Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class

[Lakhota]

By Annie-Rose Strasser

Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns.

Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take a gun safety training course. Using a grant provided by the National Rifle Association, it would put a “National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program” instructor in every first grade classroom.

The irony that there’s no requirement for students to learn about their bodies — but that there is one for deadly weapons — seems lost on the legislators proposing the measure, one of whom lamented, “I hate mandates as much as anyone, but some concerns and conditions rise to the level of needing a mandate”ushing for its passage:

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Well if the NRA is sponsoring it, it doesn´t detract from other studies, and you can opt out of it....why not? First grade is probably too early to do this....kids can't spell the word "gun"yet.

It sounds like "opt out" isn't an option.

 

[gallantwarrior]

So I guess Sex Ed in 1st Grade is just dandy, right?

Are kids having sex in first grade? No.

There are guns in childrens cartoons...

There are guns in movies....

There are guns on Tv...

Kids play cops and robbers...

There are toy guns...

Water pistols...

First graders are old enough to be taught guns are not toys...real guns kill real people.

I'll steal the sex ed argument...feel free to attempt to counter it...

Schools need to teach the dangers of guns because parents aren't.

Then maybe the "parents" need some training...?

Who do you think should pay for that?

 

[Avatar4321]

Wise move with all the irresponsible parents. Try to teach the kids proper gun saftey and response if found.

Partisan idiotic thread dully noted.

politics aside for a moment. Fact time. There are more gun killings in this country than any other country on earth. Agreed?

Why would anyone agree to a "fact" you pulled from no where?

 

[gallantwarrior]

Will these NRA instructors show real guns or just pictures/videos? Also, how many times will they mention "NRA" during the training?

What difference does it make, as long as one child is saved?

 

[Avatar4321]

My hunters safety course and my conceal carry training was sponsored by the NRA... And taught by local NRA instructors...one was the county Sheriff and the other was the city police chief...

Fair enough, but why does such training need to be "sponsored" by the NRA?

Because the nra makes money off everythnig gun related. That's why they push and push fear. Set takin yer guns. Buy more! Remember post election 08? Damn the right are Idiots.

The NRA isn't a for-profit organization.

 

[gallantwarrior]

IF such training is to take place among ALL first graders, it seems to me that it should be taught by local authorities (city police, county police, state police, DNR, etc...) instead of someone representing the NRA.

Uh, duh...whose program do you think those local authorities use when they do provide such training. Eddie Eagle is a well-developed, comprehensive safety program designed to address young children.

 

[gallantwarrior]

IF such training is to take place among ALL first graders, it seems to me that it should be taught by local authorities (city police, county police, state police, DNR, etc...) instead of someone representing the NRA.

My hunters safety course and my conceal carry training was sponsored by the NRA... And taught by local NRA instructors...one was the county Sheriff and the other was the city police chief...

Fair enough, but why does such training need to be "sponsored" by the NRA?

Because the NRA wants to sponsor such training.

 

[Missourian]

IF such training is to take place among ALL first graders, it seems to me that it should be taught by local authorities (city police, county police, state police, DNR, etc...) instead of someone representing the NRA.

My hunters safety course and my conceal carry training was sponsored by the NRA... And taught by local NRA instructors...one was the county Sheriff and the other was the city police chief...

Fair enough, but why does such training need to be "sponsored" by the NRA?

They coordinate with legislators and law enforcement to formulate the proper curriculum to satisfy state and federal criteria.

The NRA then pays for the training aids, materials, printing of study guides and tests, and all take home publications...plus, the NRA pays for the venue... they also pay for the instructors training to make sure instruction is consistent and comprehensive.

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Education and Training|Education and Training

 

[Quantum Windbag]

By Annie-Rose Strasser

Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns.

Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take a gun safety training course. Using a grant provided by the National Rifle Association, it would put a “National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program” instructor in every first grade classroom.

The irony that there’s no requirement for students to learn about their bodies — but that there is one for deadly weapons — seems lost on the legislators proposing the measure, one of whom lamented, “I hate mandates as much as anyone, but some concerns and conditions rise to the level of needing a mandate”ushing for its passage:

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Let me guess, teaching kids about guns is bad.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Why do schools accept training materials contributed by outfits like PETA and the SPCA? While they do address animal cruelty issues, they also talk about controversial issues like anti-hunting. The programs are already developed and usually cost the schools very little, if anything.

 

[Darkwind]

The program is a great program.

However, and believe Me, I'm going to wash My keyboard out with soap after this post.

The apple has a point.

As a conservative, I don't want government mandating that kids have to take programs like this. It is extra curricular in nature and as such, should be voluntary, and the parents should be given the ability to opt out if they wish.

It sets a bad precedent in a world full of bad precedents.

I have to remain consistent with My ideology. I'm against this program unless there are major changes to the legislation which allows for opting out.

 

[Missourian]

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Education and Training|Become an Instructor

 

[Avatar4321]

By Annie-Rose Strasser

Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns.

Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take a gun safety training course. Using a grant provided by the National Rifle Association, it would put a “National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program” instructor in every first grade classroom.

The irony that there’s no requirement for students to learn about their bodies — but that there is one for deadly weapons — seems lost on the legislators proposing the measure, one of whom lamented, “I hate mandates as much as anyone, but some concerns and conditions rise to the level of needing a mandate”ushing for its passage:

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Let me guess, teaching kids about guns is bad.

It's much better that kids don't know gun safety. If they find a gun, they shouldn't avoid it and notify a parent, they should start shooting it instead.

 

[asaratis]

The NRA has long had a safety program aimed at children (pun intended), it's called the Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program and it works.

If you see a gun:
STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

My daughter was 7 years old when I was teaching firearms safety classes. She would sit at a table and disassemble, clean, and reassemble my Colt Model 1910. When asked what she would do if she saw a firearm in someone's home, she was able to recite those very rules. Later, at the age of 12, she started co-teaching Hunter Education classes. When we went to the range with our students, she cracked down harder on her peers than the adults did for safety infractions.

There is a time and place to teach children the things they need to know to keep them safe. I would rather children be taught gun safety in grade school than how to apply a condom to their fruits and veggies.

At the age of nine, I would dismantle and reassemble my dad's 7.5mm Luger (absolutely magnificent machined parts...only one screw in the whole thing...holds the wooden grips on tight). He later gave me the gun and I later foolishly sold it.

Do parents have any choice in this?

You're such a die hard hack that you probably would object to someone teaching your child (god forbid if you actually have one) being taught what to do to avoid a dangerous situation.

It's not that they're trying to teach 1st graders how to shoot....just driving home the point that they should leave and find an adult.

Really? All you "small government" folks are okay with the state mandating this?

All you "big government" people are OK with denying the opportunity to teach children to be safe?

They can't enroll in an NRA class outside of school? You want to fucking mandate that kids learn about guns but a doctor can't ask if there are guns in a home? What is wrong with you people?

The mandate is to the teachers to spend a few moments in each day to remind students to find an adult if they see a gun. It is not to teach them how to handle and use guns. Get a fucking grip on the conversation.

All first graders? This seems like NRA indoctrination to me.

To encourage children to seek an adult when they see a gun is hardly indoctrination.

Personally, I think that first grade is too young.
Oh and don't anyone get their panties in an uproar. I took gun safety via the NRA when I was 12, which is an age I think is much better.

This is not a gun safety class. It is a stay-away-from-guns class.

Who is paying for this or is it an unfunded mandate? Oh, the gun manufacturers are doing it out of the goodness of their little hearts, right?

Why does it matter when it may very well save lives?

So I guess Sex Ed in 1st Grade is just dandy, right?

Are kids having sex in first grade? No.

There are guns in childrens cartoons...

There are guns in movies....

There are guns on Tv...

Kids play cops and robbers...

There are toy guns...

Water pistols...

First graders are old enough to be taught guns are not toys...real guns kill real people.

I'll steal the sex ed argument...feel free to attempt to counter it...

Schools need to teach the dangers of guns because parents aren't.

Then maybe the "parents" need some training...?

...so would you rather mandate that parents attend classes or pay fines for not teaching their children to stay away from guns.

By Annie-Rose Strasser

Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns.

Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take a gun safety training course. Using a grant provided by the National Rifle Association, it would put a “National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program” instructor in every first grade classroom.

The irony that there’s no requirement for students to learn about their bodies — but that there is one for deadly weapons — seems lost on the legislators proposing the measure, one of whom lamented, “I hate mandates as much as anyone, but some concerns and conditions rise to the level of needing a mandate”ushing for its passage:

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Well if the NRA is sponsoring it, it doesn´t detract from other studies, and you can opt out of it....why not? First grade is probably too early to do this....kids can't spell the word "gun"yet.

They can be taught to stay away from them until they are old enough to become familiar with them. The same can be applied to sex education. You teach a 1st grader to scream and run when a stranger offers them a cookie to get in his pickup truck. That's about as far as you go with sex education for six year olds. It's when they reach puberty and start having natural urges to explore their newly found "toys" that they need to know a bit about the consequences of sexual activity.

A gun safety course for children should also include a "scream and run" stage...say at age six. That appears to be all this program is calling for. Later, if they want to learn how to use them, they can sign up for voluntary courses.

Since the school room is a convenient place to repetitiously spread the (same) word to all children, it is a much better way to do this than to ask the parents to do it at home. Too many parents are unwilling or unable to teach their children anything regarding guns and good behavior. (That is why we have so many punk ass kids on the streets today.)

 

[OKTexas]

In 1999 the ABC News program 20/20 did a feature on Eddie Eagle which was highly critical of the program.[1] This feature stated that it did not work to simply "Tell [very young] kids what to do" and expect them to follow those instructions implicitly.

Eddie Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

20/20 Classic: Kids and Guns | Video - ABC News

Then why would you think they'd do any better with sex ed? You just shot yourself in the proverbial foot there bubba.

 

[Missourian]

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Well if the NRA is sponsoring it, it doesn´t detract from other studies, and you can opt out of it....why not? First grade is probably too early to do this....kids can't spell the word "gun"yet.

It sounds like "opt out" isn't an option.

I won't support it without an opt out.

In fact, I'll email that to my local representative in the morning.

If folks don't want their kids to receive this instruction, they should not be forced to do so.

Further, children whose parents choose the opt out option should be...I am having trouble putting this concept into words...should not feel singled out or left out or different in any way.

I hope that make some kind of sense...and gets my meaning across.

 

[OKTexas]

More: Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class | ThinkProgress

Why Missouri's Students Might Believe Todd Akin's Junk Science | ThinkProgress

Well if the NRA is sponsoring it, it doesn´t detract from other studies, and you can opt out of it....why not? First grade is probably too early to do this....kids can't spell the word "gun"yet.

It sounds like "opt out" isn't an option.

What happened to the lefts mantra "if it just saves one life it's worth it", that being considered why would you want an opt out?

 

[gallantwarrior]

The program is a great program.

However, and believe Me, I'm going to wash My keyboard out with soap after this post.

The apple has a point.

As a conservative, I don't want government mandating that kids have to take programs like this. It is extra curricular in nature and as such, should be voluntary, and the parents should be given the ability to opt out if they wish.

It sets a bad precedent in a world full of bad precedents.

I have to remain consistent with My ideology. I'm against this program unless there are major changes to the legislation which allows for opting out.

I actually agree with the "opt out". But later, if their children become statistics, parents who either "opt out" or fail to instruct their children at home should have no recourse to legal relief. If offered and declined, any optional program, recourse should be limited.

 

[Missourian]

I would suspect that a parent that is engaged enough to opt out is also engaged enough to have this discussion with their children on their own in a manner that they deem appropriate.

 

[Darkwind]

The program is a great program.

However, and believe Me, I'm going to wash My keyboard out with soap after this post.

The apple has a point.

As a conservative, I don't want government mandating that kids have to take programs like this. It is extra curricular in nature and as such, should be voluntary, and the parents should be given the ability to opt out if they wish.

It sets a bad precedent in a world full of bad precedents.

I have to remain consistent with My ideology. I'm against this program unless there are major changes to the legislation which allows for opting out.

I actually agree with the "opt out". But later, if their children become statistics, parents who either "opt out" or fail to instruct their children at home should have no recourse to legal relief. If offered and declined, any optional program, recourse should be limited.

I have no problem with that.