Oregon IP-6 requires Firearms Safety Education in Public Schools

[partsed]

I remember taking the Hunter Safety course in 6th grade...

 

[tiggers97]

Seems to me this Initative needs to go a bit further than just firearm safety. Need to do away with the nonsensical behavior about shirts with guns on them, or Pop-Tarts chewed into the shape of a pistol...

Perhaps repeal the Gun Free Zone status of schools. But first we have to stop all the hysteria over seeing a gun or the image of a gun...

I get what you mean, but I think we need to keep in mind that we need to keep it simple so we can nibble back our rights and fight back against demonization of gun-owners one bit at at time. Just like the gun control advocates are trying to slowly erode ours.

 

[PenTurner]

Kind of on topic, our Club teaches hunter's Ed for kids under 18:
Take a Hunter Education Course or Field Day | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
I have fun teaching them maps and compasses, my wife teaches them how to carry the rifles. It helps to work off our work bond in the club

Ron

 

[Boss]

As others have indicated, good idea with stipulations...actual knowledgeable people teaching the class, and not in a 'guns are like drugs...evil/bad...Just Say No' type atmosphere.

If the other side were to really be about 'safety' and 'common sense,' they'd have little logical reason to oppose this for the obvious reasons. Of course, to do it right...they'd *gasp/vapor lock* have to probably allow guns (for demo/teaching purposes) into schools, which of course could send the planet hurdling out of orbit towards the sun and end life as we know it.

But overall, at least a possible step in the right direction.

BOSS

 

[tiggers97]

If the other side were to really be about 'safety' and 'common sense,' they'd have little logical reason to oppose this for the obvious reasons.

IP43 petitioners were asked about this safety proposal. Of course they were opposed. Something about acepting guns are a part of our culture, and their objective was to be the opposite of that. About as close to "we want to ban guns from society" as I have heard from them so far.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

An elective class which teaches :
Firearm safety..
A basic working knowledge of just how a firearm operates...
Basic ballistics...
General ID of various types of firearms...
All without any political content.
That would get my vote for sure.
Andy

 

[Mikej]

New law allows schools to teach gun safety to first-graders

There was a story on teaching 6th graders gun safety in Oregon on the channel 12 news last night. I can't find that story now, just the above. Some one here was saying the firearm owning community needs to go on the offensive and get some pro gun laws passed in the wake of numerous anti gun laws. Gosh it was sweet hearing the news gal read the story and then have that moron minister yapping about it being a bad idea! Yeah, we shouldn't teach "Safety" to children! What a putz. Same as the lady in the article about. "I don't have guns in my house. Why should we need to teach gun safety?" You don't have a swimming pool in your yard either, guess you shouldn't teach your kids to swim?

Edit: Just noted the story is from 2013. WELL! Guess the anti's sure have saved a bunch of lives by keeping education out of the schools !

 

[Stomper]

It shouldn't "allow" them, it should require it.

 

[Mikej]

Here's the article I was looking for, but in the portland Tribune.
Initiative would require sixth graders study firearms safety

Of course that Knutson, pseudo pastor, was on the story saying schools shouldn't be teaching gun safety to 6th graders. This really makes the anti's look bad.

"This is a very poor idea for our state," Cahana said. "It accepts the status quo of guns as an ever-present danger, that there is no way to reduce the overwhelming prevalence of guns in our children's lives. We believe it is time to change the status quo."

Knutson and Cahana who lead the interfaith coalition, Lift Every Voice Oregon, proposed Initiative Petition 43 to ban assault-style firearms for the Nov. 6 election but had to suspendthe effort because of legal obstacles to the wording of the initiative ballot title. The group plans to submit another initiative for 2020 to ban the sale of assault weapons and high capacity magazines. They said they also hope to work with state legislators in 2019 to ban the kind of weapons used in mass shootings around the nation.

Boy, who really cares about the kids, and who has an agenda to disarm Americans? Hmmm.

 

[Joe Link]

Initiative would require sixth graders study firearms safety

 

[nwslopoke]

I want to support the idea but then wonder who is going to get the final say in gun 'education'. Kate Brown? I heard today, in San Francisco their school board approved undocumented immigrants to vote on the school board to have their say in 'free' education. Even though it is against the law.

So the idea of Diane Feinstein teaching gun education on the west coast is worse than not having it taught now.

 

[CountryGent]

As with others said, if done properly, this is a positive. The odds of a young person encountering a firearm is probable in this country, and particularly so in our region. Granted, the "done properly" is the big if.

That said, the onus ultimately rests on the parents to teach gun safety. For example, our wee ones are still tots (almost 3 and 5) and we have them watching the Eddie Eagle cartoon that the NRA put out. The little one likes singing the song from said at random times.

 

[CountryGent]

I saw this tidbit from the article above:

W.J. Mark Knutson, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland, and Michael Cahana, rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, were chief petitioners of an initiative to ban semi-automatic firearms. They said they oppose requiring sixth graders to take a firearms safety class.

"This is a very poor idea for our state," Cahana said.

The sniveling anti-freedom crew has started using the expression "gun safety" instead of "gun control" in recent years. The fact they are opposed to a measure that is, literally, all about gun safety belies their true intent.

 

[Skier]

It seems there's lots of speculation on what may or may not be in IP 2020-006, the "School Gun Safety Act."

So, here's a few highlights/answered questions for those who didn't want to take the time to read it in its entirety.

• "Oregon public schools shall provide..." a firearms safety class (not "may," but "shall," as in "not optional for schools to decide for themselves")
• When/how often? "in the sixth grade... "once during the school year"
• Taught by who? "a firearms instructor certified by law enforcement or a national or state wide organization, that certifies firearms instructors"
• Taught what?
  • "How to respond to an unsecured firearm"
  • "How to safely secure... if no adult is available"
  • "Safe muzzle direction... never touching the trigger"
  • "removing the firearm's magazine does not mean the firearm is unloaded."
• Taught how? Live or recorded. Students tested after class completion No Live Ammo in the classroom.
  
• Important Note: "The required class shall include no material encouraging or discouraging firearms possession or purchase." (i.e. by law, required to be neutral and educational only)

All sounds pretty encouraging to me. Finally, our side is trying to do something that is what the other side has been asking for: "Common Sense Gun Laws." Can't get more bi-partisan than that. ;-)

Finally, on a side note, Aloha High School (near Beaverton, OR), had a shooting range under the school auditorium/theater, though it is currently used for drama/theater/other storage...

 

[nwslopoke]

I did say I am concerned who implements the training. I also see a trend in the testimonies of nearly all the gun control advocates. The majority were avoidable incidents.

People don't understand when a gun is empty, poor gun handling and no respect for firearms in the form of literally playing with loaded guns. These are the preventable gun deaths that they are crying about.

Suicides (listen to any pharmaceutical commercial of side effects) gang shootings (have their benefits for some cities/corruption). The relatively small number of gun deaths could be reduced by a turn around in our culture. Education & Hollywood could go a long way in helping.

 

[Defense Minister]

I think more details are needed, but I absolutely support the idea

 

[Pete F]

Someone should point out to Knutson that guns are now the new "forbidden fruit." Thanks to all of the anti-gun nuts, kids will do almost anything to get or hold a gun. If we say that it is bad or forbidden, it just makes it more interesting to the kids.

I think everyone knows what happened with the forbidden fruit.

 

[alv7722]

Hunter education was encompassed in an elective class my 8th grade year on the Oregon coast. This was 1977 though.
I think its a great idea. I also think the schools should be teaching smart responsible economics.

They are too busy promoting "gender confusion", and denigrating white male children for their ethnicity and "maleness".

 

[alv7722]

I think requiring gun safety education in public schools is a great idea - IF - and only if, it's done by folks that not only really know guns, but also don't have some covert anti-gun agenda mixed in with the training. I'd like to see certified instructors if possible (I'm sure many would volunteer their time for free) so that we can be sure some anti-gun teacher isn't just reading words from a book and doing their best to portray guns in a negative light. We don't need to invite more anti-gun indoctrination into the schools, it's bad enough as it is.

The fear is that some of the children might find they enjoy shooting and find more interest in the sport, and our American heritage??

 

[etrain16]

The fear is that some of the children might find they enjoy shooting and find more interest in the sport, and our American heritage??

Well we definitely can't have THAT