Yes, you read that right, the Appleseed Project managed to get actual guns in a Colorado middle school last week for a little history lesson. And then they took the little skulls full of mush on a field trip to a local range for some practical shooting and safety edumacation. As krdo.com reports, “‘Often firearms and schools don’t mix. There’s a big fear there. So we are pushing the safety aspect and hopefully ease some people’s fears,’ said Timothy Baird, with the Craver Middle School.” It’s a radical concept to be sure – teaching kids to respect and use firearms properly. But it’s an idea that’s so crazy it just might work . . .
For the first time, the national organization brought guns into a classroom, right in Pueblo County.
“We’ve never been allowed to bring actual real firearms into a school. Until this week. This is a very big deal. We had them touching fire arms, holding them and learning about how to handle them safely,” said Elizabeth Blackwood with Appleseed.
“I think everyone should learn how to use a gun but learn how to use it properly, and the precautions you’re supposed to take and how serious a gun really is,” said (student Jonah) Statezny.
Major pro-gun brownie points to Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor for approving the firearms-friendly addition to the curriculum, not to mention the kids’ parents who bought in, too. May this Appleseed blossom let a thousand flowers bloom.
[h/t Paul McCain]
Great!!
Awesome! This is real gun safety.
We need a lot more of this. These kids will grow up not only having a healthy respect for guns, but they will be voting for the folks that will give them access to these guns.
Nice start. So much of what people think they know about firearms is completely incorrect. The media and lots of antis believe what they see in TV and movies is how guns work, but once you actually shoot one, the perspective changes 180 degrees. I’m sure the Missouri papers will soon have editorials condemning the course, it may even hit the pages of the NYT.
Wow, 1 million kudos to the school and the Appleseed Project. Now that so many kids do not have parents to teach them respect this is an awesome project.
Wow! Great news. I hope it catches on.
I can’t wait to see what “Demanding Moms” have to say about this! Just thinking about it makes me smile.
Particularly since the MDA has nothing to offer kids in response. All they do is protest – there are no positive aspects to what they do. Kids respond to positive reinforcement – and this is a “great first step.”
That’s right, MDA has done nothing positive. When I was in grade school in Nebraska, out teacher showed films of Herb Parsons. Herb always stressed safety. I think this school is doing a great thing and I hope it catches on with other schools around the country
They act like this has never happened before. I think my school back in the 70s still had rifle club. That wasn’t really that long ago, in the big scheme of things.
My girls had been in Pony Club from the time they were both about 7 years old. Their favorite Rally was Tetrathlon: Swim, Jump (on horseback), Shoot and Run
Rally was about 30-40 mostly girls. They set up the shooting range out in the back field. The kids practiced as teams for weeks before the competition. I don’t recall anyone getting their underwear bunched up over it.
My middle school owned a whole rack of bolt action target .22’s back in the mid 1990’s. Those of us who belonged to the rifle club shot them at the range (under the school gym) one study hall period a week.
But maybe now, after so much anti-gun media hysteria for the last fifteen years or so, it is a big deal.
My school had a rifle Club, it was called a rifle in the back window of every truck in the school parking lot. And that was 1983.
At my school it was considered an excused absence to go deer hunting during the season.
Rifles in the racks in the vehicles were commonplace all year long.
My school district just went ahead and canceled the first two days of deer season.
My Junior High didn’t have a rifle club but I did take one of my shot guns to school one day for speech class. Did a demonstration on cleaning it. That was in the early ’80s and to this day I remember walking into the school with it and think how different it is now. Of course it had to be pre approved and kept in the office except during that class but was really no big deal.
You’d be surprised how unusual that is now though. My dad was on the rifle team when he was in high school in the 70’s. But when i started middle school, not only was there no guns anywhere on campus, but halfway through the semester they took out archery out of PE because, “it wasn’t safe.” Like someone was gonna do some major damage with a 15-lb plastic recurve and blunt tipped arrows.
“New” BOOMING program of archery leagues and interschool competition in public schools in Iowa. Gives one hope.
Great! For the children
This proves Colorado isn’t too far gone!!! Maybe there is help closer to the coasts?
This is so full of awesomeness!!!
I’m with Mina. The way this sounds, guns are some new fangled technology that few know anything about. It’s very odd, all of it. Not that I’m knocking it, mind you. I hope this spreads like chlamydia. Or something less oogy.
For many people, it is. How else do you explain the widespread ignorance about guns, their infect and often absurdly incorrect Hollywood representations, and the inanity of gun laws that have been attempted and passed in the last thirty to forty years? How else do you explain that people that still can’t tell the difference between clip and magazine (figuratively, don’t take this literally), are Senators, Representatives, high officials, etc? The AWB in 1994 was the crowning achievement of stupidity in my opinion. People have forgotten why and what America was founded on, why the people of the gun are so important, and why there should be ideally no distinction between “the People” and “the People of the gun”.
I’ll take culture win for $500 Alex
This is EXACTLY how you win the culture war. On point, Benny.
Imagine a whole generation of kids growing up with firearms in schools. Feels like warm sunshine on your face, doesn’t it?
The next generation of moms would be demanding bolt action, and fully-automatic action!
First they recall Giron, now this. Power to the Pueblos!
firearms safety is a worthy addition to a school curriculum , especially in the history instruction context of the Appleseed
Well, well. This is cool.
You know something I had forgotten about until recently, JROTC programs. Do they still have those and are they still allowed to shoot guns? I know one of my uncles still has a record for accuracy at my old high school and he set it back in the late 70s.
FINALLY! This is what I’ve always been saying; THE FIRST STEP IS EDUCATION. Bring gun safety back in classes. There is hope for America, yes, yes there is. Yes, WE can TOO. Bite that back, democrats.
I’ve been introducing my son to firearms since he was about 2, when he saw them lined up on my workbench while installing the safe. He said “Daddy! Look! Boom!”. He has been going to the range with me since he was 3. At 3 and a half, the range was temporarily closed so we did a Mythbusters marathon. He learned a lot about what guns can do as well as a good introduction to firearms safety. He’s now over 5 and a half, and he spots my shots through the binoculars. And afterwards he not only helps me clean the rifle (mum is not happy about this) and then serves people chips and drinks in the canteen.
Excellent.
No, Colorado isn’t too far gone. It’s just because denver and boulder are full of morons. The rest of the state is very different.
It’s almost like the 50s again when people had common sense and just about everyone hunted.
Meanwhile, some place in the Northeast, a student has been arrested, detained, expelled, being questioned, undergoing Court Ordered therapy, and has been otherwise ostracized and admonished for pointing his finger at a fellow classmate……..
I am so proud to be involved with Project Appleseed right now. Can’t wait for my next weekend shoot!
Yeah. Along the same lines, here in Edwardsville, Illinois the high school was just OK’d for a shooting team by unanimous vote. They’ll be meeting at the Edwardsville Gun Club.
Unfortunately, they haven’t made arrangements for bringing their guns to school. For now the police will pick up and drop off the guns for students who can’t go home first. Still, the first step is the important one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a secure place in school set aside for the team’s shotguns at some point.
I especially love the fact that the author disagrees with this plan and chooses to insult the children in his article… What a loser.
Appleseed is a respectable and legit outfit. I can speak with personal authority on the integrity of the people that dedicated themselves to the cause of educating others about the truth and origins of our liberties that were earned in blood by so many farmers, shopkeepers and merchants who answered the call of duty and patriotism.
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