Banning Guns or Gun Education?

Posted by Satirical December 20, 2012 at 3:50 p.m.

After the Sandy Hook tragedy many possible solutions to gun violence have been debated. Discussions have ranged from gun control legislation, to calls for greater emphasis on social morality. While some of these ideas have merit, why is there not more discussion about educating American youth about guns?

America has long had a culture that supports gun ownership. It is part of our rugged individualistic identity. When America wanted to stop drunk driving, we didn’t simply make the activity illegal or ban liquor containing certain amounts of alcohol. Broad initiatives were created both from the public and private sector to educate teenagers and adults about the danger of drunk driving and responsible drinking.

When America wanted to reduce the number of teen pregnancies and STDs, we didn’t simply criminalize sex, we made Health class a mandatory requirement to graduate high school and taught safe sex. When America wants to reduce the number of gun related deaths, should we not have mandatory education for children about gun safety?

Accidents with firearms cause thousands more deaths each year than mass shootings. Gun safety, responsible gun use, learning to respect the power and deadly force of a gun, and even conflict resolution could be part of the curriculum. “Active shooter” drills, like fire drills, could be practiced. Some form of this training could also be required before someone is allowed to own certain types of weapons.

Banning assault weapons won’t change the ones that are already out there. Also, the guns used at Sandy Hook were registered to someone other than the shooter, so it appears greater registration is likely to have little effect. Just like dealing with alcohol and teen pregnancies, an abstinence only approach dealing with guns (or with assault weapons) won’t work. America must deal with the reality that we are a gun culture. More education, while addressing the root of the problem, rather than the method, should be part of a broad plan to prevent these types of tragedies.

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jonas_opines 4 months, 4 weeks ago

"When America wanted to reduce the number of teen pregnancies and STDs, we didn’t simply criminalize sex, we made Health class a mandatory requirement to graduate high school and taught safe sex."

Is that what happened? Results may vary due to regional coverage, perhaps.

It seems, though, that you start with one problem, and then write a potential solution to a different problem. But if we're addressing the problem of accidental firearm deaths rather than intentional gun-related massacres, I'd agree with the idea that we could teach these safety classes to individuals after the purchase of a gun, but I hesitate at the idea of teaching it in a school curriculum. If for no other reason than, realistically, you have to know that it won't happen. You're an intelligent person; you have to be able to anticipate the local/national reaction that such a proposal would cause as well as I can.

But I agree, regarding Sandy Hook or other related tragedies, that the assault ban is not going to solve the problem. Columbine, after all, took place during the original assault ban.

Unfortunately, I fear that the real solution, a change in our media consumption habits at a societal level, so that loser lunatics no longer see the potential for so much attention in doing such monstrous things, is beyond sentient apes such as us.

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