My guess is that not one person reading this is growing up in the same world as kids in the 6-18 age group. Every farm I can recall had a 22 or 410 by the back door, which usually was the entry door. Outside the door was often a hoe or shovel. The shovel and hoe killed snakes, the shooters killed skunks in the yard, and coyotes at the hen house. They were not there for defense, but everyone in the house was handy with them, and no one would hesitate to grab the gun and go out to visit any perceived threat.
Most of my school years we lived in town. A double 12 with exposed hammers and Damascus barrels sat in the hall closet. On a high shelf was a partial box of shells, nobody needed a full box anyway. Every kid know not to touch that gun, but we did and safely because we had been taught to handle them safely. So, we would take them down and look at them, it is a thing kids do, look at cool stuff.
Kids today do not have guns in the closet of by the door at all times, but they still are curious. And every gun, your prized $4,000 1911 or your $150 high point is a matter of intense interest to them. And they will take them down and look at them. Some of them will show their friends and some will play with them. "You lookin at me punk", "go ahead punk, make my day". Som of us may have said those very words.
So, we have those striker fired plastic guns with no safety or mag safety or all such safeties disconnected and we leave the gun in the glovebox, or the nightstand, or where ever it fell out of our pocket. And some kill will pick it up, every did will pick it up if it stays there long enough. Every kid, don't let anybody tell you they will never...because we know that every did will. Kind of like virginity, it is pretty rare..
But the gun on the nightstand or lost on the cushions on the couch may not be snatched up by my kid, it may be picke up by the little jerk neighbor kid that came over to visit the kids, just came in for a minute. And then the little jerk shoots it and someone dies, maybe someone next door.
I recall when the NRA had guys go visit the schools once per year and give them a few hours of "don't touch, go get an adult" when you find a gun. So, my take is if they teach the Eddie Eagle class by the NRA guys or local law enforcement or anyone who is gun savvy I think it is worth the time.
As to teaching to shoot. There is an inherent safety lesson there. Every time live ammo is around, they will pound safety into the kids, so that is not a bad thing. And, I think we would be better as a society if our schools had rifle and shotgun and air gun classes. The more they pick up a gun, handle it and use it safely, the smarter they are when the hear the radical left propaganda. So, I would be for it.
One story. A relative by marriage married a young lawyer in England. Last year he came to visit. Nice kid, sharp in dress and witty as can be. We hit it off as lawyers, of course, and he learned I was retired military and law enforcement. He had a fascination with "guns". So, I took him out and let him shoot a dozen, including an AK and an AR. He was excited, said the most fun thing he did on his trip to America was to shoot the "awesome M4". Mine is not an M4, it is a plane vanilla DPMS carbine. That said, putting an assault rifle (yes) in the hands of of a person foreign to the concept of gun ownership is a big deal. He commented that they were awesome, but not dangerous. Education is a good thing. He come back again, we will shoot some more...He said he had never seen one ever, in England, except in movies. So, yea, let the schools have classes on 22s and air guns. I am OK with that. They are teaching your kids about sex too, and you either have some input or you don't.
