SC Schools May Teach Gun Training

Two new bills could bring gun education, including gun training, to South Carolina students. The first is from Rep. Alan Clemmons, who tells WCIV that teachers don't focus enough on the Second Amendment, and that a lack of knowledge about guns and gun safety implies "the gun is an evil object." He cites the example of a student who got into trouble after writing a story about shooting a dinosaur. Zero-tolerance policies are misguided, says Clemmons, whose bill would have students spend three weeks learning about guns and gun safety each year, based on a curriculum backed by the NRA, the Greenville News reports.

Some aren't keen about involving the NRA in state education, but that's hardly the only element of contention. Clemmons' bill would also create a Second Amendment Awareness Day in all state schools, as well as a poster or essay contest with the theme "The Right to Bear Arms: One American Right Protecting All Others," to be held on Dec. 15. The date has drawn criticism because it's one day after the Sandy Hook school shooting anniversary, though Clemmons says he's open to changing it. The second bill, being proposed in the Senate, would offer an optional gun safety or gun marksmanship course to students, though at an off-campus location. (An Arkansas town has armed its teachers.)