South Carolina Bill Requires All Public School Students To Take NRA-Approved Gun Rights Course

[G_j]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/01/08/3609257/south-carolina-bill-requires-all-public-school-students-to-take-nra-approved-gun-rights-course/



BY IAN MILLHISER POSTED ON JANUARY 8, 2015 AT 10:04 AM

Legislation proposed last month by three members of the South Carolina legislature would require public school teachers in that state to spend three weeks each year extolling the virtues of the Second Amendment — as that amendment is understood by the National Rifle Association. The bill requires all South Carolina public schools to “provide instruction in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution for at least three consecutive weeks during one grading period in each academic year.” Moreover, “the State Superintendent of Education shall adopt a curriculum developed or recommended by the National Rifle Association or its successor organization.”

Three weeks is an absolutely extraordinary amount of instruction time to devote to such a narrow subject, at least at the elementary or secondary school level, even setting aside the political nature of the material. Many high school history teachers publish their course syllabi online, and a ThinkProgress review of Advanced Placement United States History syllabi reveals that teachers typically spend far less than three weeks teaching pivotal events or major aspects of American history.

One South Carolina charter school, for example, devotes just two weeks to “The Slave System and the Coming of the Civil War” and only a week and a half to World War II in its Advanced Placement United States History course. A Maine private school devotes two weeks to “Slavery and Sectionalism” and another two weeks to “World War II and the Origins of the Cold War.” A Kentucky high school devotes only two weeks to the “Roaring 20’s, Great Depression and New Deal,” a period that thrust America into an historic crisis and transformed the nation’s view of the role of government in society.

Nevertheless, the South Carolina bill does not simply require schools to spend more time teaching students the NRA’s view of gun rights than many advanced high school courses spend teaching about subjects such as slavery or World War II; it requires this course to be taught at the elementary, middle and high school level.

[isobar]

1. What a crock of poo.

[2naSalit]

52. Hey...

that's my favorite line! But I totally agree.

This is just another way to encourage parents to remove their kids from the public school system which give charter/voucher schools more importance (or some would hope).

[hack89]

2. What an idiotic idea. nt

[Electric Monk]

43. Wow, you and I actually agree on something gun related for a change.

[hack89]

45. You and I most likely agree on many things when it comes to guns

I suspect we agree a lot more than we disagree.

[TheBlackAdder]

3. Teach kids the right way to handle a weapon when striking your school, employer, etc... nt

[jen1980]

4. Teaching kids to kill is just sad

[JoePhilly]

5. But they don't advocate manatory classes for gun owners ... BRILLIANT!!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

8. +1000!

[ileus]

6. Guns don't have rights...people do.

[petronius]

7. They also want Dec 15th designated as 'Second Amendment Awareness Day'

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess121_2015-2016/prever/3023_20141211.htm

I doubt they have any expectation of passing this--I hope it's just posturing--but they sure are putting on a remarkable display of jackassery...

[Initech]

9. Guns have more rights than people in this country. Is this really necessary?

[beevul]

10. Both sides pro-gun and anti-gun propose these sorts of things.

Neither side can claim any moral high ground here.

[G_j]

13. do you have an example?

Last edited Sat Jan 10, 2015, 01:02 PM - Edit history (1)

seems this is one sided. I know one thing, in reality, the NRA has no moral high ground.

[beevul]

40. Yes.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026063594#post39

[DisgustipatedinCA]

20. I'm claiming the moral high ground over these idiots right here and now.

And I win. I can't believe I'm at DU reading a defense of subhuman dogshit death lovers and their plans to propagandize children in the ways of death for three weeks every year. You defend these creeps. I'd rather spit in their stupid, inbred faces.

[beevul]

41. Would you be ok with it if the message was the opposite?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026063594#post39

[smirkymonkey]

55. +1000

I really can't say it any better. Just when I think we've reached a new low...

[kcr]

29. What equivilent sort of thing from the other side are you talking about?

[beevul]

42. Link...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026063594#post39

[kcr]

48. Oh. So you're saying gun control is the same thing.

That's what I thought. Wow, not wanting kids to have guns. What an outrage.

[beevul]

59. I believe the words I used were "Both sides pro-gun and anti-gun propose these sorts of things."

I note that you're steering away from that point with all due haste.

Tell you what, you tell me if you oppose both examples due to being against propagandizing children, or just one of them due to content.

[LanternWaste]

60. difficult to realize the difference between an mandatory class which affects GPA and a 'message'

Having a difficult time realizing the difference between an accredited, mandatory class which affects GPA, and a "message"?

I believe the words I'm using are "a petulant false equivalency for its own sake..."

[beevul]

61. From a couple posts down...

Last edited Mon Jan 12, 2015, 05:17 PM - Edit history (1)

From a couple posts down...

"I've also asked the school board,to make a part of every day, some kind of anti-violence anti-gun message, every day every school at every level. One thing that I think is clear with young people, and with adults as well, is that we just have to be repetitive about this, its not enough to have a catchy ad on a Monday and only do it every Monday, we need to do this every of the week, and really just brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way."


Does it sound to you, like the kids in schooling under those school boards referred to above, have any choice in the matter?

So "mandatory" is a red herring at best.

Contrived distinctions without any meaningful tangible differences, don't suddenly become the huge differences you say they are, simply because you said so. But lets examine this a little farther:

"difficult to realize the difference between an mandatory class which affects GPA and a 'message'"

In this this "mandatory" class...you'd be ok with it teaching the bill of rights minus the current legal interpretation of amendment 2, right? Or you'd be ok with it teaching the "collective rights" interpretation of amendment 2, right?

Should schools teach the bill of rights and just skip amendment 2?

What do you think they SHOULD do, in schools, where amendment 2 is concerned, since they DO teach the bill of rights, and amendment 2 is a part of it?

But that's neither here nor there...


This thread is chocked full of posts about propaganda and indoctrination, which ignore completely one example, while piling on the other. Posts by people who are clearly anti-gun, and have an anti-gun posting history.

Which was the point. Scratch an anti-gunner, and routinely, you uncover a hypocrite willing ready and able to chastise the other side for doing X, while turning a blind eye to people from their own side of the issue doing that very same X.

[Logical]

30. Link? nt

[beevul]

39. Attorney General of the United States should be good enough, I would think.

Attorney General of the United States should be good enough, I would think:

"I've also asked the school board, to make a part of every day, some kind of anti-violence anti-gun message, every day every school at every level. One thing that I think is clear with young people, and with adults as well, is that we just have to be repetitive about this, its not enough to have a catchy ad on a Monday and only do it every Monday, we need to do this every of the week, and really just brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way."


So yeah, like I said, both sides engage in this.

[Neon Gods]

11. It's called "Indoctrination"

...and no one did it better than the communists in the old Soviet Union. Next up? Three weeks explaining why abortion is murder, and then three weeks of why small government makes America great. Hell, who needs math and critical thinking?

[Takket]

12. but the reason we score worse than international students on math/science exams...

is because of lousy teachers we can't fire

[Scuba]

15. +1,000

[Volaris]

36. I think the legislative response to this from the opposition should be to attach an amendment rider.

That says FIRST you have to teach 3 weeks on free speech and propoganda.

[Scuba]

14. This won't end well.

[In_The_Wind]

16. Yeah!

[marmar]

17. As Bill Maher says: "No matter how crazy gun culture gets in America....

...... don't think it can't get crazier."

[GGJohn]

44. Why would you be afraid to go out?

Crime is at it's lowest point in decades.
I live in one of the most firearms friendly states, no permit to CC, open carry legal, yet, I feel very safe, I don't hide in my home cowering in fear.

[Adrahil]

50. He didn't insult you.

He's just pouting out, correctly, that violent crime is at it's lowest in decades and he's not afraid.

No reason to get defensive.

[glasshouses]

62. Vermont I'm guessing?

It's not really indicative of the rest country.

There's plenty of places where good decent people are afraid to walk down some neighborhoods .

Or even drive through them.

[Brigid]

18. Every time I get down about Indiana . . .

Last edited Sat Jan 10, 2015, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Some story like this comes up.

[aikoaiko]

19. I wouldn't mind gun safety curriculum and practice in my son's school.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

21. Super. Children should learn to kill or be killed in the first grade.

Wouldn't want your kids to get distracted with science or novels or art. Learning the ways of death from the NRA is superior to these other pursuits.

[aikoaiko]

35. My sons school does a fine job with arts and sciences, too.

[PeaceNikki]

22. It's not about gun safety, it's about gun rights.

[Logical]

31. LOL, ok, Chain Saw safety also? Swimming class? Pool Safety? Hand tools safety? nt

[NickB79]

32. Well, you learn hand tool and power tool safety in shop classes

And most schools these days do require swimming lessons which encompass pool safety.

[Logical]

37. Not true. No shop class or swimming is required in most schools. nt

[aikoaiko]

34. Sure. My grade school had shop and we did hand tool saftey. I still remember some of that stuff

[PA Democrat]

23. SC public schools are tied for 6th worst in the nation

You would think that raising their pupils' academic performance in math and reading and increasing graduation rates might be lawmakers' highest priority.

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/01/14/states-with-the-best-and-worst-schools-2/4/

[smirkymonkey]

56. Naw, that readin' and writin' shit don't matter

as long as you know how to use a gun you'll be all right in the old US of A.

[malaise]

24. WTF!! n/t

[randys1]

27. They need to grow up...Of course some are just skeered the BLACK man is cumin to get em

[randys1]

26. Americans are under attack by gun nut assholes...

[VanillaRhapsody]

28. Next up they form their own little Brownshirt clubs....

got to turn them into gun toting thugs early....

Also important to note....South Carolina is now the 11th most dangerous state to live in because of these NUTS!

[NickB79]

33. Standard civics classes should already encompass this

The Constitution and all it's amendments are already covered by any halfway decent school curriculum.

[G_j]

38. exactly!

the Constitution consists of a lot more than a single amendment.. Then again, maybe the NRA would not approve...

[Liberal_in_LA]

46. windfall for NRA

[Adrahil]

49. I'm in favor of gun rights, and this is Stoopid! n/t

[Duckhunter935]

51. sounds kind of nutty to me

spend the time on a lot better things. I can see an hour or two on age appropriate gun safety like if you see a gun, do not touch, get an adult.

[Sgent]

53. This is unbelievable

in my PE class we were required to take a gun safety class (including shooting a gun), and I still think that's a good idea, but this is just idiotic and indoctrination.

I can't think of a single subject in AP history we spent more than a week on, much less an amendment for 3 weeks.

[smirkymonkey]

57. God, I remember when PE classes consisted

of, like, PE. Just think about what I was missing.

[Sgent]

58. In my rural district

hunting was a major sport / food source, and this made (and makes) sense to me. To be fair, this was a hunter safety class, not just gun safety. This was about 25 years ago.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

54. I bet that this is supposed to be

more comprehensive than most sex ed programs (are allowed to be) in this country nowadays.