In response to Diane Peterson's letter last week, I'd like to shed some light on the value of the bill related to youth firearm safety course for 1st graders, or SB801. It is wrong to oppose a bill that could potentially save the lives of children through education. While there IS a great responsibility on adult gun owners to store their weapons safely, children will find themselves in many situations during their lives where they encounter scenarios presented to them by irresponsible adults. Criminals who can't legally possess a gun can still acquire and discard a firearm where a child may come in contact with it. You can't prevent those types of scenarios through legislation. As a firm supporter of harm reduction philosophies, I believe we must meet these problems where they are, and do what it takes to prevent more accidents from happening. This involves educating children on what to do when they encounter a firearm. Your opposition to this bill and suggestion to instead "hold gun owners accountable for responsibly storing their guns" as an alternative solution is too focused on legislating the aftermath of horrific events, rather than preventing them from happening in the first place.
Derek LeBlanc, who originally presented a draft of this bill to legislators has worked diligently with politicians on both sides of the aisle to present a bill that is marketable and agreeable for everyone in an effort to do something to prevent accidental gun deaths involving children. I've personally attended his youth firearm safety course and seen first hand his dedication to informing children on what to do in a real-life scenarios if they encounter a firearm that is not "responsibly stored," as well as a curriculum focused on the subjects of video games vs. real life violence, the dangers of confusing firearms with toy guns, and with relation to things like airsoft guns, the promotion of aiming at targets rather than each other.
I can sympathize with the concern of parents who become apprehensive when they see headlines about "firearm safety for first graders," but have you actually read the text of this bill? It is nonpolitical and must neither encourage or discourage gun ownership. At no time At no time may any real firearm or live ammunition be used or possessed during the class. The class is a half hour each year and held during recess. Parents are given prior notice about the class so they may opt and their children can go to recess rather than participating.
Catering to the curiosity of children about guns may be a taboo for parents who do not own guns, but I would highly recommend that they consider introducing their children to Derek's program, whether or not the bill passes. Treating the subject with fear-mongering ignorance is not going to prevent accidents from happening. Most accidents don't happen in the homes of "dangerous people" that laws passed by legislators would prevent from being gun owners in the first place. Regardless of your ideologies about gun ownership, this bill is focused on giving children necessary information that could very well save their lives. It is deeply disappointing and downright disturbing that anyone would oppose this bill, and say it's "wrong to put the burden of firearm safety on children." By opposing this legislation, you are accepting the burden of your children not being prepared for these real life scenarios, and accepting the responsibility for the accidents it could prevent.
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