Let's keep public schools NRA free

As a kid, Mom always warned, “Make sure you keep a screen door between you and the Fuller Brush man. They won’t leave, and all they do is to sell, sell, sell.”

I remember that caution as I’m reading House File 654, the bill that recently passed the Iowa House encouraging public schools to allow the National Rifle Association, (NRA) into Iowa public schools to teach gun and hunter safety K-12. It’s not the curriculum I question, it’s the messenger and what’s behind it.

Once in the door, they’ll’ sell, sell, sell. They’re selling gun culture.

While gun and hunter safety sounds like a reasonable idea given the 145 mass shootings since the year started, there are three major reasons this is troubling, and there are quite a few unanswered questions.

Who develops and delivers the instruction matters.

The NRA isn’t some nonprofit public service group relying on facts to help the public understand guns. It’s a powerful political interest group whose job is to promote gun rights at all costs. They won’t leave until they sell, sell, sell with this philosophy, “I’ll give up my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands.”

During the last two legislative sessions, Republicans spent a lot of energy pretending they needed to rewrite public school curriculum because all the “woke” public school teachers were indoctrinating children.

Now, they’re telling Iowans, it’s fine to have this group grooming kids into the gun culture. Does anyone really believe a gun safety course developed and delivered by the NRA won’t be a tad biased?

I understand gun safety is important. If a school wants to offer gun safety in PE or health, I’m sure an officer from the DNR could provide lessons sans propaganda.

The goal of the NRA has always been to divert attention away from guns and blame something else for gun violence. True, guns aren’t the only problem causing mass casualties, but easy access is indeed part of this crisis.

The NRA wants to catch kids early and sell the idea, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun, is to have a good guy with a gun.” If that were true, we’d be the safest country in the world. Do we really want first-graders to think packing a gun to the grocery store is the solution, instead of the problem?

This is far from the only gun legislation pushed by the NRA that impacts schools. The NRA helped champion the idea of arming certain school personnel. They pushed to allow firearms to be kept in the trunks of cars parked in school parking lots. They have an agenda, and if adults choose to buy into it, that’s their choice, but should kindergartners be indoctrinated? I don’t think so.

Here are some questions needing answers.

Who pays for this course?

Who teaches this course? Will the instructor bring guns to class?

What in the elementary curriculum will be eliminated so this is available?

What if an elementary class makes this available and a parent disagrees?

Let’s keep the door shut to the Not Responsible for Anything organization. If they’re let in, they won’t leave and they’ll sell, sell, sell.

Bruce Lear of Sioux City taught for 11 years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association Regional Director for 27 years until retiring.