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12/22/2024 8:32:41 PM
 
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Section 22: Military Topics Subject: Poland Arming Children Msg# 1217912
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As to the gun safety aspects of teaching kids to shoot, Harvey Wilson and I have long here espoused mandatory firearm training in schools. I know the folks here are pretty unanimous in agreeing with that.
My own thoughts were that the Eddy Eagle program or a similar gun recognition and avoidance program be taught in early elementary grades, then gun handling safety and basic marksmanship with .22 long guns in junior high, culminating in multi-discipline firearm competition in high school. I think Harvey's ideas were similar but he can speak for himself here. I know, in this country today that's a pipe dream... Stu |
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: The real threat from Putin's Russia is no doubt the impetus for this but Switzerland has been a shining example for generations. As I understand it, all the male Swiss take firearms training, shooting competitions have the status of a national sport and every household holds a military grade long gun. Thus their generations-long status an an uninvaded neutral country in the midst of all the turbulence of Europe through two world wars and then some! The story (perhaps apocryphal*) goes that the head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Emperor Franz Joseph? I forgot which one) was on a state visit to Switzerland when he remarked to the Swiss head of state that his army was twice as big as the entire Swiss male population. What could the Swiss do in case of invasion? The Swiss head calmly said that each Swiss male would go out his door and shoot two invading soldiers - problem solved! If that kind of thinking worked for the Swiss for so long, why wouldn't it work for the Poles? * It has been a long time since I heard about this and was unsuccessful in documenting it for this note. Please, anyone with real info, feel free to correct me as to who it was, when it was and if it really even happened! Stu |
