by Greg Walcher, E&E Legal Senior Policy Fellow
As appearing in the Daily Sentinel
Are we teaching kids to use dangerous weapons that create a more violent world, or how not to do so? Apparently, that depends on whether you ask the U.S. Department of Education, or the governments of all 50 states.
In the 2022 “Safer Communities Act,” Congress included a provision eliminating funding for school programs that provide “dangerous weapon training.” The Department of Education now says that includes hunter safety training, the elimination of which “would help create a safer and more positive environment in schools.”
Just as President Biden signed that prohibition into law, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an opposite new law — specifically authorizing public schools to offer hunter safety classes to all 7th graders. Illinois, Michigan and Missouri recently passed similar laws. All 50 states require hunter safety classes and certification as a precondition for licensing new hunters. The universal view is that people should not be given hunting licenses who have no safety training. All states provide such training, either directly through their fish and game agencies, or by certified contractors. Many states also provide the training through public schools, usually as an elective and generally requiring parental consent. That is because, of course, hunting involves the use of dangerous weapons.
So, what is the purpose of hunter education for kids? Is it, as the federal government seems to think, teaching them to use weapons dangerously, or teaching them not to do so?
It comes as no surprise that the federal department is run by people with little experience in hunting. The percentage of Americans who hunt (roughly 5%) is far less than it once was, and it’s a safe bet that the number is even smaller among federal employees in Washington, D.C. But even if they themselves are not hunters, have they really forgotten the value of hunting?
