School under fire for taking 6-year-olds to gun range

[sarisataka]

School under fire for taking 6-year-olds to gun range

At this school, the three Rs are reading, writing — and revolvers.

A Georgia school is under fire for taking 6-year-olds on a field trip to a gun range, where the tots posed for photos with firearms.

“Taking young children to a gun range? Taking pictures of young children posing with their finger on the trigger? Unacceptable, irresponsible, and dangerous,” wrote Jessica James on Holdheide Academy’s Facebook page.

She was just one of dozens of outraged commenters who flooded the page with criticism over the weekend when photos of the private Woodstock school’s pint-sized pupils holding pistols surfaced online.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/27/school-under-fire-for-taking-6-year-olds-to-gun-range.amp.html

I wonder if these are parents or others they're complaining. My wife is a preschool teacher and they cannot take the kids even to Dairy Queen without letters, permission slips and a full schedule given to the parents.

[lpbk2713]

1. And what did they use as targets?

[sarisataka]

8. That's another story-

Police gave children fake guns to shoot ‘terrorist’ targets on a firing range

https://www.google.com/amp/metro.co.uk/2017/06/26/police-gave-children-fake-guns-to-shoot-terrorist-targets-on-a-firing-range-6736294/amp/

[oberliner]

2. Two students from the school went on the trip

And both of their parents signed permission slips.

[MineralMan]

3. Yah...did you read the story at your link?

The children had signed parental permission slips and did not fire any firearms there. I don't think they had their finger on any triggers, either. They just looked at a couple of historical firearms. I wonder how many of the "outraged commenters" have children at that school.

When I was in the 5th grade, we took a field trip to a slaughterhouse, where we got to watch cattle being killed and processed. That was in 1955. I'm sure some parents would object to that, as well, but we all had signed permission slips from our parents, as we did for all field trips. It was very interesting to this 10 year old. Of course, I had already learned how to prepare a rabbit for cooking by then.

[sarisataka]

6. I hadn't read all of it

So it isn't the parents complaining but other "concerned" citizens.

Personally I am reluctant to tell parents where they should not allow their children to go. Now had the school done this without notice and the parents were complaining, that would be a completely different story.

I think I would have found a slaughter house visit interesting; I still would. IMO it is beneficial to know how that food gets to my plate.

[bitterross]

4. Can we reserve our outrage for something that deserves it?

This hardly deserves our ire. Parents signed permission slips to allow their kids to go on a field trip. Sure, it involved guns. That's hardly a reason to get upset. It IS Georgia, the South - DUH! I'm from the South. Guns exist everywhere there. They are not a big deal.

This sort of over-the-top reaction to a nothing story is what the right uses to legitimize their criticism of us and call us the nanny state.

The parents approved the trip for their kids. Get over it and stay out of their parenting.

[sarisataka]

7. There are a certain amount

Of people who believe children should never see, let alone touch, a gun.

We are similar up here being a hunting state. The high school league even sponsors shooting competitions among the schools

[LanternWaste]

10. What a creative sentiment

"There are a certain amount Of people who believe children should never see... a gun"

What a creative sentiment we construct for our biases. Though this particular one sorely needs a Hans Zimmer soundtrack to allow it emotion, if not actual plausibility.

[sarisataka]

11. If I decipher you correctly

You believe those complaining this was irresponsible and dangerous are overreacting?

[LanternWaste]

9. No doubt, at one time or another everyone pretends to know what deserves our concern...

No doubt, at one time or another everyone pretends to know what deserves our concern... and then follow up with more even pretense that the concern is in fact, a melodramatic outrage.

Duh, indeed.