Hi Kevin!
-> Regarding your post requesting input on echo changes, I would like to
-> see the "off-topic" list go away.

-> Which approach would be in the best interests of the
-> students?  Head-in-sand status quo, or recognize the fact that most
-> housholds in this country own a firearm and show the materials which
-> stress firearms training and safety.
->
-> Would this be a political topic or a safety topic?  If political,
-> does it still
-> meed to be addressed due to the safety aspect?  Is there an
-> opportunity to tie the subject in with government or history classes?
Usually, "political" referred to messages that were in no-way related to
education and therefore were entirely about politics. It is difficult to
impossible to completely bar discussion with political overtones in this
area, since most schools are public schools, therefore government run,
and necessarily political institutions.
Even if we do not delete the "off-topic" list, such a discussion would
be appropriate here. Part of the point of the off-topic list was that
there are other echos in FidoNet expressly for those types of
discussions. I am glad you brought this up, though. It certainly does
make a good point in favor of revising the guidelines. They were
developed at a time when the educators who used to participate here
(more frequently) were more or less, "at war" with certain non-educator
"hecklers" who really had no point for participating here other than to
annoy and have sport with the teachers. (At least, it often seemed that
way!)
-> For instance, one of the local school districts show several anti-gun
-> movies and videos at the 7th grade level, but refuse to show any of
-> the NRA's "Eddie Eagle" program materials.  Which approach would be
-> in the best interests of the
-> students?  Head-in-sand status quo, or recognize the fact that most
-> housholds in this country own a firearm and show the materials which
-> stress firearms training and safety.
I am surprised at your statement "most households in this country own a
firearm". To my knowledge, I know no one who owns a gun. Do you have a
source to back up this statistic?
-> BTW, for those not familiar with "Eddie Eagle", the program boils
-> down to "If you see a gun, don't touch, leave the area, tell a
-> responsible adult."
Thanks for the synopsis. I would've had no idea otherwise.
While it certainly does seem, from what you write, that the school is
burying its head in the sand, I (were I an administrator at this school)
would at least want to view the materials before I would make a decision
about them. Do you know if the admins have viewed these NRA films?
Sheila King
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