One of my main objectives is taking out the overall curiosity of Firing a Gun themselves it is just one more thing for a young adult to get over and done with it. In all we see and hear about shootings real or "movie Type" shooting. Young adults perceive that is a must do.
I agree about the morg. it is much more impact then just pictures as is shooting the gun for themselves.
as you have said you grew up with guns. now ask yourself before you were allowed to shoot were you not anxious, could not wait and after you were able to shoot a gun did you not feel somewhat relieved and could take it or leave it??
I agree it is a tough call but young adults have some preconceived ideas and guns is one of them.
One of the most dangerous ones. I would rather let them get it out of their system and say "that's no big
deal I have done that"

i agree with you soccermom,thats the age i was taught to use a gun.

YES! I was taught how to shoot a gun at very young age. I think if you teach child the proper way of shooting a gun of course teach safety issues about a gun and a gun is not a play toy. I think if you do this it take the mystery out of gun. They learn to respect the gun or use for it.

odachimaster-

I understand the intent of your post. I also definitely believe that all children, adults, everyone should have a healthy respect for firearms. I spent most of my tween and teen years growing up in Kentucky where it was completely normal to see rifles in the gun racks of my friend's trucks or in their homes. I have many friends who Bow hunt for fun and out of necessity. Having a respect for any type of firearm was a normal part of life for that area. I can remember instruction (at school) on the proper way to hold a firearm while hunting, etc. We did not have any classes on actually using the firearm though.

That brings up this thought. From you post and subsequent replies, it would appear that the main thrust of your intention is to show children the danger of IMPROPER use of any gun and why the should respect them because of that. If that is what you're suggesting, why not just take them to a morgue? The bodies that are available are ones that have already gone through an autopsy. The police definitely know what type of gun killed those people (the bullets are/were in them). If you want to show teens by example, forget watermelons, show them the real thing. You don't need to instruct kids on gun use to show them gun damage. Bullet entry and exit wounds speak for themselves. While you're there, have them look at the effects of drugs on the human body and what can happen from drinking (or even texting) and driving, get all the bad stuff out of their system. It isn't necessary to have a kid learn how to use a gun, to show them how dangerous they can be. If you are still interested in having them learn about guns, make them take a class about firearm SAFETY, not use.

I believe your intentions were good with this post. The only issue I had with it was the target audience you were speaking of. You are talking about teenagers, a group of kids who a unsure of themselves, their ability to effect change, have control or even decide anything about their own future. Now you're suggesting giving them something most of their parents have only given them in small doses, POWER. Fire a gun is power no matter what caliber the firearm. The ability to take (kill) or give (spare) a life is power. More power than I'd wager than anything they have ever felt in their short lives. You don't just wake up one morning and give a child that much power to play with. Having the knowledge of how to use a gun is not the same as being able to cope with handling the power the comes along with it. Let me illustrate my point this way:

When a teen gets a car, it is empowering. You many have him take drivers ed, learn the rules of the road and use driving simulators. But you can only gain experience in controlling any kind of new power through practice.It isn't driving practice until he actually gets behind the wheel and turns the key. The parent will normally let him gain experience in using that new power through running errands, picking up siblings, etc. All of which are ACCEPTABLE ways to practice using that new power. They wouldn't allow him to go out and get that experience by driving over people or misusing the roads. Cars can be used in a beneficial way. Now lets apply that to this discussion.

You can arrange for classes at a shooting range, give written tests on gun types and what ammo is needed. You can even have gun situation 'simulations' by having them fire the gun at the shooting range. But all of those things are just training. It isn't until you are actually looking down the barrel at another human or animal that you begin to practice using that power. There are plenty of police and soldiers who know how to strip down a gun and put it back together. But many of them after firing it the first time at another human, cannot cope with dealing with the power over life that came with that decision. Guns are not cars, you can't mow the lawn with one or feed your dog with it. There is only one way to practice or learn how to use a gun, go and kill something. Imagine instead of football practice, now you want Johnny to have KILLING practice. A sobering thought, isn't it?

Guns can only be used for one type of action regardless of the reason behind it. Killing in self-defense is still killing. When you look at if from that angle you have to ask yourself:
---- Is my need to have my child understand gun use more important than the trama I will put them through when they actually have to use that training?

I agree with Healthy11 for me it is time to end this discussion.I will never agree with this,and who ever give permission for their child I wish you all the best.the teacher that wants this responsiblity can have it,but don't ever say you was not warn of the consequence of high school kids,and the danger of others life whether it's at school or at home,or in the street because you as a teacher taught these kids about guns if they happen to use it wrongly.kids are not dumb as you make them out to be.I feel sorry for the schoolboard,schools,districts,gov.,teachers,parents,and students that agree with this in there city or state and I will leave this forum never to return again.

YES,!!!! That is a good idea!!!! If the police department offered these classes, that would be "great"!!! I may even go and my son too... I think everyone ought to know about this, and what guns can do, and how to properly, handle them....

Everybody is right anything can happen. but what I can not understand it is not mandatory it is with approval from the highest authority the parents.

But because a school is and has approved this course
although the school is only involved with the sign-up and making sure the highest approval source is in fact the students parents/guardian. That seems to be the stuck place.

Most schools allow a bulletin board I have seen army posters, guitar lessons call so and so. I would believe they first got permission to put this up since it is not school related. What if a 81/2 X 11 piece of paper Announcing this class by the local Police dept. would that change anything. the school would not even be responsible for the sign ups.
Does this change anything?

Again, for those who want to instruct their children in the use of firearms, nothing prevents them, but it's a vastly different issue than offering free classes to teach all teens about them. If parents don't have adequate knowledge about guns themselves, but want their kids to learn about them, they can seek out professional instruction and demonstrations.
I think it's time to end this discussion.

There are guns in homes,and some parents teach their kids all about guns.I have no problem with that,and they still have accidents.I believe we as parents that want and need guns should have them.some of us are police officers and we should keep our guns locked up with a safety lock,but sometime it doesn't pay to have a lock on a gun and you need to use it quickly.I first learned to use and fired a gun when I became a security officer after I graduated from high school.I was trained in my field of work now and I need a gun.my kids and husband knew and was fully aware of the danger of my weapon.thats been over 25 yrs.and my family is doing just fine with no accidents.so guns are going to be in the homes,but please not in the schools.

First of all, That child is at home,. Second, there should not be a gun there. If that child learned anything in their Fire-arm Class ,this idea, of shooting off of the RANGE, would not even come to mind.

Suppose after this class at the gun range a student get trickert happy and want to go home and get a gun just to play with and shoot watermellons with some friends,and something happen.I truely understand what you are saying here but I just can not except this with our young teenagers.
Like someone said on the post our kids know about driving and respecting the law,but you still have some kids speed,and reck,and they seen accidents and death with friends and family members,but they still get into cars and act stupid.now you have kids some have guns in homes and some don't and you as a teacher now want to post or broadcast this over the school NO.
Why don't you just get a company and do this on the street and not in the schools.

N o thank you "MSMomm" and buckaroo this is why we have these post It is hard to tell all in the question and answer so many variables to so many different ideas.

I believe in books you can find a subject and there would be 100 books on that subject. I own 75 of those books and only one hit me that is because one author writes just with different words and that hits me and I can make sense of it all

We are the same in these post there is NO Right or Wrong post but a lot of authors.

I've read through this entire thread and I think I understand what Odachi is proposing, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

This would be a class offered to "at risk" teens taught by professional law enforcement outside of school in an effort to expose them to the power and destruction and danger a loaded weapon holds. The teens this class would be offered to are likely to come in contact with a firearm in their home life so the hope is that by intercepting before that happens, they would be taught how to handle a gun safely.

I think the concept of this class is interesting but it's also very risky. I understand that gun safety should be taught at home if there are guns in the house, but we all know that far too often it's not.
However, by giving these teens the opportunity to fire a weapon, I'm worried that they would think it was way too cool to understand what was trying to be taught to them in the first place.

I don't know if any of you guys remember the movies they showed in Driver's Ed classes, "Red Asphalt" and "Red Aspahlt II?" The intent of these films was to show teens that driving a car is not a joke, to scare them into being safe. I hate to say it, but we snickered through the whole thing.

Odachimaster:

Since the statement I quoted from your earlier post and your original post regarding teens and the use of firearms are still within the same discussion, I naturally put the two together. Thank you for clearing that up.

Class offered outside of the school but has permission from the District School Board to announce it at the schools as a cost free and the schools only participation would be the sign up to verify the parents/ guardians being who they say they are to get the forms as schools have this information. I posted last night that a Mother tried picking hp her child but was not allowed as she is not the legal guardian and not on a list to be able to pick-up

Class is free other then taking your child to the range. but at this age they can drive.
I believe the allure would be satisfied. The students would come away with
respect for firearms, understand the destruction caused by firearms and
have a respect of the women and men that carry and may have to use firearms
in the profession they have chosen.

oda,
Are you talking about a class offered at a school? Or a class offered outside of school?

Actually, it was a short leap. This thread is about teaching teens about firearms. You said you want 16 -18 year olds to be exposed to all walks of life... etc.
One would naturally take that to mean they should be exposed to what the thread is discussing?

There is nothing preventing parents from taking their kids to a range IF THEY SO DESIRE right now. I don't see benefits of offering shooting as a class.

"using firearms as a solution to all walks of life, ideas, situations, beliefs, learning, etc. is not the answer. If person " from MSMomm" I believe if you look at the post that this came out of "I also want the 16-18 year old to be prepared and the way to do that is to expose them to all walks of Life, ideas, situations, beliefs, learning ect... so they can better handle what may come." There was nothing in there that suggest or intended to use firearms for the "final solution"
The word "firearm" is not even in the post
You took a very large leap here.

I am sorry I forgot MSMomm I have already reviewed that piece(www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21253029/)
some time ago it is a terrible thing. One in which was avoided. I also feel that this optional class
would aid in students making the right choice as it did in the case you mentioned above. The boy being recruited was in a good home where he could talk to his Father. and I believe all of us can agree coming from a loving, caring home makes the odds of our children less likely to do anything of this magnitude

To MSMomm I have read your comit or statement and thats why I say guns don't need to be in school or around schools.it's ok for a teacher to talk about the danger of a gun and can show some pictures in class with the parents permission,but to clean,load,and take kids to a gun range and shoot,I DON'T THINK SO.THIS IS GOING TOOOOOOO FAR WITH SCHOOL KIDS.I would never want my daughter or son to be trainned in school on how to load,unload,and clean a gun.and never shoot a gun with me or without my presents.I would rather my kids be taught about how to protect themselves in self defence,I will even let mase be taught in schools,but not how to shoot a gun.

I took this from buckaroo "The original question did not say to do this at schools. It did not say it should be mandated. It was asking if it could be offered as an option at a shooting range (not a school), as a means to educate them on the responsibilities of owning a firearm."

I also stated but somehow was deleted do to length and I apologize for that . The only way the student could sign up is to have both parents (legal guardian) to come to the school and sign them up with the student. It would be at a shooting range. Oh! Parents are invited to observe.

As for the sword training I enjoy all of the philosophy that is behind it. My son is trained and has given demonstrations. I have been trained in areas of the arts for over 30 years.

I have lived in the greater Los Angles area
Kansas Florida and now NC

They say kids know more in larger cities that does not apply these days the information age has changed everything

Change is not a bad thing I would rather my children be 8 years old again where I could protect them and feel like I could take their pain away just by hugging them and telling them everything is going to be ok. I still try
but my 40 year old I think he knows differently he is a Desert Storm veteran

This question is gear towards "scared straight" the intent is to answer 16-18 year old allure,fascination and or curiosity of firearms in a controlled environment.

Hopeful the students will come away with questions they had in their mind as well as a deep appreciation for those who chose a career protecting lives.

What concerns me, Odachimaster, is your statement:

"I also want the 16-18 year old to be prepared and the way to do that is to expose them to all walks of Life, ideas, situations, beliefs, learning ect... so they can better handle what may come."

This statement is too broad. While I agree with you that teens should be exposed to many experiences, teens (or anyone, for that matter) using firearms as a solution to all walks of life, ideas, situations, beliefs, learning, etc. is not the answer. If person A doesn’t agree with person B’s idea, this gives person A the right to shoot person B? Absolutely not. Guns are but a small part of our lives.

The bottom line to firearms is, guns kill. That is the sole and intended purpose of a gun.

Finally, please read the attached article about a PA mother who provided her 14 year-old son with firearms in order to prevent him from further bullying in his high school.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21253029/

You have a lot of kids in school that is trying to stay focus on math,english,and history.let's keep our schools clean of guns.if teachers focus more on teaching the main subjects maybe more kids will pass the fcat and graduate with their high school diploma and not a gun lisence.

I concur with DeborahHamilto's statement "I know about guns and I think it should be taught at home and not in schools."

Odachimaster, from your bio, I see that you live in rural NC. (Did you obtain your Odachi sword training there, or in Japan?) It's surprising to me that most of your rural neighbors wouldn't have already shown their children how to shoot, and likely done it before they were even teens. In your area, it's probably commonplace, but it emphasizes MSMomm's comment, that where you live makes a difference. I don't think high school students all need to know how to load, shoot, and clean firearms. If their parents want to take them to a range, or if teens end up wanting to go into the military or law enforcement and they don't already know how to shoot, they can obtain the necessary instruction at that time.

Deborah,
The original question did not say to do this at schools. It did not say it should be mandated. It was asking if it could be offered as an option at a shooting range (not a school), as a means to educate them on the responsibilities of owning a firearm.

I think it should be offered as the young folks I know that hunt and are familiar with guns are the most responsible. But it definately should be up to the parents to make the determination, even if the teen desires to attend.

I still stand on what I said before,this is not a good ideal.I feel that you as an instructor is putting these kids in danger.some things are to be left out of the schools and these GUNS IN SCHOOLS OR AROUND STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE EVEN MENTION IN SCHOOLS.

I use to live in SC.in the country on my grandparents farm.every thanksgiving and xmas I would see my grandfather shoot and kill his pig and I would help him clean and get the pig ready to cook.he would always talk to my bro.and sis.and me about guns and I saw what a gun can do in the hands of a good person.
Then when I got older I bought a gun for protection I also taught my kids about guns and the danger when it gets into the wrong hands.I show my children blockbuster tapes and etc.so I know about guns and I think it should be taught at home and not in schools.
Some parents don't care,some do and I am one that care not only about my kids but other kids too.
we need to keep the education in schools and leave somethings for home.
After while the english,math,history,and important subjects will no longer be the real reason to go to school and learn.somethings can wait let our kids stay focus on the main subjects that will help get them threw life.

Instructors never just hand a gun to anybody The instructor stands behind the student as the student faces the target and with the instructor behind arms around assisting the student in holding, aiming and shooting The gun is never in free base to the student.

The only possible way is if when the instructor is in this position would be for the student to over power the instructor but remember there are other instructors there
No gun being handled by students could shoot as they would be disarmed and rearmed when it was time to use it the same as cleaning a gun it would be disarmed.

odachimaster answer this for me,what would you as an instructor would do if one of your best intelligent students come into your class and play the most best mind game on you like everything is ok and soon as he or she gets the gun to shoot they quickly turn and shoot you and some of the class members?suppose you get to busy to pick up the guns,or you have your favorite student to pick up all the guns,and this day the student decided he wants to take one of the guns home and bring it back to school and while the student has the gun a child get shot or adult,you find out later what happen with one of your guns from your class killed a person? just something for you to think about.

I do know that the word accident is in the dictionary and it get used like every other word.I understand about crazy children and adults miss useing guns,but when we have adults like teachers,police men putting guns in their hands at schools who too say nothing won't happen and your child is in the accident at school.all you parents that agree with this the first thing you will want to do is SUE THE TEACHER,POLICE,SCHOOLBOARD,AND THE CHILD.

OF COURSE, it would have to come with parental consent, and possibly, a back-ground-check, but still, i think it would be good...even, as, a eclectictive, activity.

I know there are lots of questions about this subject matter. This would only be offered to students with permission from their parents and the permission would have to come in the form of the parents coming in and signing their son/daughter personally up along with the student. Parents would have the option to come and evaluate for themselves.

This would be conducted with certified professionals mostly Police Trainer's/Instructors

I do not know how else to contribute to the discussion
without some clarification hopefully this is not perceived as a change of the original question I believe I am keeping within the question content

I think the school should have the parent's consent for the child to take the course.I would be more concerned with schools distributing birth control. All children are different.I think it should be the parents choice if they allow their child to participate. My children have grown up in the country,so hunting is a part of our life. I see nothing wrong with teaching a child to use and respect a firearm. We are a CHL carrying family. It was never mentioned that there would be guns in school. odachimaster said at a shooting range with supervision.

I believe that continued support and communication and nurturing our 16-18 year old is excellent and should never stop.
I also want the 16-18 year old to be prepared and the way to do that is to expose them to all walks of Life, ideas, situations, beliefs, learning ect... so they can better handle what may come.

"I do not think we give enough credit to our teenagers
16-18 by these post it looks as if they are naive "

This is a previous post I did it was commenting on other post that are here and me interpreting the post as if 16-18 year old are naive. I was trying to get across that 16-18 year old. Know more do more say more then we can imagine and We as Parents are naive
if We do not believe that.

AS, our news shows on T.V. Our Teens know how to and can get a gun, if they want one, nothing has stopped them yet. They are doing it anyway. I think, "odachimaster" is speaking about "RESPONSIBILITY" and PROP-PER RESPECT for a gun, in a controlled environment.

One of the most compelling things that happened to me in high school was when they bussed all of the students in our Government Class down to the local county jail, and had us walk through the lower security part of the prison, right through the midst of the inmates. Girls were warned ahead of time to wear pants and long shirts, and we were all advised to look straight ahead, don't stop to talk with anyone, etc. We didn't know which prisoners were there for shootings, robberies, or any other crimes. It was a frightening place, with the stench of urine and cigarette smoke everywhere. We certainly could respect the guards and security officers who had to deal with the inmates, too. It was one of the most vivid experiences of our education, and it gave many students a perspective of why they'd never want to end up in jail. Simply being taught how to shoot a gun would not have done that.

Odachimaster:

I find your response to be quite interesting. First, you want to show teens how to use a firearm, then you want to show them what happens when a person uses a firearm to blow someone's head off, in hopes that our teens will quit being naive, yet at the same time, quench the allure of a firearm?!

It's not naivety about guns and how to use them that causes teens to use them. Teens are not mature enough at 16-18 and sometimes beyond to understand their own emotions thoroughly (anger, hate, love, saddness). Boyfriends, girlfriends break up and someone wants to commit suicide; a student gets a bad grade and kills him/herself because of the fear of letting the parents down; some are mentally ill and haven't received treatment for their illness (paranoid scizophrenia, bi-polar).

I can guarantee you - a video of your description being shown to teenagers will get you mixed reactions, and in the end, will not help put them in a better position to make an educated decision about using guns.

Rather than showing teens how to use guns, communicate with your kids, at all ages. Stay in touch with them everyday and let them know you are there for them, always and where ever.

I see the learning and handling of a firearm sounds to be a NO to some. What would be your answer if showing a video of the guns and the destruction it causes not just Physically but all the way through. Show the victims survivors and the devastation that has come upon them do to this action Grief Anger ect.
I do not think we give enough credit to our teenagers
16-18 by these post it looks as if they are naive

I will never agree with this in a high school.most kids at that age are still growing and makeing stupid decisions.it is too much hate and jealousy among our teens in schools and I don't think this is wise at all.I believe if this pass their will be a lot of people sad and the school will get sued because a lot more kids will get shot and kill.I will say this EVERYBODY WHO LOOK NORMAL IS NOT ALWAYS NORMAL and I am talking about mental,brain wise.some people can look at a person and know something is wrong up stairs and I am one of those persons.I have known adults to have loose,unorganize,brain cells,and here we are talking about young teens with brains that not even developed yet.I think we need to wait and let this be taught at home or when these kids get out of school.they have training at security co.and police work,kids can go into the army,navy,to learn.kids have plenty time to learn how to shoot a gun and I don't think this is wise at a public high school under no supervision.

I agree with MSMomm, and feel that different attitudes prevail throughout different regions of the country. My teen is now a college freshman. We visited many prospective colleges before deciding which he would attend. One of the Michigan colleges actually took the prospective students and parents on a tour of all their sports facilities, and they have an indoor shooting range on the campus. Students can take a semester's course for P.E. credit if they want. One father was appalled and said there was NO WAY his child would attend school in a place that promotes gun activity. (Realize this was shortly after the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University killings.) Sadly, some of the recent mass shooters first learned to handle guns in scouting and other "legitimate" places, and the allure of guns was NOT quenched... Mental illness can supercede whatever logic you may believe a person has gained from being shown the destruction caused by firearms. I don't think trying to teach a young adult how to load, use, and clean guns is going to stop the violence in any way.

It largely depends on where you live.

I live on the West Coast. However, I don't represent everyone living on the West Coast, only myself.

Personally, I don't think it's necessary for teenagers, or tweens, to learn how to shoot a firearm, or learn anything to do with firearms. But again, it really depends on one's lifestyle and where they live.

Should either of my children decide to go into law enforcement, then learning about firearms is par for the course.

I think this would be a great idea. Teens would learn to respect fire-arms, and the people who carry them, also have respect for the DAMAGE a fire-arm has.

This question came up how would they respect someone for just carrying a gun?
Response:Just the idea of knowing that people that are employed
to protect other people are willing and caring enough to
risk being shot for them. That is where I am getting the respect aspect of it and they know what a shot looks like

I totally agree. I believe education is the way to go. We have alot of hunters in my family ,so of course everyone has learned to shoot. I think knowledge of firearms is the first step.