Legislature Passes Gleason Legislation to Heighten Safety for Michigan Residents and Students

[shadowrider]

LANSING—The Michigan Legislature recently voted to pass several bills sponsored by Senator John J. Gleason, including his legislation to increase programs for gun safety in public schools. Under Senate Bill 1402, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is required to develop or adopt a model gun safety program based on the “Eddie Eagle” curriculum developed by the National Rifle Association to promote gun accident prevention. Beginning in the 2011 – 2012 school year public schools across the state will be encouraged to adopt the model program developed by the MDE.

“Eddie the Eagle is a friendly character with a serious lesson who can teach our children how to stay safe when they encounter a firearm,” said Senator Gleason. “This program can save lives by promoting caution, safety and responsibility. The incidents of kids accidentally discharging or firing a gun are an avoidable tragedy, and this program can help prevent those.”

http://senate.michigan.gov/dem/pr.php?id=1766

The more education, the better.

[glinda]

1. Gun programs in schools is also gun promotion.

[X_Digger]

2. The same way teaching sex ed promotes promiscuity?

:sarcasm:

[RamboLiberal]

7. +1Great Response

[MicaelS]

8. Ouch!!! Talk about a slap!!! n/t

[Atypical Liberal]

10. Upvote for you!

Good job.

[spin]

3. True. So are movies, TV programs and video games ...

There are an estimated 300 million firearms in our nation. Even if you are totally opposed to gun ownership and have no firearms in your house, your children have a good chance to be exposed to firearms at some point before they are 18.

It would be far better to send our children to gun safety programs in schools than to avoid the subject. There should also be more advanced classes for older children that emphasize how important it is to know the basic rules of gun safety before handling a weapon.

Every student in America should know that merely removing the magazine (clip) from a semi-auto firearm does not mean that it is unloaded as a bullet can still be in the chamber. Every student should know that you NEVER point a weapon at something you are not willing to destroy. Every student should know to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Every student should know how to store a gun safely.

Yes, it is possible that some students may develop an interest in firearms and those students should be pointed toward a sport such as target shooting. It's better that they end up as trained responsible gun owners than gun owners without knowledge or training.

[krispos42]

5. Meh.

Ignorance is dangerous. Besides, NOT teaching it is the school board basically saying "we don't want to encourage gun ownership", which is not something that's really their business.

[Atypical Liberal]

9. Check their web site

The core of the Eddie Eagle program is this message:

If you see a gun:

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

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

This is a simple, easy, and good message to teach children about firearms.

[cleanhippie]

4. You prefer the ostrich program instead?

That's the current "head in the sand" approach currently being used.

[slackmaster]

6. That's a very small step. I'd rather see hands-on gun safety training at the high school level.

Every young adult should be taught the basic rules of safe firearm handling.

Every young adult should know how to safely unload a revolver, a semiautomatic pistol or rifle, and a bolt- or lever-action rifle.