Virginia School Districts To Have Option Of Adding Gun Safety Education To Elementary Teaching

Virginia's Board of Education is expected today to hand off legislation to local school districts allowing them to add gun safety to elementary school curriculum.

The state's General Assembly approved a measure last April that required the Board of Education to design course materials in line with the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program guidelines to teach elementary students about gun safety.

The curriculum includes lessons ranging from distinguishing those who use guns professionally to recognizing and catching firearms on school property, WTVR reports. Individual districts will be able to decide whether to adopt the curriculum.

The legislation passed last year states that the firearms curriculum's goal is to "promote the protection and safety of children enrolled in the public schools." The curriculum should also include accident prevention and "shall integrate firearm safety education into appropriate subject areas, if feasible, to ensure that every elementary grade student completes the course of study in firearm safety education."

The NRA's Eddie Eagle program targets young elementary school students and uses materials like workbooks and videos. From the program's website:

"The purpose of the Eddie Eagle Program isn't to teach whether guns are good or bad, but rather to promote the protection and safety of children. The program makes no value judgments about firearms, and no firearms are ever used in the program."

But critics called for more inclusive standards and guidelines if districts choose to include gun safety in its curriculum. Lori Haas, spokesperson for the Virginia Center for Public Safety and mother to a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, told FoxNews.com last April that the legislation is an unnecessary burden on the school board, as well as a "freebie to a special interest group."

"I personally don't think firearm safety has a place in the schools. That's up to the parents to teach that at home," Haas told FoxNews.com. "For the General Assembly and governor to dictate to the Board of Education in writing curriculum is not their area."

In April, a Houston kindergartener brought to school a loaded gun that accidentally fell and fired, injuring the student and two of his peers. Just a few weeks later, a 10-year-old boy allegedly fired a BB gun in his 4th grade classroom in Denver.

Comments

[Marc Lewis]

06:58 PM on 09/30/2011

The 2nd Amendment gives one the Right to keep and bear arms but it does not give you the right to be bloody stupid when handling them! This amendment was to protect citizens from their Govt., should it become tyrannical. Gun safety is necessary to protect citizens from, by accident, harming each other. I would strongly suggest that all firearms purchases be concluded only upon the buyer providing certification from an approved Firearms Use and Safety Course, as well as the Background Checks now employed. The NRA has a despicable history of promoting Gun use while ignoring such simple expedients as I have suggested here. I can only think that this is both to help Gun Manufactures Profits and Trophy Hunters, (of whom I personally disapprove).

[Tao21Zen]

08:10 PM on 09/30/2011

I'm sorry, but none of the amendments in the constitution GIVE rights. What they do is limit the AUTHORITY given to the states and the federal government to restricting rights that the founding fathers believed individuals were naturally born with.

The 2nd Amendment the purpose of the 2nd amendment is not limited to or by the militia clause. For one, this would not make logical sense as the militia clause itself if not a complete stand alone idea. That is, "A well regulated militia, being necessary for a secure state", is not a complete sentence or idea. Instead the militia requires the right to bear arms clause to complete it. However, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" is its capable of standing on its own as a complete sentence and there for is not limited by or require the militia clause. Also, there are numerous righting by the founding fathers where they talk about the use of firearms without them being limited to militia service,

As for requiring safety courses prior to firearm ownership, this is an idea with good intentions but is bad as it sets a precedence for people having to pre-qualify for their constitutional protection. How about if the same standard of pre-qualification was applied to other rights? My problem with ideas like this is that they are not applied uniformly and equally to all rights, only to the evil 2nd Amendment.

[Marc Lewis]

09:30 PM on 09/30/2011

In the first place, I did not even mention 'the well regulated militia' part, nor have I, in anyway attacked the 2nd Amend. I was certainly speaking in much more general terms as to how a country, state, or municipality, can regulate the use of Legal firearms, without infringement on a citizens constitutional rights. A citizen may travel anywhere in the USA without impediment in a car but if said citizen has no idea how to drive a car safely they may be restricted. I also do not believe that every firearm should be registered, as this knowledge could be used against the owner in profiling said citizen even though all they are doing is exercising their 'right to keep'. In fact I probably have a wider (I won't say liberal, even though I am one, in case you mistake me) view of what should not be restricted than you do. In short, quit being so damn touchy!

[freddiefingers]

12:37 PM on 09/26/2011

This is a great idea! Providing them with basic safety instructions could help cut down in accidental shootings, or the temptation to treat a gun as a toy. Parental instruction would tend to transfer prejudices, either way, and people don't often give kids enough credit. They're often more pragmatic and show more common sense than a lot of adults.

[ScorpioTop]

04:15 AM on 09/27/2011

NRA brainwashing of our kids at a vulnerable age is a bad idea.

[freddiefingers]

08:00 PM on 09/27/2011

The NRA teaches teaches gun safety to people of all ages, my own two kids included. They also promote responsible gun & hunter safety. While I agree that some guns should be banned ( high capacity magazines, impractical calibers, like the S&W .50 cal, etc ) Just because you don't allow your kids to handle guns doesn't mean they will never encounter the situation where they will be exposed to one. Better they fully understand, I think.
I will admit though, I don't always agree with the politics of the NRA.

[vtrob77]

04:51 PM on 09/25/2011

I'm actually kind of impressed with the notion of teaching gun safety in public schools. It's a worthy educational aim, especially if kids live in households which own firearms and just as an awareness of issues of safety is a positive benefit for everyone. If it prevents one accidental death of a kid its worth it in my opinion (and definitely worth it, if its optional).

[roald]

11:38 AM on 09/26/2011

As long as, similar to sex ed and evolution, parents can opt their children out, I agree completely.

[ScorpioTop]

04:17 AM on 09/27/2011

Teaching our kids to develop a gun fetish through NRA brainwashing shouldn't be allowed in the schools.

[Mr-Mikey]

04:24 AM on 09/25/2011

On one hand, I feel that Gun safety shouldn't be taught in Public schools but left to be the responsibility of parents.. Just as I generally feel Sex-ed should be.

On the other hand, Like sex-ed, often times parents aren't either intelligent enough or bias free enough to give a child the best information on the situation. Several schools in my state have Rifle clubs, as an afterschool activity. I applaud the activity, my niece was quite proficient before she moved out of state.

I understand both sides of the debate, Offer the courses after school with parental permission. Put the decision to educate children about gun safety in the hands of responsible adults.

(For the record, I'm Pro-Gun control btw)

[Tao21Zen]

10:29 AM on 09/26/2011

It also greatly depends of how this "gun safety" education is defined and what its curriculum consists of. If such courses involve the actual handling and operation of a firearm I would agree, this should be something the parents endorse.

If it simply teaching children enough about the functionality and operation of a firearm to demystify it and reduce the level of curiosity children would have over such an item, then this is something I feel that should be taught.

The problem that I have with the 'leave any and all teaching about gun safety to responsible parents' view tends to be applied with the idea that a child in a gun-free home wouldn't need such teaching as they wouldn't be around firearms. This view is dangerously naive as it does nothing to address the possibility of child 'finding' a firearm somewhere other than in their own home.

Children are naturally curious about things they are not familiar with. Children that have no understanding of firearms and/or are led to view them as a 'taboo' are more likely to handle them out of pure curiosity. At least teaching children to respect the operational capabilities and dangers of firearms can reduce this curiosity about them and potentially a child's desire to handle it.

[Chipper1]

06:18 PM on 09/24/2011

There was a time when elementary education was for learning how to read, how to write, how to do arithmetic, how to work with others, how to be a good citizen. Now we've got drug education, sex education, god-help-us gun education. We have to feed the kids, supply them, sometimes clothe them, prevent them from being bullied, detect if they're victims of child abuse, if they're depressed or suicidal, teach them about molesters, help administer their medications, develop their self esteem, and teach them to pass standardized tests. Why not just put beds in the schools and let the poor kids live there? Apparently parents are incapable of raising their own young anymore.

[ScorpioTop]

05:01 PM on 09/24/2011

Would you let a cult into your schools to indoctrinate your kids? Of course not. So don't let the NRA in the schools.

[Grumpy Man]

05:38 PM on 09/24/2011

Another simplistic and lame attempt to denigrate the NRA.

NRA = cult = laughable.

cult - noun
1. A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.
2. A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs regarded by others as strange or sinister.

Many NRA members are religious but others are atheist. According to common definitions of the word "cult" one cannot be an atheist AND a cult member.

NRA = cult was brought to you by ST who recently claimed he(?) could not and would not come up with an estimate on how many lives are saved each year by armed citizens who thwart crimes because to do so, according to him(?) would be dishonest. He(?) reportedly values honesty yet participates in gross hyperbole as seen above.

Gotta give him(?) this... he(?) is entertaining at least in an elemental, 'shallow as a parking lot puddle' kind of way.

[desert war dog]

03:00 AM on 09/25/2011

that is all they have.

when you have no real facts simply libel and label.

[Tao21Zen]

10:39 AM on 09/26/2011

Right. How many classes in firearms safety has anti-gun organizations taught?

The fact is, children are naturally curious by nature. Not teaching them about the dangers, capabilities, and operations of firearms does nothing to dispel this curiosity.

Quite simply, the best way to make a child want something is to tell them they can't have it. This is what the anti-gun side is doing. They are making firearms a mysterious taboo that their natural curiosity, sense of adventure, and (in some) sense of defiance tempts them to explore.

While the intentions of the anti-gun supporters may (or may not be) the safety of children, there actions are far more dangerous to children than teaching them the attributes of firearms that make firearms something that should respected.

[ScorpioTop]

08:39 PM on 09/26/2011

Another way to stoke a child's interest is to brainwash their minds that guns are a normal part of life. We don't need our children to develop a gun fetish.

[imokit]

07:33 AM on 09/24/2011

My parents taught me gun safety. This is a picture of a gun; if you see one, don't touch it, leave and tell an adult asap!
Simple, don't need more than that for kids.

[bunnieman]

08:27 AM on 09/24/2011

Programs such as "Eddie Eagle" aren't so much about safety as they are about normalizing gun culture, kiddie-style.

[JStading]

10:14 AM on 09/24/2011

I agree and feel the same could be said for sex education.  Telling kids how to use contraceptives or saying anything more than "this is a picture of a woman, if you see one, don't touch her" will normalize pre-marital sex.  Out of sight, out of mind.

[David Carson]

12:40 PM on 09/24/2011

sorry guffy--the gang culture "normalizes" the wrong gun culture far more than Eddie Eagle--yet guffy only seems to be interested in disarming people who have been convicted of nothing

[Mark0]

07:03 PM on 09/24/2011

Your parents taught you not to handle a picture of a gun?

One could see how a little more information than you were given might be beneficial to some kids, especially those interested in hunting and sport shooting.

[ItMustSook]

03:12 PM on 09/23/2011

You want to ban guns but you’re met with opposition at every turn. You have no popular, monetary, or political way to make this happen. Next thing you know they are teaching gun safety to the children and therefore creating a new generation of responsible gun owners to oppose your desires. That must suck.

[ScorpioTop]

06:19 PM on 09/23/2011

30,000 Americans die from gun use yearly. there is outrage that American lives are lost to NRA policies. Just as cigarette companies used to get children hooked, the NRA wants to brainwash your kids.

[Jerry Bourbon]

07:29 PM on 09/23/2011

We should pass a law! Then, we will be a crime free paradise, just like Mexico, and a suicide free paradise, just like Japan!!

[ItMustSook]

12:13 AM on 09/24/2011

A simple “yes” will do. Thanks.

[bunnieman]

09:40 PM on 09/23/2011

David Laffer was the son of a lifetime NRA member. During his childhood, he was taught gun safety by "Eddie Eagle", and gun handling by his father. He dutifully became an expert marksman and an obsessive gun hobbyist, and was able to, in spite of, and owing to, that combination of developmental factors, execute 4 victims in a drug store robbery, without a trace of remorse or a wasted bullet.

[David Carson]

10:58 PM on 09/23/2011

and shedance's brother is a convicted armed robber

[ItMustSook]

12:14 AM on 09/24/2011

Translation: Yes, it does suck.

[leftgranma]

02:12 PM on 09/23/2011

Now I'm confused. Our friends on the right tell us that sex education in school will make children go out and have sex. Following the same logic, wouldn't gun education make them go out and shoot someone?

[stonewalker]

02:33 PM on 09/23/2011

Our friends on the right often confuse political principles/policy decisions with morality. But then again so do our friends on the left. The majority of America does and I think that is one of our main political problems. No matter how badly you are disgusted by a certain behavior, there is not a damn thing you can do control somebody or stop them from doing it.

Anyways, funny observation!

[taxthepoor2]

02:53 PM on 09/23/2011

You are correct, you are confused.

Let me clear it up for you:

This is my rifle
This is my gun
One is for shooting
One is for fun

[joekel]

09:50 AM on 09/30/2011

You have severe mental problems.

[stonewalker]

01:18 PM on 09/23/2011

While I absolutely believe every child should be taught gun safety in the same way that every child should be taught to look both ways before crossing the street, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Fatal firearm accidents are actually quite rare for either children or adults, despite what it seems. For example, in 2007 in the US, there were 613 fatal firearms accidents http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp#accidents, contrast that with over 29,000 fatal accidental poisonings. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/Poisoning/poisoning-factsheet.htm . These numbers do not distinguish between child or adult.

This doesn't discount the need for safety training and teaching children to respect the damage a gun can do. I remember the first time I shot a gun, how extremely different it felt than what I saw on TV. I think I was 12. How many accidents could be avoided if every child learned this respect?

There are over 280 million guns in this country. Acting like your child will never encounter one is foolish. Perhaps it is a good idea for every child to be taught these things in school.

[stonewalker]

01:25 PM on 09/23/2011

I should add, that when I say "quite rare", I'm not discounting the tragedy of fatal accidents, I'm speaking in relativity. We are a nation of 303 million, 600 accidental deaths of any type is statistically nearly impossible to control for.

[ScorpioTop]

06:25 PM on 09/23/2011

30,000 Americans die from gun use yearly. Having 280 million guns in this country is foolish.

[David Carson]

01:17 AM on 09/24/2011

over half the total are suicides and 85% of the rest of the murders are committed by criminals--so ST==your responsibility is to solve that problem before violating the BOR

[G NBanner]

11:25 AM on 09/23/2011

As a violence policy advocate, it’s important to note that none of what I write is personal conjecture but instead comes from the study of statistics­, polls, and opinion found through research of web sites on the Internet.

The pro-gun lobby is a powerful propaganda machine. It is not to be viewed as stating anything other than justification for its selfish, for-profit motive where history itself is changed to suit their goals. It must be difficult to be the patsy of the gun industry sales machine. Attempting to enlist strangers in their petty campaign makes them seem weak and obsessed.

Their Eddie Eagle program is used to sell guns to kids in a similar fashion to the tobacco industries “Joe Camel” and alcohol industries “Spuds MacKenzie” programs. These youth programs are actually marketing tools that use cartoons to sell kids.
http://tinyurl.com/3o79zbd

These two gun owners are a product of the NRA pro-gun lobby powerful propaganda machine.

http://tinyurl.com/3j3epah

Again, this is not personal conjecture but consensus among the public as verified in the Comments sections of several web sites.

[enlightened45]

12:43 PM on 09/23/2011

Brilliant satire, GB....almost as brilliant as the previous dozens of c and p that you have "contributed".

[G NBanner]

12:50 PM on 09/23/2011

Everything I post is information that I’ve learned from the writings of gun control groups, their supporters, and supporting commenters. None of this is personal conjecture. A little searching will show this to be true. I’m doing my part to help spread the message.

[Sam Damon]

10:09 AM on 09/23/2011

Just as we educate children in school about other dangers like drugs and pedophiles, we should point out to them the life threatening danger of using guns without proper training/experience and at younger ages adult supervision. But let’s not forget the most important issue regarding gun safety in the home which is parents/adults properly securing firearms. If we as adults decide to have guns in the home then we are responsible for ensuring they are not improperly used.

[stonewalker]

01:37 PM on 09/23/2011

Indeed. California's law regarding safe storage is actually pretty down-to-earth, believe it or not. There is no safe-storage requirement, but you are responsible for your guns in that if a child gets a hold of one and hurts someone then you will be charged. A safe-storage requirement is not only unenforceable (what, are they going to come into people's homes for checkups?), it's been struck down as unconstitutional in Heller V DC. The gist is, we have a right to keep and bear arms, meaning functional arms, meaning loaded and unlocked.

Besides, a home defense gun isn't going to be much use if it's kept locked up all the time. If somebody wants to keep their gun unlocked at night I think that's fine, but it's terribly irresponsible to leave it unlocked while not immediately under your control.

[ScorpioTop]

06:27 PM on 09/23/2011

Brainwashing kids to develop a gun fetish, the NRA way.

[schotts]

12:01 AM on 09/24/2011

Your right, they worked their spell on me.

[David Carson]

01:19 AM on 09/24/2011

it was the Army that got me interested in firearms--are you going to blame the military for that

[CarryOn]

07:52 AM on 09/23/2011

Wonder if anyone thought that in today's litigious society the next suit will be when a child grabs a weapon that mom or dad forgot to unload and lock away, shoots themsself or someone else and the parents decry..."It's the school's fault, they should have taught them about loaded guns, its part of the curriculum!"

[bunnieman]

08:33 AM on 09/23/2011

According to studies conducted by medical professionals, programs such as "Eddie Eagle" serve only to stimulate children's curiosity toward guns, and do nothing to discourage them from treating guns as playthings. The scenario you describe is entirely possible.

[hagagaga]

10:51 AM on 09/23/2011

VPC is not a medical survey, just so you know.

[Rooster Coburn]

03:51 PM on 09/23/2011

Why doesn't anyone ever poll gunsmiths on the efficacy of medical treatments for cancer or heart disease I wonder?  It seems like some form of discrimination is at work here. Ask docs about guns but don't ask gunsmiths about illnesses.

[stonewalker]

01:38 PM on 09/23/2011

If there is an accident, somebody will sue...

[ScorpioTop]

06:29 PM on 09/23/2011

Gun manufacturers can't be sued thanks to activist judges. The NRA should be sued for policies that kill more Americans than any terrorist group.

[Stickman125]

06:33 AM on 09/23/2011

As a subject not covered in the Virginia SOL's (Standards Of Learning) Thus not required teaching. Not many, if any school systems will adopt this curriculum, much less make it mandatory. In the days of high stakes testing teachers are encouraged if not out right told NOT to teach anything that will not be tested, not to mention a controversial issue.

[ScorpioTop]

05:28 PM on 09/25/2011

The NRA revels in pushing their agenda. They will do whatever they can, put up as much money as they want to brainwash our kids.

[PavePusher]

10:16 PM on 10/01/2011

Please cite the agenda they will be pushing in this cirriculum.

[OldSFMJT]

09:01 AM on 09/23/2011

As expected, the Guff Bunnie brings nothing to the discussion save asshattery and snark!

De Oppresso Liber
Old SF

[bunnieman]

09:46 AM on 09/23/2011

Should elementary school children not, in addition to being safeguarded against their potential future misuse of guns, be safeguarded against the hazards they might encounter during the enactment of other hazardous pursuits?

[enlightened45]

10:33 AM on 09/23/2011

I also recommend the teaching of safe handling of poisonous snakes...who knows when one might enounter such at church, etc.....

[David Carson]

02:03 PM on 09/23/2011

and this bit of snark from someone who claims to be enlightened

[OldSFMJT]

02:29 PM on 09/23/2011

Mimicking the Guff Bunnie does not reflect well on your 'enlightened-ness.' Neither does your bigotry!

De Oppresso Liber
Old SF