We can all agree that when a child finds a gun somewhere, it doesn’t matter where, and then hurts themselves or someone else, it’s a tragedy. This is probably one of the few points of common ground we can find. The issue is that while we can all agree it’s a problem, it’s the solutions that seem to be what causes so much strife.
Some people look at this and see something that can only be solved through legislation. They want to punish people who don’t lock their guns up, and seem to think requiring it is a “modest request” rather than, you know, legislation that would result in criminal penalties.
Yet even then, the issue isn’t just that kids might stumble upon a gun in a parent’s nightstand or closet, but they might find one where some criminal ditched it while evading the police or where someone unfortunately left their gun behind in a dressing room. Or in a couch at IKEA.
Stuff happens, and while it wouldn’t happen in an ideal world, we don’t have an ideal world. We’re stuck with this one.
So what should we do?
Well, an Arizona bill seeks to do something that should prevent problems both with guns in Mom’s purse, Dad’s closet, or in the shrubs behind the local curb store. It would require gun safety education.
Starting next year, students in Arizona K-12 schools may be receiving annual firearm safety classes, if a bill currently working its way through the statehouse this session is signed into law.
What we know
Gun safety classes for students as young as 5 years old are at the heart of the debate at the Arizona statehouse over Senate Bill 1424. The bill would require all school districts and charter schools to provide annual gun safety instruction to K-12 students.
Supporters compare the education to water safety classes.
“We try to do everything we can to keep our kids safe around pools. Same thing with fire, mandating fire drills and stop, drop and roll when I was a kid. All we’re trying to do is keep our kids safe,” Michael Infanzon, Chief Lobbyist for the Arizona Citizens Defense League, said.
Opponents of the measure seem to think that since it can’t guarantee kids won’t touch guns, it’s a waste of time. Weird, considering none of their proposals would guarantee any such thing, either.
“How many times have we told a child not to touch something, only to turn around and see them do exactly that?” one Moms Demand Action volunteer asked, and to that I’ll point out that when kids tend to do that, it’s because they were just told not to do something, not why. Also, we’re not talking about just one time. This would be an annual class that would, hopefully, talk about what happens when someone misuses a firearm. Do that enough, and it starts to stick.
We don’t just tell a kid not to do something once and pray it works. We repeat it as needed until it sinks through.
Honestly, I find it idiotic that anyone is opposing something like this. This should be the most common-sense proposal out there, simply because criminals drop guns wherever they want while running from the cops. While I believe responsible gun owners should lock their guns up when not in use, I also taught my kids about gun safety as well. I hit both of those because both matter.
I don’t want to see gun storage mandated because such laws don’t take individual circumstances into account, but why are we arguing over teaching kids not to touch a gun without a grown-up present? Why in the world is this controversial?
Maybe it’s because they count on kids being hurt to push their agenda? Nah, I’m sure that’s not it at all.
In other news, I have a pet unicorn.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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