Post by Woody Williams on Oct 8, 2005 22:20:02 GMT -5
Program Teaching Kids About Guns Draws Fire
Friday, October 07, 2005
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Five-year-old Jeff Jagels, of Bakersfield, Calif., is just starting school in Kern County (search), but he already knows what to do when he sees a gun.
And other 5-year-olds in his neighborhood are about to learn what Jagels knows, too.
"Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult," is what the youngsters are told by cartoon character Eddie Eagle.
The Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program is a free National Rifle Association project that teaches kids what to do when they see a gun.
And Jeff Jagels' father thinks it’s a great idea.
“I realized that this thing is incredibly effective, and I became determined to get one into every kindergarten class in Kern County along with the accompanying teaching materials,” Edward Jagels said.
Jagels, who is the Bakersfield district attorney, is a member of the NRA (search) and said he was astonished by his son’s reaction. His little tyke wanted to watch the videotape over and over again, and quickly repeated the instructions sung by Eddie Eagle in the cartoon.
Jagels thought the project was so good, he took it to the superintendent of Kern County Schools, who liked the idea.
“The fact that we're teaching a child not to touch a gun, to walk away from it, to tell an adult about the gun, that's going to make a child safer,” said Superintendent Larry Reider.
But others disagree. Local emergency room doctor Art Kellermann has treated his share of juvenile gunshot victims. He’s skeptical of any plan that puts the burden on a young child to make a critical judgment about firearms.
“Nobody should trust Eddie Eagle to make their child any safer than before they took the program," Kellermann said. “Rather than try over and over again to gun-proof our kids, I think we ought to child-proof our guns."
The Kern County superintendent will be sending Eddie Eagle tapes out to the district next week — but says it will be up to the individual schools whether to use them.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171568,00.html
Friday, October 07, 2005
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Five-year-old Jeff Jagels, of Bakersfield, Calif., is just starting school in Kern County (search), but he already knows what to do when he sees a gun.
And other 5-year-olds in his neighborhood are about to learn what Jagels knows, too.
"Stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult," is what the youngsters are told by cartoon character Eddie Eagle.
The Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program is a free National Rifle Association project that teaches kids what to do when they see a gun.
And Jeff Jagels' father thinks it’s a great idea.
“I realized that this thing is incredibly effective, and I became determined to get one into every kindergarten class in Kern County along with the accompanying teaching materials,” Edward Jagels said.
Jagels, who is the Bakersfield district attorney, is a member of the NRA (search) and said he was astonished by his son’s reaction. His little tyke wanted to watch the videotape over and over again, and quickly repeated the instructions sung by Eddie Eagle in the cartoon.
Jagels thought the project was so good, he took it to the superintendent of Kern County Schools, who liked the idea.
“The fact that we're teaching a child not to touch a gun, to walk away from it, to tell an adult about the gun, that's going to make a child safer,” said Superintendent Larry Reider.
But others disagree. Local emergency room doctor Art Kellermann has treated his share of juvenile gunshot victims. He’s skeptical of any plan that puts the burden on a young child to make a critical judgment about firearms.
“Nobody should trust Eddie Eagle to make their child any safer than before they took the program," Kellermann said. “Rather than try over and over again to gun-proof our kids, I think we ought to child-proof our guns."
The Kern County superintendent will be sending Eddie Eagle tapes out to the district next week — but says it will be up to the individual schools whether to use them.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,171568,00.html
