Missouri Bill to Pass Allowing Gun Program in All Schools
Bill proposes elementary students learn about guns at school: Over the past decade, with increasing numbers in the past few months, gun related incidents in schools have inundated the news media. Missouri legislators are working to pass a bill that will require students and teachers to participate in a gun safety program. The purpose of this is to educate, promote gun safety, and protection of children, as well as, point out how students should respond if they encounter a fire arm. Missouri Republican Senator of Rolla, Dan Brown, has proposed to make gun safety mandatory for all first grade curriculums statewide. The program was developed by the National Rifle Association back in 1988 called The Eddie Eagle Gun safe Program. According to his biography on the state's website, Senator Brown is a lifetime member of the NRA. Senator Brown has been quoted in saying that he pre-filed the bill to get the conversation started. The Senate Bill 75, also called the "Active Shooter and Intruder Response Training for Schools Program", will also require teachers to take an eight hour training course annually. The course will train teachers and school employees how to respond to a threatening situation and how to address a potentially dangerous intruder. The school personnel must also go through a simulated intruder response drill. The SB 75 will also educate and promote gun safety to all first graders in each district and charter school annually. The NRA's Eddie Eagle Gun safe Program will highlight how children should respond if they were to find themselves around a gun without supervision. The bill states that no firearms will be used in the program. Eddie Eagle is never shown touching a firearm and he does not promote the use or ownership of a gun. If the Senate Bill 75 passes, the materials for this course and training will be funded through grants provided by the National Rifle Association. The Senate Bill 75's current summary also states, "That all