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Posted on 09/28/2005 1:53:37 AM PDT by freepatriot32
RACINE - Eddie Eagle - a feathered National Rifle Association cartoon character who teaches children how not to handle guns - could actually be harmful, says an alderman opposed to a Police Department plan to use Eddie in programs for children.
The City Council will decide Tuesday whether the Racine Police Department can order hundreds of coloring books from the NRA for no charge and use them in conjunction with lectures the department holds with children.
Among other things in the books, children would be coloring in images of guns and of children finding guns in their homes. You can see some of the images online at:
http://www.journaltimes.com Opposition Alderman Pete Karas, who is leading the charge against the police department's efforts, said the booklets are harmful and ineffective, teaching children that guns are for adults, which could further a child's interest in the weapons.
"These are things that usually aren't brought up to children," Karas said. "This is an introduction."
But the NRA's Eddie Eagle can help children of all ages know not to touch guns, to leave the area where they found the gun and to find an adult, "and that's the only thing the gun program teaches," said Sgt. Bill Macemon, Racine Police Department spokesman.
Karas isn't so sure.
"At first glance you look at this and say it's OK," he said, "(but) by making kids aware of guns ... they may, in essence, be harming children, especially those who are contemplating juvenile suicide or juvenile homicide."
Officials split Earlier this week, the city's Finance and Personnel Committee voted 4-0 to deny the police department's request for the books, while the License and Welfare Committee approved the request 3-2.
Both recommendations will go to the City Council, where Alderman Sandra Weidner said she will vote to approve the measure, despite the possible politics behind the books.
"I think the benefit far outweighs the danger of a political logo," Weidner said. "Second- and third-graders don't pay attention to (politics) anyway."
Weidner said when her son was 6 years old, he found what he believed was a gun inside the garage attic. He left the attic, told Weidner about the gun and they called police.
The gun turned out to be a toy, but Weidner said somewhere along the line her son learned what to do in that instance. That's why she supports efforts by schools and police departments to teach children about guns.
"I believe any opportunity we have to educate our children on any of the dangers out there we need to take that opportunity," she said.
Lessons not acted out But Jeri Bonavia, executive director of the Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, of which Karas is a member, said programs like Eddie Eagle don't involve parents and adults enough. The targets of the educational programs and materials are too young to take the brunt of responsibility of being safe around guns.
"This is all bad news," Bonavia said. "All the research that looks at these programs that attempt to keep children safe from guns by going to children show no signs of success what so ever."
A 2002 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, found the Eddie Eagle program was "effective for teaching children to reproduce verbally the gun safety message," but that many children didn't act out the lessons in role-playing games.
Supporters of Eddie Eagle, including those with the NRA, say the program works and familiarizes children with guns to prevent accidental injuries and deaths.
Racine Alderman David Maack said he's not concerned about any potential political connection between the city and the NRA if the police department receives the books. He also said the Eagle program rightfully puts responsibility on the child for proper gun safety and then on the parents.
"I looked at the material," Maack said of the comics children can draw in, some which have guns in them. "I didn't find them to be offensive. The bottom line is, we all know not all parents are responsible. We educate our children, we hope they educate their parents and the parents take responsibility."
More intensity sought Karas said he would like to see the Police Department use a more intense booklet or program to teach children about guns.
He said that if the city were to adopt a portion of the Eddie Eagle program by receiving the coloring books, it "would give ammunition to the Legislature in Madison to pass some type of bill" mandating Eddie Eagle be used in schools, he said.
At least six states have attempted to mandate the NRA program.
Yeah becasue as we all know most 5,6,and 7 year olds are just walking the playground at school saying "yo yo yo im gonna bust a cap in little susy Derkins ass for giving me cooties if only I knew what a gun looked like.Man why cant coloring books have pics of guns in them so I can find out.Then i'd go on a rampage I would rid the schoolyard of cootys and I d have all the milk money."
I want this fool to submit to a drug test .I want to know what hes on and I want one ounce of everything he tests positive for cause its gotta be primo mind altering s**t
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
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Liberals apply this logic to their anti-gun agenda, and a reverse logic to their sex education agenda.
On the one hand, kids don't need to know anything about guns except that they're bad. And on the other hand, children in fifth grade need to know everything about sex, so they can do it safely.
My head is spinning...
Are you quoting Calvin? ;)
He should have stayed in the alders where he belongs.
What utter silliness,
Combine a bible warning and libs will support this.
All of these examples would be just fine for G*D D@MN Liberal Politician...b/c it would show "Diversity".
The DARE program is pushed in all public schools in my area.
So is the school system pushing Druggs on my children?
YES according to the nut jobs up there.
That's the Eddie Eagle book content in a nutshell. It's very effective and certainly doesn't promote gun use. By all means Alderman Pete Karas, if you enjoy children shooting each other while playing with guns, make sure the Eddie Eagle books are removed..........sheesh, what a nimrod.
You nailed it! Liberal "logic" at work. The guy certainly doesn't want people to know that the NRA is for gun SAFETY!
No good deed goes unpunished.
I'm not crazy about the Eddie Eagle stuff either, but for different reasons. If you pound home a message to children that guns are way dangerous, and there's no safe way to touch one, I think that attitude probably sticks later, making them very receptive to Brady Bunch messages about how we should have laws requiring guns to be locked and unloaded at all times, make only "smart" gund legal, etc.
Good, I'm glad to hear it.
Now my dues can go to getting idiots like that out of office.
My definition of "Diversity"
Upon what did he base this finding? Nothing. It's just his "feeling".
Hey Alderman, does this aapply to SEX too?
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