Put Firearm Safety and Skill Training Back in the Schools? Outrageous!

“Outrageous!” shout the uneducated. “Outrageous!” shout the gun haters. “Outrageous!” shout the politicians.

But think about it. Learning about firearms as children would take the “mystique” out of guns. Students would become familiar with them. And they would learn how to be safe around them. Kids would be less curious about guns they might find at home.

It is our Constitutional right to carry a firearm. But some people are worried that there would be unskilled citizens carrying guns. And, in some cases, they’d be downright unsafe.

I’ve been a firearms instructor for over 35 years. And unsafe/unskilled people concern me too. I’m a firm believer in quality firearm training before carrying a firearm in public.

Learning how to use firearms properly and safely used to be part of growing up in America. Grandpas, dads, uncles or older brothers (I’m not being sexist, here… that’s usually who is was “back in the day”) took kids hunting or to the range (or the gravel pit) when they were “of age.”

They taught them how to shoot. And they taught them how to be safe with firearms. Unfortunately, nowadays, most people get their firearms “training” from movies and mass media.

And seriously, almost all references to guns by the movies and media are inaccurate and misleading. So, not surprisingly, guess what happens? People who are unfamiliar with guns believe what they see and hear in the movies and media. They believe inaccurate information.

So they are afraid of firearms. Or, if they actually handle a gun, they are seriously unsafe with it. And some of them end up killing themselves, or others, accidentally.

And it occurred to me how we (as in “we the people”) might solve this current social concern

Apprehension of unskilled/unsafe American citizens carrying guns in public is understandable. So it just makes sense to include basic firearm education as a part of the required curriculum in schools.

Firearm safety classes would help students become familiar with firearms. And how to be safe around them. They would know what a gun is and what it can do. And more importantly, they would know how to safely handle the firearm. So it would lower the instances of firearm related accidents.

Of course, the curriculum would obviously need to be age specific and repeated regularly through the years. And instructors would need to be certified firearms instructors who know what they’re doing.

Once children graduated high school, they would know the significance and seriousness of firearm ownership as an American citizen. They would know how to safely and skillfully handle a gun. And they would know the legal aspects of ownership/carry.

After graduation (18 yrs old), an American citizen could buy and carry a firearm without a need for additional training. However, I believe every firearm owner/carrier should benefit from additional training.

What about those that don’t complete the required firearm safety and skill curriculum?

After graduation, they would have an opportunity to complete what was missed and then be eligible to purchase and carry a firearm. Therefore, if you could legally own a firearm, you could legally carry a firearm.

The Next Generation Could Focus Their Attention on Crime Control Instead of Gun Control

With an educated population, Constitutional Carry would be less threatening to those that fear an untrained, armed citizen.

Unfortunately, those that have only been “trained” by the media would still be fearful… because of their ignorance due to a lack of education.

~Dave

Related Post: So You Decided to Conceal Carry

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