Republican Senator Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon has introduced a bill intending to educate Michigan students between the 6th and 12th grades on safe firearm handling and storage. Bumstead coordinated with the Department of Education in developing the bill and agreed that live rounds would not be brought onto school campuses during training to prevent accidents while firearms are present. The 10-hour course will be taught by certified instructors from local organizations with hunting licenses obtained through the state’s Department of Natural Resources.
“A lot of local gun clubs will have instructors that I think will be willing to come in… Also, you’ll have some educators that are instructors as well. You’ll see that more in the Northern (Michigan) schools,” says Bumstead.
According to Bumstead, the education would come at no additional cost to parents or school districts as each instructor’s organization would underwrite the training. The effort benefits everyone involved as the program provides the opportunity to introduce students to conservation and get them to spend more time outdoors while hunting license fees increase wildlife education funding.
“Over the last 30 years in Michigan, our hunting numbers have gone down… We’re just trying to get young people outdoors a little bit more, and this might have them get outside a little bit more,” said Bumstead.
Justin Heinze, the director of school safety at the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, says safe storage is vital to preventing accidents and reducing the risk of children getting hold of a loaded firearm in the home. He emphasizes the fact that children are more observant than we sometimes give them credit for, and “might have more access than parents realize.”
Detroit Democratic Senator Stephanie Chang, who is a member of the Education Committee and supports funding for mental health resources to address gun violence, says the program would benefit all Michigan residents.
“Firearm safety in general is important for people to learn regardless of where they are… There’s certainly a number of gun owners in my district and I’m married to a gun owner. Ensuring more people have more information about gun safety is important, in addition to passing laws related to common-sense gun violence prevention… Making sure that young people, if they have firearms in their homes, are aware of what the laws are and firearm safety is important,” said Chang.
Agreed. Education and experience encourage and develop a safer society as long as “passing laws related to common-sense gun violence prevention” means more thoughtful measures such as this bill, which make a real difference while respecting America’s founding values and liberties.
“People need to know gun safety practices, regardless of if they hunt or not, or whether they shoot guns or don’t shoot guns… At least they want to learn about gun safety. This is the program that can teach some of that and hopefully, it can save lives,” says Bumstead.
Aside from the bipartisan teaming up of Bumstead and Chang, the bill’s co-sponsors include Republican Senators Roger Hauck, John Damoose, Rick Outman, and Michele Hoitenga. The bill is currently awaiting consideration from the Senate Education Committee.
This measure echoes the efforts of those in Utah and Tennessee to bring safety education to schools for youth to learn important lessons on what to do if they discover an unattended firearm, how to safely handle a firearm, and instruction on secure storage to prevent tragic accidents. It is an effort worth supporting, and it is encouraging to see politicians focused on reducing gun violence through more realistic means as well as those that benefit the next generation rather than stripping them of their rights.
This thing working for comments? They worked yesterday for short while, but this morning they all seemed to be sent to moderation
Happened to me & it showed up later. Been here 12 years & don’t appreciate getting moderated for quite innocuous comments.
Better late than never.
Your blog has quickly become my go-to source for reliable information and thought-provoking commentary. I’m constantly recommending it to friends and colleagues. Keep up the excellent work!
That is huge for me. Thank you very much. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.
These are bots, Mr. Nercesian. The site’s filters need to be adjusted to block them, and allow the longtime visitors actually post their comments.
I’ll take it. Michigan needs to turn around its current action of swirling down the drain that is liberalism.
I’m sure it’ll be a huge fight, especially for the gun owners living in Michigan’s liberal quarters of Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and nearby neighborhoods. The liberal anti 2A “authorities” in big cities will certainly put up resistance to any effort to train and educate people in proper use and care of firearms.
But it’s a fight that needs to be had if Michigan is going to reverse its current direction and move back toward liberty.
Not only a good idea for Michigan, but how about the other 49 states?. Add in Stop the Bleed, CPR, and fire safety modules to make it more difficult for the libs to vote against it. It would be more useful during an emergency, or disaster, than some of the other liberal curriculum of the last four years.
Are kinks still being worked out on the new TTAG?
Perhaps so. I have attempted 2 times to post a simple, non cursing, non name calling comment and each time the comment went to moderation. Time will tell if the new is really new or merely the old renewed.
Now 3 have gone to moderation. I suppose the site is under modification/overhaul.
Yes we did a major overhaul overnight and are working through several issues, one of them being the moderation. We’re working on getting that so that it doesn;t send all comments straight to moderation jail.
Thank you and your team for the hard work, Scott. But in all honesty, the auto-moderation has always been bad for as far back as I can remember.
One other thing, Scott. The TTAG “Bullseye icon” at the bottom of every page is no longer linked to the home page. Please have somebody restore that. Otherwise, we will be forced to hit “back” or worse yet, scroll all the way to the top of every posted article in order to get back to the home page.
Thanks!
I’ve been following your blog for quite some time now, and I’m continually impressed by the quality of your content. Your ability to blend information with entertainment is truly commendable.
Thank you very much! I really enjoy writing them, so I am thrilled to hear you like reading them. You made my freaking day!
Now we will see if democrats in Michigan truly care about the gun safety they preach about or whether its just more political hyperbole on their part.
That’s all fine and dandy but the reason the numbers are down on the hunting is because it cost to much.
Every time they change the format, it just gets worse.
“the reason the numbers are down on the hunting is because it cost to much.”
That, and CWD.
Yep.
I’ve just about given up. This winter was unseasonably warm, I shot one deer that’s head was covered in ticks, eyelids just surrounded with them.
To gross for me to butcher, what waste.
I suppose I put it out of its misery
Who will be responsible for implementing the firearm safety program in schools?