W. Va. Bill Promotes Guns In Schools

Grades 7-9 Could Receive Gun Training; State Wants To Stem Decline Of Registered Hunters

(AP)  A significant drop in the number of hunters in West Virginia has left a hole in the state's budget, and one lawmaker thinks he has a solution: Allow children to receive hunter training in school.

Children as young as 10 years old are already eligible for hunting licenses in the state, but training courses are typically offered outside of school. Proponents of the plan hope embedding training during school hours boosts interest.

Seventh- through ninth-graders could opt for instruction in topics ranging from survival skills to gun safety, but the weapons would have dummy ammunition or be disabled. Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, who introduced the bill this month, doesn't envision students firing real guns during class time.

"It's a way to take this kind of education in the classroom and make it more convenient for young people," said Bailey, a Wyoming County Democrat.

In the face of national concern about school violence, the presence of even disabled guns in school could seem incongruous, but some gun control advocates say careful supervision can ease concerns.

The primary concern of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is children with unauthorized access to guns, spokesman Brian Malte said, and the organization has no problem with supervised training programs.

"We let TV babysit our children," Bailey said. "This is a way to teach them there's a real consequence every time you pull a trigger."

West Virginia, where roughly 320,000 people participated in the recent two-week gun season for bucks, may be the only state contemplating such a bill, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Although it still ranks in the top six nationally for sales of hunting permits to nonresidents, West Virginia sold 154,763 permits to residents in 2006, a 17 percent decrease from 1997, according to the state Division of Natural Resources.

The decline is being felt at the state Capitol. This month, Gov. Joe Manchin proposed spending $1.8 million on DNR's law enforcement efforts to make up for revenue lost because of the decline of hunting and fishing permits.

"West Virginia is probably in better shape than other states, but this is really rather disconcerting from our perspective," said Paul Johansen, DNR assistant chief of wildlife management.

Nationally, the number of hunters 16 and older was about 12.5 million in 2006, a 10 percent decline from 1996, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Part of West Virginia's problem is it doesn't require senior citizens to buy a hunting license. The state has one of the oldest populations per capita in the nation, and the ranks of hunters aren't being replenished by young people.

To secure a license, residents have to complete at least 10 hours of training and be at least 10 years old when they take the test, which includes demonstrating proper gun safety. Would-be hunters have to show they can load and unload a gun, carry it across obstacles, and keep the muzzle pointed in the right direction. The fee for a license is $33.

Three groups - the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Wild Turkey Federation - have been pushing to get more young people hunting in part by lobbying states to reduce restrictions on young hunters. Since their effort began in 2004, the group points to legislative successes in 12 states.

"The hunting population in general is aging, and it's not being replaced by young hunters," said Tony Aeschliman, spokesman for the Newtown, Conn.-based National Shooting Sports Foundation.

[gunnerv1]

The first thing you always read after an accident is "I didn''t know it was loaded". Teaching a little safety about firearms is, how should I put this, Oh yeah, as a Guru for the Liberals, Martha Stewart would say, "And thats a good thing".

[erasmus6]

"They aren''''t trying to teach them how to kill, they are trying to teach gun safety and hunting skills. There''''s a BIG difference between the two." posted by bhappy2-2

No, they ARE teaching them how to kill. What are they going to use the hunting skills for? To kill animals. Well depending on who you are teaching, those same skills can be used on people.

Everyday in the U.S. people are dying from gunshot wounds. Children are shooting other children. You have so many whack jobs in your country that any one of those kids that you are teaching to use a gun could be one and you wouldn''t know it.

Children are immature and putting a gun in their hands at that age is insane. But then I am beginning to think your whole country is INSANE!

[bhappy2-2]

Yes, sure, teach kids in school how to kill
Posted by GrammaWhamma

They aren''t trying to teach them how to kill, they are trying to teach gun safety and hunting skills. There''s a BIG difference between the two.

[grammawhamma]

"This month, Gov. Joe Manchin proposed spending $1.8 million on DNR''s law enforcement efforts to make up for revenue lost because of the decline of hunting and fishing permits."

Yes, sure, teach kids in school how to kill~just because of lost revenue. Maybe today''s generation of kids have no interest in killing animals. Just maybe they think that hunting is barbaric.

[michellem99-2009]

Amen erasmus6..Dear God Allmighty what next..not in school. Some crazy fool can kick that gun out of their paws..

[erasmus6]

W. Va. Bill Promotes Guns In Schools
Grades 7-9 Could Receive Gun Training; State Wants To Stem Decline Of Registered Hunters


You Americans are seriously fu(ked in the head.

[bhappy2-2]

But most of the DGUs performed by "brave" gun owners are against unarmed criminals or those armed with grapes!~ The reason why you and your gun NUT friends have to attack me or attack claims I don''''t make is because you can''''t attack my real claims. They ROCK!~ "LOL"



Posted by schoollord


schoollord- an unarmed criminal is STILL a CRIMINAL!

[klingon69]

How often do you fight off criminals who are armed with grapes?
I can guarantee you dangerous criminals are armed with guns or other weapons much more often than they are armed with grapes.
Do you suffer from mental retardation?
Posted by gunownerdan at 03:42 PM : Feb 01, 2008
Nah, now I know. He''s one of Monty Pythons group...remember the "attacked by fresh fruit skit"?

[klingon69]

Is that the best you got? No wonder it is so easy for me to defeat gun NUTZ!~ People who are used to defend themslves with guns are not that brave or effective in areas they can''''t use them!~ That''''s a fact!~
Posted by schoollord at 12:43 PM : Feb 01, 2008
Hmmm, defeat me???
How do you come to that conclusion?
I need no weapon to prove my courage. I carried no gun in the mountains. I don''t hunt, except with a camera. I just believe in the constitution, and hate to see it trampled on by the likes of you and GWB.
If you wish proof of my bravery, come see me, you can bring whatever weapon you choose. I will be unarmed.

[klingon69]

So? The jews had guns nevertheless!~ Lack of guns weren''''t a cause for the Holocaust!~
Posted by schoollord at 12:41 PM : Feb 01, 2008
Maybe not a cause, but certainly a contributor, along with their pacifism

[gunownerdan]

"criminals armed with grapes"
Posted by schoollord

How often do you fight off criminals who are armed with grapes?
I can guarantee you dangerous criminals are armed with guns or other weapons much more often than they are armed with grapes.
Do you suffer from mental retardation?

[gunownerdan]

If guns cause crime, then....

- Pencils miss spel words.

- Cars make people drive drunk.

- Spoons make people fat.

www.a-human-right.com

[klingon69]

Klingon69 a vulcan friend pay no attention to schoollord he just wants to pick on those that don''''t Posted by crzmeat at 11:17 AM : Feb 01, 2008
Used the anti-Vulcan motto:
Die Young and Broke!

[klingon69]

No, no crzmeat!~ You got it all wrong as usual!~ I don''''t pick on those who don''''t buy my "bull". I pick on those who write BULL!~
Posted by schoollord at 11:30 AM : Feb 01, 2008
So I guess that makes you either Schizophrenic or a ***.

[klingon69]

OK!~ So how did Hitler use the gun registration against the jews?
Posted by schoollord at 11:12 AM : Feb 01, 2008
I never said it was used against the Jews. I never implied that it was used against anybody, however Hitler''s SS did confiscate weapons from private citizens, Jew and German.

[Krazcarl]

schoollord...In your mind your a legend in everyone elses your a mythe....

[gunownerdan]

The fact is hateful bigots like schoollord would love to enact Adolf Hitler''s gun law from 1938 and change the word "JEWS" with the word "CIVILIANS".

"Jews are prohibited from acquiring, possessing, and carrying firearms and ammunition, as well as truncheons or stabbing weapons. Those now possessing weapons and ammunition are at once to turn them over to the local police authority.
Firearms and ammunition found in a Jew''s possession will be forfeited to the government without compensation. Whoever willfully or negligently violates the provisions...will be punished with imprisonment and a fine."
-- Nazi Weapons Law of November 11, 1938

"At that time, a gun and a million dollars, the gun was worth more than a million dollars, because you could, at least, you could defend yourself with something."
-- Frank Bleichman, Polish Jew who resisted the Nazis during WWII

www.JPFO.org
www.A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[Krazcarl]

Klingon69 a vulcan friend pay no attention to schoollord he just wants to pick on those that don''t buy his bull....Live Long ans Prosper...

[klingon69]

"The FBI doesn''''t have the authority under the Brady law to use those records for criminal investigative purposes," Ashcroft replied."

Is that so hard to understand?
Posted by schoollord at 10:39 AM : Feb 01, 2008
If this country is becoming a dictatorship as many on here like to profess, then I can guarantee you the Brady Bunch bill will hold NO control. If the feds want those forms, they can get them. Just say in interest of national security.

[klingon69]

You should not be talking about the "imbelicity" of others in the same post you claim jews didn''''t have guns!~ That''''s just to imbecil!~
Posted by schoollord at 10:11 AM : Feb 01, 2008
Where in my post did I claim that Jews did NOT have guns? I merely stated, and was not to you anyway, that Hitler believed and instituted federal government gun registration.
Your psychosis is obviously making you see things not there.