I don’t think it should ever be a requirement to exercise the right enshrined in the Second Amendment, but I do think it should be a requirement in all public schools to teach firearm safety, handling, cleaning, and shooting.
If anything, maybe some gang members would become better shots and stop hitting innocent bystanders.
That is a better idea than I had.
By teaching all kids the safety rules, even those who will never purchase a firearm will know when they are being exposed to unsafe behavior.
But there still needs to be some form of encouragement to learn and to keep up with changes in the laws.
And up their average.
I can’t disagree with that.
While I was taught shooting and firearm safety at home beginning about age 5, it might be different for kids living in a much larger city environment, like Houston or New York. They might not have a place 5 minutes away to go target shoot any time they can grab a half hour to go shoot a little. I learned with a Remington single shot .22, and by age 8 I was able to clean, oil and reassemble every gun in the house. And that was my job after we came in from any hunting trip. Usually just the .410 single shot I used and my father’s 12 gauge Winchester model 12 pump. And the .22 any time we went out for target practice.
Firearm safety was a very strict rule though, and I still always, ALWAYS check the chamber visually before I consider any gun unloaded. Even my own 9mm semi auto which I already know is loaded. Always. (what good is an unloaded gun?) But I also treat it accordingly. You’ll never see me shoot myself or someone else “accidentally” because I *thought* it was unloaded...not a chance, I already KNOW it is loaded. So I treat it accordingly. The 22 six shooter beside me is loaded, I don’t even have to look. 22mag, fully loaded and I already know it. I don’t have to guess, I don’t have to remember and I won’t mistakenly shoot myself, I already KNOW...and I treat it accordingly. Been that way for 40 years, and I do not forget it. If it’s mine, it is loaded. No guesswork involved. Even my pellet pistol has a pellet in the chamber, it’s just not pumped up.
Teaching kids firearm safety in elementary schools would be a very good idea. Even if they never own a gun in their lives, they would know how to handle them in the event they did at some point have reason to. I’ve read stories before about kids killing other kids because one picked up a real gun and played with it as if it were a toy, not realizing the difference, or believing it was unloaded. Or simply not realizing it’s a different world than TV, the thing does actually fire real bullets and the guy you shoot will not come back for another movie next month.
Just giving them the idea that there is no such thing as an unloaded gun until you see for yourself would be a VERY good thing. That, and always treat it as if it were loaded would make everyone safer...That was rule #1 for me, there is no such thing as an unloaded gun until I see for myself. Still is. Treat it that way.
Rule # 2 is never EVER point it at another human unless it’s in wartime or self defense.
OK I’m rambling, but this is something I’ve believed for a long time, simple, basic firearm safety instructions by age 10 should be mandatory in all schools nationwide. Target practice, even with a pellet rifle, should be included. A pellet rifle at 30 feet is no different from a .22 at 50 yards. Lots quieter too, and nowhere near as deadly. Still dangerous, and a hit in the right spot can be fatal, but still not AS deadly...I still use a very old WWII era .22 single shot for most varmint use. 22 shorts usually, except for armadillo, tough skin.
We’d have a much safer country if kids were just taught in their most impressionable years some respect for guns and their safe handling.