"Visuals of guns are inappropriate for children."
IMO This woman is a hysterical anti-gun zealot, who cannot possibly make a rational decision regarding Eddie Eagle.
Posted on 10/07/2005 7:17:30 AM PDT by holymoly
RACINE - Racine Unified School District principals will decide if the National Rifle Association's "Eddie Eagle" coloring books will be used in their elementary schools, the district said Thursday.
But to get the controversial coloring books - which were approved for Racine Police Department officers to use in gun-safety training classes by the City Council this week - an elementary principal would have to ask the Police Department to bring the books to their school. If that's done, the material would go before the district's curriculum committee, which would determine whether the books meet curriculum standards.
"The district then could say `No' if it reviewed the material and it determined they (the coloring books) were not appropriate," said Unified Spokeswoman Linda Flashinski.
But district officials wouldn't explain why they will wait for principals to request the Eddie Eagle books before deciding if the materials would meet school standards or if the books are effective educational tools.
One principal says no One elementary school principal has decided the coloring books - which have images of children and guns - are things she doesn't want in her school.
"I have a real concern of having children coloring guns," said Sharon J. Campbell, principal of Jones Elementary School, who reviewed some of the Eddie Eagle material. "I'm not sure a coloring book is the best way to teach gun safety."
Alderman Pete Karas led the charge against the books. Among the evidence for his concerns was a 2002 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics that found the Eddie Eagle program was "effective for teaching children to reproduce verbally the gun safety message," but that many children didn't act out the lessons in role-playing games.
Supporters of Eddie Eagle, including those with the NRA and on the City Council, say the program works and familiarizes children with guns to prevent accidental injuries and deaths.
Campbell said she'd rather have officers come into schools to talk about "all kinds of safety" and build relationships with students instead of only talking about gun safety and distributing the books.
"My big litmus test is, `Would I want my grandchildren to do this?' " said Campbell, who also opposes the books because they come from the NRA. "And my answer is, `No, I wouldn't want my granddaughter to be coloring in guns.' Visuals of guns are inappropriate for children."
Unified Superintendent Thomas Hicks said any decision the district makes on the Eddie Eagle books won't be political, even if the books are from the NRA.
"The issue is not whether anyone is for or against guns," he said. "The issue is that any curriculum that is introduced to our students must go through a process, since we need to be able to assure our parents that the materials their children are being exposed to are appropriate."
Campbell said she would support a more complete program to teach safety beyond what Jones Elementary already does, if the city would help fund more programs similar to DARE and Officer Friendly - anti-drug and safety programs that have been defunct for several years because of city budget cuts.
City officials defend books
Alderman Greg Helding, who voted with the majority in Tuesday's 8-to-7 decision to allow police to use the Eddie Eagle books, said he doesn't think the city should be paying for gun-safety education. He was one of the aldermen who liked that the Eddie Eagle coloring books were free.
"I think the School District should be spending money on education," he said. "To design educational programs for them, that's not our (the city's) mission."
Sgt. Bill Macemon, the Police Department's spokesman, said the department will not pressure any group, including Boy and Girl Scouts, or schools to use the coloring books, but said they were a good option for those wanting to teach children how to stay away from guns and report them to adults.
"Our crime prevention officer now is open to doing presentations on request," Macemon said. "If the School District approaches us ... this is a program we are prepared to offer."
Karas still fighting
After hearing Thursday about Unified's decision, Karas said he planned to continue his fight to keep the books out of students' hands.
Wednesday, he viewed a 1999 TV news report from ABC's "20/20" that suggested the full Eddie Eagle program, which includes the coloring books, didn't work.
In the report, of 20 children who completed the gun-safety training, 17 found guns in a test. Of the 17 who found the guns, three called police; the others played with the guns.
"I am more convinced than ever that not only is this program ineffective, but also harmful to our children," Karas said.
"Visuals of guns are inappropriate for children."
IMO This woman is a hysterical anti-gun zealot, who cannot possibly make a rational decision regarding Eddie Eagle.
It will be allowed in if Eddie has two daddies.
bttt
1 Minimum Allowable Homo-erotic Pornography
I'm gonna see if they have the coloring book online, I'd like to have my kids do it.
Well, I have agree with her.
The police department should use their service pistols for training instead.
ping a ling...
> "Visuals of guns are inappropriate for children."
Does she have children and own a TV? She would rather
have the child stumble into one and not know what it was,
or mimic behavior seen on TV. This is the "ostrich"
approach to gun safety.
> In the report, of 20 children who completed the
> gun-safety training, 17 found guns in a test. Of the
> 17 who found the guns, three called police; the
> others played with the guns.
Compared to what outcome in the control (un-taught)
group? Oh, there was no control group?
> ... from ABC's "20/20" ...
Oh, that explains it.
cool...ty
Yeah, let's keep our kids totally ignorant about guns and how they can keep us safe. I ordered a coloring book yesterday.
I took the NRA gun safety class at age 11 before my father gave me a .22.
It was training that you can't put a price on, and I recommend it without qualification.
"`Would I want my grandchildren to do this?'"
Let your grandkid's parents make those decisions and butt the hell out. You had your chance to raise your kids, give them the same courtesy.
And I guarda#ntee that Eddie Eagle has saved a million times those saved by the whinings of libwacko Principal Sharon J. Campbell.
Eddie Eagle in the schools bump.
"Seems to me that educating children to leave guns alone is a good idea. Why this would be opposed is beyond me."
In Arizona there is an organization called Arizonans for Gun Safety. The governor of Arizona, a flaming liberal in a sea of conservatives (except for Pima and Coconino counties) found it politically wise to sign a bill into law that allows firearms safety training to be taught in the public high schools.
You would think that Arizonans for Gun Safety would be happy about this law. Wrong! Arizonans for Gun Safety is a bunch of hoplophobes with a gun control agenda. They, along with the other liberal gun-grabbing nutcases in Arizona, pitched a fit about the law.
The lesson here is that while we as law-abiding firearms owners are naturally concerned about safety, there are organizations out there which cloak themselves in the mantle of "gun safety" while promoting a gun control agenda. It behooves all of us to be aware of these phony organizations and expose them whenever we find them.
The sodomite and lesbian agenda have their books in place in
grade schools accross America...
Johnny can have two daddies and Heather two mommies
but Suzy better not even look at a picture of a .22 rifle
"IMO This woman is a hysterical anti-gun zealot, who cannot possibly make a rational decision regarding Eddie Eagle."
Just another Charrdonny swillin', tofu fartin', liberal, hoplophobe!
"IMO This woman is a hysterical anti-gun zealot, who cannot possibly make a rational decision regarding Eddie Eagle."
Just another Charrdonny swillin', tofu fartin', liberal, hoplophobe!
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