For decades now our public schools have been used to address many of our social problems. One of the best examples is teenage pregnancy. This no doubt was and still is a problem even after decades of sex education in our public schools. It is ironic but also boarder line stupidity that as students learned more about sex and sexual diversity they learned less about reading, math, and science; less about individual responsibility, respect for person and property and critical thinking skills like knowing right from wrong and, common decency and moral integrity.

Granted this is a generalization because many students can read, think critically and make responsible decisions in spite of how ignorant many of the adults thought they were. Let’s be honest here sex is the one thing in school that students learned without any instructions. Every living species is hard wired to procreate or go extinct. Unlike reading, writing and arithmetic which have to be learned together with respect, responsibility and critical thinking which have to be learned by example and held up as standards of conduct in a civil society.

So where does gun safety come into this discussion? Many want to ban guns altogether, other’s want big restrictions and gun registration is already required to buy a gun. Gun ownership and the right to bear arms is a right afforded in our US Constitution. Since proper and safe use of guns has to be learned like the core academics and since there is a perceived problem with guns being used in a destructive way, why aren’t gun safety classes a standard requirement in our schools? Since the well meaning liberal thinkers in our society have entrenched themselves in our school system to solve all our social issues through education even at the expense of a solid academic education I think it is time that our schools further embrace the liberal logic of solving societal problems by including gun safety education.

It is a sad and gruesome fact that we have a problem in our society with the destruction that can take place when guns are used inappropriately in a civilized society. Columbine School and Century Theater are just examples here in Colorado but there are numerous more all across our nation where a life or lives were ended or changed forever from a gunman’s act be it planned or not accidental or with mall intent. Just to be perfectly clear here on this point the gun was acting only in the way it was designed to act and function at the will of the one pulling the trigger. Guns don’t kill; people use guns to kill just as they can use a knife, an automobile, drugs, alcohol or a rope.
The liberal logic may be wrong in the case of solving the teenage sex problem since hormones, love and attraction will always trump passing the sex ed. class where if the truth was know, only added fuel to the fire. This may have been the intent of the big money behind the sex industry like Planned Parenthood.

Putting the liberal logic to use in the case of guns by having mandatory or at least opt out classes on gun safety makes all kinds of sense. First handling and shooting guns safely is not a naturally occurring behavior, someone has to show you how a gun works, what a gun can do when it is locked and loaded, how it needs to be held to handle the recoil and most importantly once that power is released by pulling the trigger what are the effects. Learning that guns aren’t toys like on a video game or an arcade shooting gallery they can be used for great good or bad. The gun doesn’t know the difference that is the responsibility of the gunman. That responsibility can be taught in schools just like learning math or science. Mathematicians’ can use their knowledge to swindle or serve just as scientist can use that knowledge for the greater good or devious ends.

Gun safety in schools can also teach about math, science, reading, civics, law and order, respect and responsibility and even about sex. It’s time to embrace liberal logic now that we all know about safe sex it’s time to educate about gun safety.