On Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:44:26 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:



"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 6/12/13 6:20 PM, Eisboch wrote:


"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
...

On 6/12/13 4:57 PM, jps wrote:


I don't mind those who own guns responsibly and I suspect the gun
nuts
in rec.boats are responsible. What irks the **** out of me is when
responsible owners start talking about gun rights. As if they were
more important than any other right, including safety of the
general
population from an over abundance of guns that make it out into the
streets and promote violence and easy answers to hard problems.

These jerks would give up all their rights to privacy, search and
seizure, free speech and whatever else as long as they can keep
there
little dick extensions.

Meanwhile, the country's kids are at risk from idiots who can't
manage
to keep their guns locked up.


There's no question that discussions about guns brings some really
crazy
people out of the woodwork. To be involved on an issue where the
others
on your side include the likes of Wayne LaPierre, the new crazyman
who
is the head of the NRA and, of course, Ted Nugent, would make many
rational people get themselves "uninvolved."

---------------------------------------------

I recently heard about a proposal in some California location to add
a
"gun safety" course to the curriculum in a charter school system.
My
knee jerk reaction was that it was a stupid idea but then I thought
about it some more. It seems that school systems in general have
had
to take on the responsibility of educating youth in all types of
subjects that are not related directly to academics and that in past
generations were handled by parents. Since firearms and their use
are
so prevalent in our society, why shouldn't educating youth on their
dangers and safe handling not be included?

I took driver's education in Connecticut in 1964. One of the
classroom
instruction periods was conducted by a trooper from the CT State
Police. He presented a movie (old fashioned projector back then)
with
some of the most horrific and gory images of people dismembered or
having sustained horrible injuries or deaths due to car crashes,
mostly
due to speeding. I don't remember much of anything else
specifically
that was taught in classroom instruction of driver's ed but the
images
contained in that presentation remain fresh in my mind 47 years
later.

My conclusion was that as much as some would like, guns are not
going
to go away in our society. A little education never hurt anybody.






I agree that it would be a good idea to have firearm safety offered,
but
not in the public schools and not by a political organization like the
NRA. I think organizations like the Boy Scouts could do it, and even
put
on programs *in* the public schools, as a community service.

Public school assets are already stretched very thin. Diverting any
funds to pay for firearms safety courses means the teaching of basic
educational skills and course in phys ed and the arts will suffer
further.

I don't recall a driver's ed program in high school, but that doesn't
mean there wasn't one. I do remember a rather forward-thinking sex ed
class and film in the 7th grade, taught by a nurse.

----------------------------------

Good points regarding the stretching of school assets and I agree the
NRA should not be involved although promoting gun safety *was* the
original and primary purpose of the NRA before guns became such a
political issue.

When I was a kid ... maybe 8 or 9 years old, I wanted a Daisy BB gun
so bad I constantly bugged the heck out of my parents for one.
Finally one Christmas morning, there it was. But my father spent
hours with me on it's use, treating it like it was a Swedish Mauser or
something. It was the type that you could load up the whole barrel
with BBs that were sold in a little cardboard tube with a blue
cardboard cap that converted into a funnel. The BBs were loaded
through a little hole in the barrel. When full, the rifle was muzzle
heavy as hell, and off into the woods I'd go to "hunt". (never shot
anything)
But it seems to me that I remember a Boy Scout meeting at which some
representative gave a presentation on BB gun safety and also
demonstrated some "real" rifles. I don't know who he was or what
group he represented but it he could have very well been a
representative of the NRA. This would be in the late 50's.

See above.

John H.
--

Hope you're having a great day!