In today's Sun-Herald (Sydney, Sept 2, 20/07 page 20) is a news item
"Gun clubs target child members"

Would it be a good thing to teach firearms safety to children?

Gun Control Australia thinks that it could lead to a surge in violent crime.

Are they right?

Teaching safety is never a bad thing. Could this lead to a surge in gun crime? Perhaps. Both sides have valid points. I would make the assumption though that these children would be given instruction on safe use of guns that they dont own. Ie, for there to be a corresponding surge in gun violence, these kids still have to get their hands on a badly stored or illegal firearm. One of the cornerstones should be teaching healthy attitudes to the use and safety of firearms. POtentially you could have reporting requirements around any children involved that instructors feel have an unhealthy attitude (be it too casual an approach or bullying behaviour). This might even help pick up those people who potentially become anti-social guns users later in life, before their attitudes develop into obsessions.

The author has not enlightened the reader why he has raised this topic. Is he endorsing this "safety training?"

I fail to see any reason why kids need to learn how to use firearms.

I can assure you my daughter (a young mother), her husband and friends would be horrified. In fact, toy guns etc,violent TV programmes or kids' literature promoting guns are banned in their houses, together with lipsticks and provocative clothing for their young daughters.

Firearms are used in specific industries and an adult can be easily trained in the use of firearms should they decide to join the armed forces, police force or even the farming industry.

Promoting the use of guns for kids is simply promoting violence. Guns kill! Afterall, how will kids, proficient in the use of firearms, utilise their new found skills?

I'd prefer kids to engage in other sporting activities where they would be far more physically active, thereby developing a healthy body and enhanced fitness!

And unlike many American citizens, Australians do not feel the need to go about their daily business armed with firearms!

Do I endorse this safety training?
Of course I do , but I'd really like to hear peoples' opinions, and the reasons why they see it as a good or bad thing.

My son's school has target shooting as a sport, perhaps posters might comment on schools being involved as well.

Dickie,

I'd see it as more of an issue if either of the parents were involved with firearms, either at work or as a sport. Guns ARE dangerous in the wrong hands (but then so are cars) so if kids have any exposure to them, I think safety training is imperative.

Target shooting as a sport at school is ok if you have the interested students.

I dont downplay the safety concerns involved, but thats why I think good training is esstential. Dickie, toy guns etc are designed to encourage violence. Guns clubs do not endorse this type of behaviour and indeed I would be very surprised if they accepted any children that showed a relaxed or aggressive attitude towards guns. I would certainly support a restriction on the sale of toy guns (particularly assault rifle type replicas), as I believe this would help to foster a healthy attitude towards the real thing (eg they are very dangerous, killing people is not acceptable, etc etc)

I agree with CG on this issue, except that I don't think that formalised training courses are necessary until a kid is old enough to get their own shooter's licence.

If kids are exposed to firearms, as is often the case in rural areas, then I think it's the reponsibility of the licensed person who is in charge of the weapon/s to ensure that kids (or, indeed, other unlicensed people) are safe from them. This would involve ensuring that kids can't access firearms unsupervised, that they understand how they work and how to handle them safely.

I wouldn't support children being introduced to firearm safety via recruitment into gun clubs under the guise of 'safety training', which seeems to me to be a covert ploy to recruit a new generation of gun lobbyists.