for those interested.

Yes, we have core courses. Those tend to be the reading, writing, math, science, and social studies courses. Just because you make a course "mandatory" doesn't mean everyone "must" take it....follow me for a sec....If forcing the student to take the course would violate a person's constitutional rights, then they wouldn't have to take it. For example, if you made Bible class mandatory, that policy would get shot down in a heartbeat. If you made "gun safety" mandatory, a person with a sincerely held religious belief against killing human beings would be exempted from the course.
i don't get it. if maths, social studies and sciences can be mandatory, why is it unconstitutional for gun safety classes to be made a core subject?

What do you think about a highschool course to teach safety when using firearms. Now keep in mind, this would not be a marksmanship class, just a class to teach you how to properly handle a gun.

On the whole, I think it's probably a good idea to require that kind of class, take the 'mystique' away from the whole subject.

Yes, we have core courses. Those tend to be the reading, writing, math, science, and social studies courses. Just because you make a course "mandatory" doesn't mean everyone "must" take it....follow me for a sec....If forcing the student to take the course would violate a person's constitutional rights, then they wouldn't have to take it. For example, if you made Bible class mandatory, that policy would get shot down in a heartbeat. If you made "gun safety" mandatory, a person with a sincerely held religious belief against killing human beings would be exempted from the course. this isn't 'combat training' we're talking about, it's safe-handling of a dangerous tool that is fairly common in the U.S.

I don't think it makes much sense. It'd be better to force it on everyone who wants to buy a gun and check if he stores it in an area where his kids can't reach it. Teaching high schoolers how to safely handle a gun is pointless. I mean, what's the purpose? Maybe making it as an additional course which students can select if they want, because not everyone will use a gun. Then again, if you do it like that you might attract the idiots to it.

'Sides... who's going to pay for it? It will cost money.

I'd say, if you do it, then you can add driving lessons or road safety lessons to the program too, since I'm sure more people get killed in the US because of traffic accidents than guns.

Also I think the US school system has bigger problems than that.