Arizona Gets High School Marksmanship Class
Worth one credit toward diploma - Shooting at target required to pass
by Alan Korwin, Author Gun Laws of America
If you're old enough you remember the days when American high schools had rifle ranges in the basement. The ROTC would practice down there, and students learned about the safe use of firearms. You could even get a varsity letter (remember those?) in shotgun.
In rural areas, kids would bring firearms with them to school, and go hunting for dinner on the way home. I have a friend who brought his father's fully functional full-auto Thompson submachinegun to class, with ammo, for show and tell. That sort of thing screeched to a halt in the 1960s, when left-wing political correctness got the ranges closed and proceeded to vilify guns in every way they could. Arizona is poised to change that.
In April we passed the first law in decades to go back to teaching real gun safety to high school students. The children can get one credit in marksmanship toward their high school diplomas, in this full-semester class. To pass the Arizona Gun Safety Program they must safely discharge a firearm at a target. It all began about six months earlier.
One day, with some idle time on my hands, I wondered, "Why don't we make marksmanship a requirement for a high school diploma?" The people I hang out with thought it was a great idea, so what the hey, I drafted some language, and circulated it electronically.
State Senator Karen Johnson got a hold of a copy, but argued that it would fail as a required course, because legislators would complain about the budget demands. She wisely changed it to an elective, and then amazed us. It went through the Senate unanimously. The House passed it by a veto-proof margin of nearly three to one. Our Governor, Janet Napolitano, not generally recognized as very gun-friendly, had no choice but to sign it into law.
Legislators saw it as a safety bill, not a gun bill, which helped. The Arizona Game and Fish Dept., which licenses the state's hunters, is named to certify this program's instructors. They supported and even expanded the language, which also helped. They wanted to be able to provide clay target practice, and so changed my low-profile ".22 caliber bolt-action rifle" language to "firearm." Works for me.
The biggest concern was that this education bill could be turned into a gun avoidance program, if anti-rights bigots could interpret it their way. That's why I included the must-shoot-safely-to-pass requirement. That had an unexpected fringe benefit of getting the state's ranges onboard, because the law allows students to use "any established shooting range." (See the actual bill in the sidebar.)
Kids will learn gun safety, operation of firearms, shooting techniques and other basics of this time honored, extraordinarily important craft. Marksmanship teaches responsibility, improves concentration, affects national preparedness, and removes some of the ignorance so plentiful about guns.
By far, though, the best part of the program, is that it requires teaching the role of firearms in the preservation of peace and freedom. Students must learn about the constitutional roots of the right to keep an bear arms. It's in the law. There's no way around it.
The main obstacle will be gun haters in the system, and anti-rights teachers and administrators. They're already grumbling about ethics, time, money-any roadblock they can use to keep the kids in the dark. Kids on the other hand, no surprise here, are eager to sign up for the class.
The ethical thing of course is to teach safety, not hide it. Kids take electives like acting and pottery, so this is just an alternative with no extra time required. Legislators demonstrated their support by overwhelmingly passing the law. And there is no budget issue, because the ranges are excited about providing time and supplies for free (they see a significant marketing value). Game and Fish has adequate budget, and teaching is what they're all about.
Classrooms are standing and lit, and teachers are on salary.
So what are you waiting for? Find one sensitive and caring legislator in your state, and get this bill introduced. Even if you imagine there's little chance of passage, think how it will infuriate the intolerant anti-rights crowd who think they're all about education and openness. And who knows, your state just might think gun safety is a good idea too.
--------------------
Alan Korwin, well known in the gun-rights community, is the author of the unabridged federal guide, Gun Laws of America, going into its fifth edition. He runs the website gunlaws.com, and can be reached at alan@gunlaws.com. You can download the High School Marksmanship bill from his website.
--------------------
Arizona State Senate Bill 1271, Enacted 4/11/05
A.R.S. 15-714.01. Arizona gun safety program course
A. In addition to the voluntary training in the use of bows and firearms prescribed in sections 15-713 and 15-714, each school district and charter school may offer as an elective course a one-semester course in firearm marksmanship that shall be designated as the Arizona Gun Safety Program course.
B. A pupil shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed the Arizona Gun Safety Program course by demonstrating that the pupil has the ability to safely discharge a firearm.
C. The course of instruction prescribed in this section shall be jointly developed by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, the Department of Public Safety and private firearms organizations and may include materials provided by private youth organizations. At a minimum, the Arizona Gun Safety Program course shall include:
1. Instruction on the rules of gun safety.
2. Instruction on the basic operation of firearms.
3. Instruction on the history of firearms and marksmanship.
4. Instruction on the role of firearms in preserving peace and freedom.
5. Instruction on the constitutional roots of the right to keep and bear arms.
6. Instruction on the use of clay targets.
7. Practice time at a shooting range.
8. Demonstration of competence with a firearm.
D. School districts and charter schools shall arrange for adequate use of shooting range time by pupils in the Arizona Gun Safety Program course at any established shooting range.
E. Pupils who satisfactorily complete the Arizona Gun Safety Program course shall receive a certificate of accomplishment.
F. Instructors shall be certified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
G. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or expand the liability of any person under other provisions of law.
--
Contact:
Alan Korwin
BLOOMFIELD PRESS
"We publish the gun laws."
4718 E. Cactus #440
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 FAX
1-800-707-4020 Orders
http://www.gunlaws.com
alan@gunlaws.com
Call, write, fax or click for a free catalog.
by Alan Korwin, Author Gun Laws of America
If you're old enough you remember the days when American high schools had rifle ranges in the basement. The ROTC would practice down there, and students learned about the safe use of firearms. You could even get a varsity letter (remember those?) in shotgun.
In rural areas, kids would bring firearms with them to school, and go hunting for dinner on the way home. I have a friend who brought his father's fully functional full-auto Thompson submachinegun to class, with ammo, for show and tell. That sort of thing screeched to a halt in the 1960s, when left-wing political correctness got the ranges closed and proceeded to vilify guns in every way they could. Arizona is poised to change that.
In April we passed the first law in decades to go back to teaching real gun safety to high school students. The children can get one credit in marksmanship toward their high school diplomas, in this full-semester class. To pass the Arizona Gun Safety Program they must safely discharge a firearm at a target. It all began about six months earlier.
One day, with some idle time on my hands, I wondered, "Why don't we make marksmanship a requirement for a high school diploma?" The people I hang out with thought it was a great idea, so what the hey, I drafted some language, and circulated it electronically.
State Senator Karen Johnson got a hold of a copy, but argued that it would fail as a required course, because legislators would complain about the budget demands. She wisely changed it to an elective, and then amazed us. It went through the Senate unanimously. The House passed it by a veto-proof margin of nearly three to one. Our Governor, Janet Napolitano, not generally recognized as very gun-friendly, had no choice but to sign it into law.
Legislators saw it as a safety bill, not a gun bill, which helped. The Arizona Game and Fish Dept., which licenses the state's hunters, is named to certify this program's instructors. They supported and even expanded the language, which also helped. They wanted to be able to provide clay target practice, and so changed my low-profile ".22 caliber bolt-action rifle" language to "firearm." Works for me.
The biggest concern was that this education bill could be turned into a gun avoidance program, if anti-rights bigots could interpret it their way. That's why I included the must-shoot-safely-to-pass requirement. That had an unexpected fringe benefit of getting the state's ranges onboard, because the law allows students to use "any established shooting range." (See the actual bill in the sidebar.)
Kids will learn gun safety, operation of firearms, shooting techniques and other basics of this time honored, extraordinarily important craft. Marksmanship teaches responsibility, improves concentration, affects national preparedness, and removes some of the ignorance so plentiful about guns.
By far, though, the best part of the program, is that it requires teaching the role of firearms in the preservation of peace and freedom. Students must learn about the constitutional roots of the right to keep an bear arms. It's in the law. There's no way around it.
The main obstacle will be gun haters in the system, and anti-rights teachers and administrators. They're already grumbling about ethics, time, money-any roadblock they can use to keep the kids in the dark. Kids on the other hand, no surprise here, are eager to sign up for the class.
The ethical thing of course is to teach safety, not hide it. Kids take electives like acting and pottery, so this is just an alternative with no extra time required. Legislators demonstrated their support by overwhelmingly passing the law. And there is no budget issue, because the ranges are excited about providing time and supplies for free (they see a significant marketing value). Game and Fish has adequate budget, and teaching is what they're all about.
Classrooms are standing and lit, and teachers are on salary.
So what are you waiting for? Find one sensitive and caring legislator in your state, and get this bill introduced. Even if you imagine there's little chance of passage, think how it will infuriate the intolerant anti-rights crowd who think they're all about education and openness. And who knows, your state just might think gun safety is a good idea too.
--------------------
Alan Korwin, well known in the gun-rights community, is the author of the unabridged federal guide, Gun Laws of America, going into its fifth edition. He runs the website gunlaws.com, and can be reached at alan@gunlaws.com. You can download the High School Marksmanship bill from his website.
--------------------
Arizona State Senate Bill 1271, Enacted 4/11/05
A.R.S. 15-714.01. Arizona gun safety program course
A. In addition to the voluntary training in the use of bows and firearms prescribed in sections 15-713 and 15-714, each school district and charter school may offer as an elective course a one-semester course in firearm marksmanship that shall be designated as the Arizona Gun Safety Program course.
B. A pupil shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed the Arizona Gun Safety Program course by demonstrating that the pupil has the ability to safely discharge a firearm.
C. The course of instruction prescribed in this section shall be jointly developed by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, the Department of Public Safety and private firearms organizations and may include materials provided by private youth organizations. At a minimum, the Arizona Gun Safety Program course shall include:
1. Instruction on the rules of gun safety.
2. Instruction on the basic operation of firearms.
3. Instruction on the history of firearms and marksmanship.
4. Instruction on the role of firearms in preserving peace and freedom.
5. Instruction on the constitutional roots of the right to keep and bear arms.
6. Instruction on the use of clay targets.
7. Practice time at a shooting range.
8. Demonstration of competence with a firearm.
D. School districts and charter schools shall arrange for adequate use of shooting range time by pupils in the Arizona Gun Safety Program course at any established shooting range.
E. Pupils who satisfactorily complete the Arizona Gun Safety Program course shall receive a certificate of accomplishment.
F. Instructors shall be certified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
G. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or expand the liability of any person under other provisions of law.
--
Contact:
Alan Korwin
BLOOMFIELD PRESS
"We publish the gun laws."
4718 E. Cactus #440
Phoenix, AZ 85032
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 FAX
1-800-707-4020 Orders
http://www.gunlaws.com
alan@gunlaws.com
Call, write, fax or click for a free catalog.
posted by SHOOT! MAGAZINE | 1:53 PM
<< Home