Forsyth County Georgia Board of Education - Jere Krischel - 06/18/2024

Last month, I was very happy to hear a call for more education on firearms safety from some people I often disagree with. I hope that finding some common ground with me will perhaps make them more willing to take me up on my offer of a free lunch.
So, on that note, let me state for the record the four standard rules of firearms safety, which every adult should know, and be able to teach:
Always treat every weapon as if it is loaded
Never point your weapon at anything you're not willing to destroy
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot
Be aware of what is in front of and behind your target
Eddie Eagle also has a 4 rule GunSafe program for Pre-K through 4th grade, which can also be useful for adults who are uncomfortable around firearms. Their four rules are:
Stop
Don't touch
Run away
Tell a grown-up
It is the responsibility of every gun owner to make sure that their firearms are not accessible to unauthorized people, the same way it is the responsibility of every chainsaw owner to make sure that their chainsaw is not accessible to unauthorized people. These tools are dangerous, and while the right to self-defense is inalienable, the duty to responsibly handle and store your tools applies to everyone. And of course, people who choose to commit crimes with various tools deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Supporters of the constitution and the 2nd amendment are often caricatured as people who think everyone should have a gun. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Crack smoking felons should not have guns. Mentally ill trans-identifying murderers or christian children should not have guns. Hamas supporting terrorists should not have guns. Illegal immigrant rapists should not have guns. People who don't want guns shouldn't have guns. But law-abiding, responsible citizens who are willing to take on the duties associated with gun ownership, should not have that right infringed. They should be allowed to have pistol braces, bump stocks, standard capacity magazines, red dots, suppressors, foregrips, and as much ammunition as they choose to buy.
There is good gun culture, and there is bad gun culture - and we should all be willing to embrace good gun culture. I fully support the idea of introducing our children in school to firearms safety at the earliest age possible. I respectfully request that the Board institute a policy that includes firearms safety training in our school curriculum, as well as prominent placement of links to safe storage training in as many communications to parents as possible.
And so on that note, thank you very much for your time, and again, I'd love to buy lunch for anyone who disagrees with me.