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The law of unintended consequences (presumably at least those of the Republican Senators), however, prevailed and now many sportsmen and women view the administration’s move [to cut off funding to schools with hunting and archery programs] as a backdoor attack on the nation’s hunting and recreational shooting traditions and heritage.

Worse, many psychological health experts are warning that removing such programs that encourage outdoor activities will add to the nation’s mental health epidemic. In a recent Pew study, 70 percent of teens say anxiety and depression are major problems. A 2021 CDC report concluded that nearly one in three high school aged students reported having seriously considered suicide.

A recent medical report credits extracurricular activities for helping instill a sense of belonging, improved social development, opportunities to develop leadership skills, cooperation, and peer interaction—key antidotes to widespread feelings of anxiety and depression among our youth. The report went on to add, “Extracurricular activities focused on kids during the time of transition from middle childhood to early adolescence created higher levels of peer belonging, a sense then carried into adolescence.” …

Defunding efforts—like hunter education and the National Archery in the Schools Program—that promote getting kids outdoors where lasting friendships and bonds form and where confidence and self-esteem is bolstered is antithetical to the administration’s own stated goals of addressing America’s psychological woes. In a White House statement issued last May, the Administration proclaimed, “President Biden has made tackling the mental health crisis a top priority.”

Surveys of students who partake in the National Archery in the Schools Program reveal that 40 percent of them report being more engaged in the classroom because of the program and 91 percent said they would pursue other outdoor activities. Nearly 15,000 students participate in the program with some 1,300 tournaments held annually.

In addition, high school competitive shooting programs have grown dramatically in popularity over the last several years. According to a recent Time feature, “In 2015, 9,245 students, in 317 schools across three states, participated in the USA High School Clay Target League. Since then, participation has spiked 137 percent: in 2018, 21,917 students, from 804 teams in 20 states competed.”

— Chris Dorsey in Experts Warn Defunding School Hunting And Archery Programs Will Contribute To Mental Health Crisis

 

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53 COMMENTS

  1. Well damn need to check if it covered trap shooting as well. We were finally getting some traction in several counties……then again may piss off the parents enough to reexamine their voting habits.

    • Also fun spelling error in title that you may as well keep as it’s still accurate 🙂

      • At the Syracuse gun show, saw a table for a American Legion sponsored 3 position air rifle team.
        I donated $5.

        • Wasn’t able to make it out this year but glad to hear someone is still running that. More used to 4h for air rifle and archery programs but whatever works.

        • Yeah air gunz are a good way to get kids shooting. My identically named distant cousin(rare name)ran an air gun program at the University of Michigan several years ago. Some air gunz are quite powerful🙄Slow Joe would rather they smoke crack & get the jab…

  2. I would say DEI indoctrination is way more dangerous than Archery, etc. Archery and pistol/rifle shooting are Olympic sports, at least.

    Department of Education should be defunded and handed back to The States since it’s not something explicitly empowered to the Government in the Constitution (it’s yet another government agency that was created under the pretense of the “Commerce Clause”).

  3. “A 2021 CDC report concluded that nearly one in three high school aged students reported having seriously considered suicide.”

    A. CDC; always a suspicious source
    B. Fudds (FUDDs?) are finding out they are also an enemy of the state
    C. Parenting since 1945 effectively removed coping skills for children, leaving children to teach their unprepared children to remain unprepared children.
    D. An entire social culture has arisen to believe hardship/effort is an abnormal human condition; one to be avoided at all costs.

    • Shhh not supposed to point out we are producing slave cattle ….erm well adjusted productive citizens.

      • “Shhh not supposed to point out we are producing slave cattle ….erm well adjusted productive citizens.”

        Well, rats!

        There I go; done it again.

  4. Its time for all American Citizens despite political preference to realize that we have a corrupt Government and our law enforcement agencies have been corrupted. The focus on gun control is out of proportion to the neglect on human trafficking and fentanyl smuggling in this Country.
    More lives are in jeopardy with those two items than anything currently happening with firearms. We lost 100,000 people last year to drug overdoses and thousands of children are being trafficked through this Country. Every community needs to establish its own Home Guard self-defense organization to protect itself and neighbors from illegal and unconstitutional searches and seizures, Federal Law enforcement is out of control and the Justice Department only prosecutes those who oppose its lawlessness. Wake up now before you wind up being a slave to these people.

  6. This article’s title:

    Biden’s Cutoff of [Funds] to Schools With Hunting Programs Will Make Mental Health Problems Worse

    That is intentional and a “win” for Pr0gre$$ive True Believers.

    Why is that a “win”? Simple answer:
    1) It means more people will beg government for solutions.
    2) It means more people will be too incoherent to understand and oppose awful government initiatives.
    3) It causes more suffering which some percentage of Pr0gre$$ive True Believers WANT to happen (because they are sick sadistic scumbags).

  7. My daughter shot in a school archery program the year before covid gave the gov’t an excuse to flush it all down the toilet. The only other team anywhere around was 1.5 hrs away in a neighboring state, but we all drove back and forth for the season, and the kids loved it. I don’t think they were ever able to get it going again. There was one young fella who was pretty shaky on the draw, even with the Genesis bow turned all the way down. He hit the target every time, but his arrows bounced off. We cheered him on, and he shot every match. Sad to see that go away.

    • Depending on your region check out 4h. Wish I knew more groups with an archery program off hand but haven’t really kept up with it for a long time.

      • They have a bunch of ag related clubs, and one shooting club in my county. For some reason known only to her, she didn’t want to participate in those, or shoot in matches until her school started the program, and then she was all in for her last year there.

        • Friend group maybe….. well see where her interest goes then but helps when the activities are potentially useful as well as fun.

  8. At some point in this life people NEED to wake up and smell the coffee. Public schools taking money like this from our federal government makes them subordinate to the whims and desires of the government. It’s like taking drugs for the high while denying that there ARE negative consequences that will result. Teaching a kid that 1+1=2 does not require a pedophile paid by a lunatic. We are talking about schools that are ran by people that want the government to get rid of guns from any and all private ownership. Community leaders that likely voted for Biden through hatred of Trump. Biden is doing what is natural for him to do. My concern is not with him so much. I am MUCH more concerned about those at the lower levels that control schools, school districts, and school boards. Most of which will NEVER fight back and absolutely will comply.

    • Schools, law enforcement, probably more than a few others. The idea of grants to localities that cannot afford better services otherwise is a great idea but putting preconditions on the grants that ensure political obedience is toxic.

        • Distinction seeking differentiation at this stage. But as they are classified as grants it is legal and you are irresponsible if you do not make use of them…..sarc just in case

  10. This article is a must-read for all those hunters and archers who think that the anti-gunners have ONLY been going after the AR-style firearms and they are “safe”. Getting ARs banned is just the beginning, folks. The anti-gunners want all guns banned – even the single shot 22LRs. Make no mistake about it. Donate generously and regularly to SAF and other 2A orgs that you see making a difference – one court fight at a time. And make your vote count too, starting at the local level and up.

    • Exercise of power and control, some hatred possibly but likely more going for humiliation “and you won’t do shit about it”. Also could be the doing something column at the same time but as others have pointed out this could exceed what normal people would find acceptable (hope so but not counting on it) an/or legal (agency overreach maybe).

  12. “BSCA prohibits ESEA funds from being used to provide training in the use of a, “dangerous weapon.””

    Is there a definition/example of a ‘non-dangerous weapon’ ?

    BTW:
    “Two Republican Senators, John Cornyn (TX) and Thom Tillis (NC) who voted in favor of BSCA, are now reacting to pressure from constituents”.

    Sen. John Cornyn continues to excel as a “tool” with expected results.

  13. The goal of the left has always been to take over the education system, and remove parents in any way they could from raising their kids and educating them.

    Which is why the leftists attacked the Boy Scouts 100 years ago. They publicly stated at the time they did not like the Boy Scouts, educating boys about guns.

    But of course, one hundred years later, they claim h0m0sexual sex as a way, to do away with the boy scouts. Because the boy scouts frowned on such activity.

    Interesting because it was a h0mosexual. Tom Ammiano, who got elected to San Francisco School board, with the public stated purpose, to destroy the rifle teams and any Second amendment education in the school system.

    btw
    I’m not interested, and i’m against my children Engaging in hom0sexual sex. I’m also not interested and am against my children Engaging in heter0sexual sex.
    Because I consider them both to be a dangerous distraction.

    • Look at the actions of the Khmer Rouge. Pr0gressives don’t see them as a warning. On the contrary they see the actions of “Brother number one” as an inspiration and a blueprint.

      • Recruiting children for murdering masses of people is a specialty of tyrants and communists.
        Putting 14 and 15 year olds on trial for crimes against humanity. Is a bridge too far for many Western societies.

  14. President Eisenhower, in his final address to the nation, warned everyone about the use of federal money spent on education. And how it and corrupted the education system.

    The irrational laser like focus. on the “ghostly” military-industrial complex. has always been just crazy.
    Every gun Maker in the United States supplies weaponry and gear to the military. In some form. So now should we get rid of Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Colt, and every other major gun Maker in America???
    In order to satisfy your thirst to destroy the military industrial complex?

    One thing I have observed in my life. Is that the people who hate the military-industrial complex also hate the second amendment.

    In fact, they loudly complained about all the belligerents in the First World War. Who used, I think, the same rifle.
    A German manufacturer and design, license and produced by nearly everyone in Europe, and use to kill each other.
    Am I wrong about that history?

      • This story was how I learned about this part of US gun history. It was news to me back then. I was very surprised.

        • “This story was how I learned about this part of US gun history.”

          Way back at base-X, was involved in a discussion of rifles. One of the coffee klatch was a “gun guy”, (strong conservative, not a liberal poser). I casually mentioned the lawsuit, and the “gun guy” proclaimed that the Springfield ’03 predated the Mauser K98, and that the ’98 was the copy. Took longer to produce documentation, and the “gun guy” was spittin’ nails, trying to deny the source. Before I transfered out, “gun guy” made a passing apology.

          There were so many sources I found this morning, I just picked an article from our homies.

    • Boeing Raytheon General Dynamics and General Electric were substantially bigger players individually than all gun makers combined. That aside fully in agreement that education was the bigger fish especially with a push towards centralized power.

      • My love of war gaming as a kid drew me to learn about weapons procurement for the government. So I understand this corruption goes back a hundred years or more.

        It was said Lady Bird Johnson and her family were big investors in Bell Helicopter. That company did very well during the Vietnam war years.

        But these big defense contractors sell to foreign governments as well. And I think for example, Ruger has supplied the Mini 14 to entire armies in other countries.

        The American firearms industry is not really the problem.

    • Chris. The Mauser, the German rifle, was the basis for the American Springfield and the later p14 for the brits and the p17 for the yanks. But the majority of the brits used the Lee Enfield which was not a Mauser clone. The French used Lebels and Berthiers, also not related to the Mauser. And the Russians used Mosin Nagants. Also unrelated to the Mauser.

      But the German Mauser was used during and after both world wars by dozens of countries in one form another. Most of the Americas below the US border. Large patches of Asia. Africa. The middle and far east.

      The Jews used Nazi marked Mausers in their fight to establish Israel. The Mauser types were in use world wide.

      • Only the AK platform was made in greater numbers and made and used in more locations.

        • to southern cross
          Yep, the Russians and the Germans seem to have outproduced everyone. When it comes to long guns for military use.

    • You would be surprised to see how involved the state can get if you homeschool. Guard every liberty jealousy.

  16. @Chris T in KY
    “I have found TTAG to be a great source for college papers that I have written.”

    I didn’t see that.

    • I have found that TTAG and the folks who comment here, usually have reliable source links. At least they get you going in thr right direction.

  17. Hunter Ed instructor for 30 yrs, instructor for Archery in the school instructors for 15. Both impower our children and the government will not have that. Tell a 11 year old young lady that she can beat the 16 year old linebacker in the state Archery tournament and she does, or the young man in a wheelchair with one arm “you can do this” and he does. My question is this, hunter ed funding is from dnr’s, Archery in the school fonding is mostly private funding. So is the government going to cancel a school’s aid if they just host these classes?

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