Monday, April 26, 2010

Teaching Gun Safety in Schools

Fox News reports on the proposed gun-education program in Virginia.

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.

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.


One voice of opposition put it this way.

"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."


What's your opinion? Is Lori Haas right that it's not the State's place to determine the curriculum?

What do you think the proponents of this bill think about sex education in schools? Virginia's got a lot of that fundamental Christian thing going on, doesn't it? Could it all add up to their wanting to teach kids about guns but not about condoms? That would be funny.

Please leave a comment.

20 comments:

  1. Lori Haas is a hypocrite. How can you be a spokesperson for the Virginia Center for Public Safety and be against a program that encourages safety? What safety programs does her organization offer? I'm guessing, much like the Brady Campaign and VPC, none.

    That's why I refuse to believe these gun control organizations are concerned about safety. They just use that as a guise for their more sinister agenda: Chipping away at the 2nd Amendment.

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  2. NRA Eddie Eagle Program. Virginia public school. Virginia was in the Confederacy. Hitler used eagles as symbols.

    NRA = RACIST!

    There, I saved Jade Gold some time.

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  3. Excellent point AztecRed. Their true colors come shining through.

    I also think MikeB's comparison to teaching sex ed. in schools is appropriate. How you could be for one and not the other, I don't know. The more knowledge the better, in my opinion.

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  4. The Eddie the Eagle Program is a marketing campaign; it's not a safety campaign.

    Anyway, this is pretty much a non-story since virtually no school boards in VA are going to sign up except for a few rural ones where the kids are already doomed to a life of failure.

    McDonnell has pretty much gutted education in VA and I can't see many school boards deciding it's really a great idea to add the cost of an NRA marketing scheme at a time when schools can't afford math and science programs. Except, of course, out in the boondocks where the kids are pretty much doomed to a life as a convenience store clerk.

    --JadeGold

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  5. The Eddie the Eagle Program is a marketing campaign; it's not a safety campaign.

    How so? Is sex ed. a marketing campaign for Trojan in your mind too? Do you know of another gun safety program that would be better, or you an "abstinence only" type of guy?

    It's becoming clear that JadeGold would rather see some child accidentally shoot himself, so he could say "See! All guns are evil!"

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  6. In Jadegold-land, the Eddie Eagle program says: "Stop. Don't touch. Tell an adult (to buy more AR15 accesories and renew thier membership).

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  7. no school boards in VA are going to sign up except for a few rural ones where the kids are already doomed to a life of failure.

    Classy stuff from Anti-gunners as usual.

    Your urban elitism and classless condescending attitude is wonderful! Really!

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  8. Eaddie the Eagle is a marketing gimmick; not just because I know it is--but because the NRA itself admits it.

    Eddie the Eagle was created for 3 purposes: 1. to fight initiatives such as trigger locks and gun safes, EE was used by the NRA as a plan to deflect attention away from those issues. 2. A stated purpose of EE is to bring younger generations to be consumers of firearms. 3. As a CYA ploy when kids wind up killing themselves or others.

    WRT to comparing EE to sex ed.--it's unsurprising that gunloons know so little about the subject. A large part of gunloonery is driven by being unsuccessful with social relationships.

    If Trojan or some other condom mfr. was developing sex ed. programs--most people would be leery of those with good reason. If you really believe that sex ed. is all about putting on a condom and things are going to be ok--you really have no idea what is taught in sex ed.

    --JadeGold

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  9. "Eaddie the Eagle is a marketing gimmick; not just because I know it is--but because the NRA itself admits it.

    Eddie the Eagle was created for 3 purposes: 1. to fight initiatives such as trigger locks and gun safes, EE was used by the NRA as a plan to deflect attention away from those issues. 2. A stated purpose of EE is to bring younger generations to be consumers of firearms. 3. As a CYA ploy when kids wind up killing themselves or others."


    I don't suppose you would care to provide a cite for your made up bullshit. Didn't think so.

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  10. It would make more sense to claim that the EE program was a marketing gimmick if the NRA manufactured firearms.

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  11. I love it when I have to teach FWM about the NRA.

    Eddie the eagle was created by Marion Hammer in 1988 when FL was considering a child-access prevention law that made adults liable if they've negligently stored a gun and death or injury results.

    Jeffrey Poole, NRA manager of shows and exhibits in the membership division on EE: "Yes, that's the theory, and when you compare that to the only other gun safety program that's out there, which happens to be produced by [the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence of] Handgun Control...their message is simply `guns are bad... never be around a gun...stay away from guns, they're evil, and they could kill you,' and that's their message to little kids. We need to counter that with...`guns are not bad, you need to learn how to use them before you touch them. And, there's a gap...between let's say, an eight- or 10-year-old, and then a 15-, 16-year-old, where they're actually getting out and using a gun....Or, maybe getting a gun of their own. And...we need to cover that gap...because...when you say, `guns are dangerous, be careful with them,' which is basically what we're saying here...a lot of people tend to take that as `guns are bad.' So we need to follow up to a program and say...`People can be bad, but guns are not bad, but we need to learn how to use them....And here's how.' And, maybe that program needs to be a little bit more hands on, maybe we need to get something going with airguns and things like that....[W]e feel like if we don't follow up with something, then we stand a much greater risk of alienating them [kids]. If we tell them when they're really young...that `guns are dangerous, be careful with them,' and we never come back and tell them anything else...we could be shooting ourselves in the foot."



    "Hey, if you want to soften up firearms, what better way to soften it up?" -- Jane Colbert, the NRA's assistant manager for the Eddie Eagle program.


    --JadeGold

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  12. It would make more sense to claim that the EE program was a marketing gimmick if the NRA manufactured firearms.

    Kev--anybody home?

    The NRA is funded by firearm manufacturers.

    --JadeGold

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  13. JadeGuy,
    You never answered my question. What other gun safety program would you like to see taught? Or would you rather have no education taught at all?

    From the NRA page on the Eddie the Eagle program: Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm, and he does not promote firearm ownership or use. The program prohibits the use of Eddie Eagle mascots anywhere that guns are present. The Eddie Eagle Program has no agenda other than accident prevention -- ensuring that children stay safe should they encounter a gun. The program never mentions the NRA. Nor does it encourage children to buy guns or to become NRA members. The NRA does not receive any appropriations from Congress, nor is it a trade organization. It is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deal in guns and ammunition.

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  14. Wow, Jade, it looks like you pulled all of your matierial from the VPC. One page in fact.

    http://www.vpc.org/press/9711eddi.htm

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  15. The funniest comment of the thread, once again, goes to FatWhiteMan.

    "Virginia was in the Confederacy. Hitler used eagles as symbols."

    On a serious note, I do think Virginia is bidding for the number one spot as the brunt of every liberal joke. The enviable position was formerly held by Texas, but with executions down and that nifty new Governor in VA, I think it's time for a change.

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  16. Ruff:

    First, the NRA saying that it "is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deal in guns and ammunition" is a lie.

    Second, the schools aren't where gun safety classes should be taught.

    Third, gun safety ought to be taught IAW a federally standardized curriculum. Not a lobbying group. NRA safety courses and training are a joke.

    --JadeGold

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  17. First, the NRA saying that it "is not affiliated with any firearm or ammunition manufacturers or with any businesses that deal in guns and ammunition" is a lie.

    Once again, reading comprehension escapes you. It is saying that the Eddie the Eagle program is not affiliated with any of the above. Not the NRA.

    I have a challenge for you. Why don't you write up a guest blog post for Mike? Take some of the materials from the NRA's Eddie the Eagle program and point out exactly where the NRA is marketing guns or ammunition to kids. It shouldn't be that difficult if it is as pervasive as you say it is.

    Third, gun safety ought to be taught IAW a federally standardized curriculum.

    That doesn't exist. So once again, would you prefer nothing be done to teach gun safety? It's appalling that you would let your hatred of the NRA get in the way of teaching kids basic gun safety that could prevent thousands of accidents a year.

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  18. Ruff: Pretending there's some difference between EE and the NRA is foolish even by your own low standards.

    The NRA itself has admitted EE is largely about getting younger consumers. BTW, there have been several studies that has said EE is ineffective.

    Basically, you're saying that we must teach an ineffective gun safety program that is really a marketing ploy.

    --JadeGold

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  19. Jadegold, maybe instead of sticking your tongue out at MikeW you should address David Kopel calling you out for libel on the thread below.

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