Education…what a concept

Gun safety education can make a difference

May 01, 2024

A law is only as effective as the degree to which people know about and understand it. Tell that to a father in Michigan, who was just charged under the state’s new safe storage law after his 8-year-old son tragically shot himself with an unsecured gun last month. With states like Alabama and Minnesota considering similar legislation, requiring the safe storage of firearms in areas accessible to children, the education of gun owners is critical.

To that end, a Michigan proposal would require public schools to distribute information to parents about the law, which was signed last year. Under the bill, schools also would share best practices for storing firearms, as well as information on where to obtain gun safes and gun locks. The legislation is strongly supported by parents of victims and survivors of the Oxford High School and Michigan State University school shootings. We like it too.

And speaking of education, it’s not just for parents. Lawmakers in Tennessee recently passed a bill that would require gun safety lessons in schools, in an effort to reduce accidental shootings and foster responsible attitudes toward guns among youth. It’s an evidence-backed idea. An Ohio State University study found that a gun safety video reduced the risk of unsafe behavior with a found gun among children who viewed it.

Ashley Hall, coordinator of shooting sports for 4-H in Washington state, who is assisting the CDC with another study of kids and guns, says, "[The kids are] coming to me already interested in this topic. Firearms, handguns, rifles, hunting, military—all this stuff already exists in this world. And my job is to teach them to be adults in the world that they actually live in—not the one I wish they lived in." Realism…common sense…responsibility…all equally as important as laws.

On the Hill

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms is set to publish a new rule expanding who needs to obtain a federal license before selling firearms on the secondhand market. The rule formalizes a series of factors the ATF has long contended determine when somebody selling used guns must get a Federal Firearms License and adds a few new ones. President Biden said the changes will force more gun sellers, including at gun shows and online, to conduct FBI background checks. But it casts a broad shadow over private sales across the country. While it doesn’t outlaw sales by those without a license, its ambiguities could leave many Americans unsure if they can sell their guns without one. —The Reload

Listen to this, then let us know what you think!

In the Courts

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a lower court decision that invalidated a rule implemented by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms in April 2022. The rule imposes a series of requirements on manufacturers and sellers of “ghost guns,” which are unserialized firearms that can be made with 3D printers or assembled from kits sold online. ATF’s rule changed the definition of "firearm" under the Gun Control Act to include certain weapon parts kits, and clarified that it includes partially completed parts such as the frame or receiver. As a result of the regulation, covered manufacturers and sellers have to obtain licenses, mark their products with serial numbers, run background checks, and keep purchase records, which are all required for firearms made and sold in the U.S. —CBS News

We say: As always, law-abiding Americans who enjoy building guns as a hobby, with no intention of ever using them to commit a crime, are not the problem. Unfortunately, more and more people involved in illicit activities or with an intent to harm themselves or others are bypassing background checks and becoming armed via these DIY guns. And for people with access to a 3D printer, it’s possible not only to build a weapon from scratch but to transform a standard pistol into a fully automatic weapon—a practice to which large majorities of Americans are opposed. We support the ghost gun rule, and hope the Supreme Court restores it.

In the States

Since our last issue, the governors of two states—Tennessee and Iowa, both of which have endured school shootings in the past year—signed legislation into law that would allow teachers and other school staff to carry firearms on campus. In Tennessee, the legislation requires criminal and mental health background checks, and armed teachers and staff will be required to undergo 40 hours of training. In Iowa, the law allows school staff members who have gone through a permit process to carry concealed weapons during school hours. It would be up to districts to decide what firearms staff could carry and whether the district would provide them or allow use of personal firearms.

We say: This is understandably a controversial topic, and not all parents or school districts are on board. However, with very clear guidelines, strict permitting procedures, and appropriate training for teachers and staff who are willing, this could be a reasonable deterrent to future school shootings.

More in the states:

Colorado: House passes three gun bills following late-night debate —Colorado Politics
Colorado: Semiautomatic firearm ban passes Colorado’s House, heads to Senate —ABC News
Colorado: New study explores use of Extreme Risk Protection Order petitions in ‘Second Amendment Sanctuaries’ —Anschutz
Connecticut: Gun safety bill passes House after debate on juvenile crime —CT Insider
Delaware: Three gun bills on firearm definitions and safety head to House floor —Delaware First Media
Georgia: Gov. Kemp signs bill allowing guns to be carried without license —CBS News
Maine: Gov. Mills signs bill to expand background checks for gun purchases, update ‘yellow flag’ law —Portland Press Herald
Minnesota: House to pass gun control bills, harsher punishment for straw purchases —Minnesota Reformer
New Mexico: NM becomes the latest state to require waiting periods for gun purchases —NPR
North Carolina: 4 law enforcement officials killed, 4 injured in Charlotte, while serving warrants —ABC News
North Carolina: Gun safety advocates again call on lawmakers to consider red flag law —WRAL
Ohio: OH to purchase mobile homes to train public school staff in firearms —The Guardian
South Carolina: Even after ‘constitutional carry,’ thousands face gun charges —The Post & Courier
Tennessee: TN has mass backlog affecting gun buyers. Law may change that —The Tennessean
Vermont: House passes bill that would outlaw untraceable ghost guns —Vermont Public

“What kinds of gun policies could reduce the harms while preserving the various types of benefits, in uses like hunting and recreation? Gun policy is not a matter of getting all the guns back, but gun policy is going to involve a number of changes in a variety of ways. Background checks have made a difference... Another, more recent thing is the development of red flag laws. They allow a gun to be taken away from a person who a judge has determined presents an immediate risk of harm to themselves or others.” —Joseph Blocher, professor of law at Duke University, at the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series

“When it comes down to it, most Americans agree with the same practical solutions to gun violence. If we can work together to implement these solutions (e.g., background checks, red flag laws, technological innovations), we can make great progress in reducing the scourge of gun violence in our nation.” —Marina S., Beyond Thoughts & Prayers reader

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