US Schools Now Teach Kids to Duck, Cover, and Count 'Safe' Gunshots
The Independent reports that Arkansas, Tennessee, and Utah now mandate gun safety lessons for children as young as five. These programs, often backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) (whose PAC spent over $1.7 million in federal elections in 2022, according to OpenSecrets.org), emphasize 'stop, don't touch, run away, tell a grown-up.' This, apparently, is the cutting edge of safeguarding
children from the 43,000+ gun deaths annually in the U.S. (CDC data, 2022). Instead of discussing common-sense gun reform that might reduce the need for such lessons, the solution is always more 'personal responsibility'—for toddlers. It's a marvel of American policy: rather than tackle the root cause—the unparalleled availability of firearms in civilian hands—we innovate increasingly grotesque
coping mechanisms. One might wonder if the next step is mandatory bulletproof vests for elementary school uniforms. Because if we can't protect our children from guns, we can at least teach them how to politely avoid becoming statistics, while the adults funded by gun lobbyists (like Rep. Tim Burchett, TN-02, who received over $19,000 from gun rights groups in 2022, per OpenSecrets.org, then voted
against an assault weapons ban) ensure the problem persists.