A lightweight news hub to help decentralize the fediverse load: mirror and discuss headlines here so the giant instance communities aren’t a single choke-point.
Rules:
I think that if kids are going to be around guns, which, let's be honest, a lot of them are, then they should know exactly what to do with one, which is, don't touch them and tell an adult. I don't really approve of the whole sticker colorful thing, but at least the core message is alright.
I can think of a lot worse things to teach than gun safety. More-so along the lines of how dangerous they are, not to touch one if you find one, and don't mistake them for toys.
My young kids had never seen a gun fired before. "This is what the movies look like." Put a .22 through an empty beer can. "See? Hole in the front, hole in the back, makes sense, right?"
"But any animal you shoot, including humans, is mostly full of water." Shot a beer can full of water, which predictably exploded and shredded" <screams> "Oh my GOD!"
That seemed to get it across.
Also told them, "Don't touch another person's gun. Not saying that because you're young or stupid! No one touches another person's gun without that person unloading it and showing them it is unloaded. That's how professionals do it. Even if you own the same exact gun, you know nothing about theirs. Maybe the safety doesn't work or some other weird shit.
If anyone tries to hand you a gun, and they have not cleared it, and showed you the empty chamber, do not touch it, and be wary of that person. They are not to be trusted and you need to get away from them."
Cue my 9-yo son lecturing his 11-yo sister on the above. :) (Yes, they both heard that speech.)
Saving this script for my own kids. Vivid imagery my friend
"In Tennessee, lesson plans could include stickers, games, quizzes, or videos with music and colorful firearm illustrations, including a gun made out of Lego-style bricks and an explanation of what a muzzleloader is."
Yeah, I bet that's gonna go over really well when AI starts flagging all the students with Lego guns as a threat...
Doritos anyone?...
Another thought:
If we're going to educate kids on guns, we need to include the fact that many resemble toys. A couple of mine are Tiffany Blue. This one is plastic and weighs less than some pellet and toy guns. Han Solo blaster anyone?
Taught my kids, after showing examples, "If it's shaped like a gun, assume it's a gun, act accordingly."
I live in an open carry state. Shortly after open carry became lawful, I saw someone inside a Walmart with a large gun strapped to his back. My lesson to my kids was this: If you ever see someone visibly carrying a gun, leave immediately. Even if it is legal, any person brazenly carrying a gun is dangerous. We left our cart and quickly walked through the exit.
Schoolhouse Rock-style video: “Gee Bill, why does your mom let you dual-wield?”
In the gym, students took turns running to buckets that had different photos. Students who found a picture of a gun then reported it to one of the adults. They also listened to a catchy jingle emphasizing the steps.
Head and shoulders, not the toes, not the toes.
Sorry I can't find the video.
The idea makes sense in a gun loving country but does age? Like I wouldn't give these children power tools let alone something who's sole purpose is to murder other things.
Good! We DONT want to Trample all over the Constitution!
-People who support arresting Journalists, making Protesting ILLEGAL, Christian Nationalism, ICE Kidnapping American Citizens AND Trump's 3RD Term!
You realize you're having a moral panic over the class that tells children to not play with firearms, right?
Directly quoted from the article
At Berclair Elementary School in Memphis, a class of 16 fifth graders were asked how many had seen a real gun. Nearly all raised their hands. While there is some controversy around guns, there doesn’t always have to be,” said Emily Buck, director of public relations for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which created a curriculum with the state Department of Education. “I think that having some education and foundational knowledge really can be beneficial in the long run.”
Stop, don’t touch, leave quickly, tell an adult
I'm an anarchist, and I approve of these trainings. Gun safety should be taught to everyone, and reiterated every year. Too many children are around guns for it to be ignored. If people stop viewing guns as toys then maybe the gun violence will finally go down