NRA gun-safety program for Va. grade schools criticized

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

NRA gun-safety program for Va. grade schools criticized

By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

RICHMOND -- The Virginia General Assembly has directed the state's Board of Education to develop course materials for teaching gun safety to elementary school children that incorporate the guidelines of a National Rifle Association program.

The measure, approved during the legislature's recently concluded annual session, allows local school boards to choose whether to implement the program.

A leading Democrat in the state Senate had amended the bill to allow the state board to also incorporate materials from a second group, the National Crime Prevention Center. But Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) has proposed stripping the amendment from the bill, leaving the reference only to NRA material.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/20/AR2010042003752.html

[X_Digger]

1. "National Crime Prevention Center" does not exist..

However, the "National Crime Prevention Council" does..

A McDonnell spokeswoman said there is no such group as the National Crime Prevention Center. The similarly named National Crime Prevention Council, best known for its McGruff the Crime Dog programs, did develop a gun safety curriculum several years ago, but a spokesman for the group said it has not been updated in several years.

<snip>

Andrew Fois, a managing director of the National Crime Prevention Council, said that his group would be "thrilled to be included" in the program but that it does not have the resources to revise its gun safety material.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. Why would gun safety material need revised?

Gun safety has been roughly the same for the last 100yrs.
If you want to count the proliferation of striker fired autoloading pistols then guns have been the same since the 80's.

[X_Digger]

4. Yup, tempest in a teapot.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. The NRA approach is a pretty good one. I have would have no problems with it

Not a lot of moralizing IMO, which offends the anti's to no end.

[sharesunited]

5. The only thing which needs to be taught is that guns and ammo have no place in society.

They are as taboo as child pornography.

[slackmaster]

7. Except, of course, in the hands of employees of the police state that sharesunited wants

The police state that would be needed to stop people from owning guns.

[rrneck]

16. Be careful, it's slippery there...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and forbidden based on moral judgment and sometimes even religious beliefs.

Lay off it, you're making Sigmund Freud dizzy.

[krispos42]

17. I'm sure that will be as effective as abstinence-only sex education n/t

[spin]

20. My friend, you are delusional ...

or you live in an Alice in Wonderland world.

[proteus_lives]

24. That old fail-nut.

You do realize that the "child pornography" line is one the reasons you and your position are such a joke, right?

[Pavulon]

27. good luck with that bullshit. (nt)

[onehandle]

6. Gun propaganda in schools. Why not teach them about noose 'safety' too? nt

[X_Digger]

8. If you'd actually think before posting..

You wouldn't look so silly..

http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

If you see a gun:

STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[friendly_iconoclast]

22. Misleading Photoshops and munged headlines are better than mere 'fact'.

Besides that, when you start using facts people get used to them, and start asking uncomfortable questions when they are lacking.

Better to avoid them, so as not to disturb the faith of the believers...

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jazzhound]

11. And on and on it goes.

When an entity unattached to gun rights teaches kids gun safety it's responsible social behaviour. When the NRA does precisely the same thing it's propaganda.

[slackmaster]

14. Yes, to some of us only the messenger matters

The message is irrelevant.

[proteus_lives]

25. You and your new pictures always provoke a laugh.

:rofl:

Why don't you try facts? Are they too scary? Or is it just uncomfortable because you'll realize you can't support your claims?

[SteveM]

28. Oh, that cat! Somebody remove the cat... Oh! Too late. Messy ol' thing. nt

[happygoluckytoyou]

12. RELATED STORY-- VA refuses sex ed in school...boys cant tell a rifle from a gun...

[oneshooter]

26. It goes like this.

This is MY RIFLE
This is MY GUN

THIS is for KILLING
THIS is for FUN

Repeat as often as the DI wants. In front of as many platoons as can be found on the Parade Ground!


Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[bpj62]

13. Gun Safety in School

I have three children in the Virginia Public School system and I'll be dammed if some propagandist from the NRA is going to teach them gun safety. They are learning it from their grandfather who is a lifelong outdoors man who also can't stand the NRA because of their political views. Children already have enough on their plate as it is. McDonnell is an ass clown. He cut a ton of money from the education budget but somehow he manages to make sure that this little nugget is funded. Way to go all of you Virginian who didn't show up at the polls last November.

[slackmaster]

15. I'm glad someone is teaching your kids gun safety

A lot of kids aren't fortunate enough to have a qualified teacher in the family. I take it you aren't up to the task yourself.

What would you do for the ever-growing number of kids who don't have a competent gun safety mentor?

BTW I had an excellent one. My stepfather was a World War II veteran who had done subsistence hunting as a child. He was a rifle instructor late in his Navy career.

[Mother Smuckers]

18. So your objection is to the messenger, not the message? What about history and other courses...do

you look at those teachers and their political leanings with as much scrutiny? When I was in school, 40+ years ago we had a gun club and regular instruction and practice. Not once was there any incident connected with our guns. Ignorance is a surefire (so to speak) path toward tragedy.

[AtheistCrusader]

19. There are two elements to the NRA, the political arm (NRA-ILA) and the regular gun safety

and training element.

I have not verified, but I would be surprised if the Eddie Eagle safety program materials even discuss firearms as a civil right, or any of that stuff.

But I will check, I could be wrong.

[Abq_Sarah]

23. They don't

They don't attach value judgments to firearms.

[Euromutt]

21. What a very misleading headline

I've read the article three times, and nowhere in the article does it describe how, or even that, the Eddie Eagle program was criticized. The closest thing to a complaint is that (the self-described) Virginians for Public Safety think the Eddie Eagle program shouldn't be the only gun safety program available to schools, but it's hardly the NRA's fault there aren't very many alternatives.

Titling the article "Virginia state senator bungles amendment" would have been more accurate.