Ummm

[Dave Homewood]

Hmm, the Army has done this at events and school visits up and down the country for generations. What harm has it ever caused?

www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/93425398/education-minister-to-shut-down-guns-in-schools-after-army-gave-rifles-to-children

[xbaggy]

The ironic thing is Dave, when I went to secondary school, the first two weeks of the school year was"Barracks Week" where we donned khaki shorts and tunics and did drill including rifle drill, and a shoot on the rifle range with 303's. Our school, as I presume most other secondary schools in the country, had their own Armouries which held several hundred 303's, Bren and Sten guns.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes indeed. All that had gone by the time I went to school but cadets and shooting in schools had been around since before WWI and right up till the 1960's or so. I wonder, did any school kids die in accidents through that? Or were they all better off having been told how to use and respect a weapon?

I am not a gun nut, I don't use them or collect them, but having members of the Army showing their rifles to kids and allowing them to feel the weight, etc., while they learn about them and learn to respect them is surely not dangerous. No-one has better respect for a weapon than a trained soldier. I think things can actually become more dangerous when kids are excluded from a thing and so they have no idea about the forbidden thing or how to use it properly - like politicians and common sense, never the twain have met and the former has no idea how to use the latter.

[Peter Lewis]

The Greens are upset about it.

You don't need a gun to harvest tofu.

[Deleted]

I'm stumped as to why there's this "uproar". I visited several $2 and "variety" shops over the weekend trying to get some props for a costume for a party and the number and variety of toy guns on offer at each was incredible. At my high school there was a smallbore shooting club.

At least it gives people another opportunity to bash people with different political views to their own.

[Dave Homewood]

So what is your view of this Zac? Do you support the minister?

[rone]

This article sums up what is wrong in this bloody country nowadays. Too much political correctness. What is wrong with handling a firearm and learning how to use one. Too many in this country are just wimps who cry for mummy when the going gets too tough. There, I've said my piece.

[obiwan27]

This is outright grandstanding by the Greens. The weapons on display are tools of the trade for the Army. they are bringing their tools to a local school as part of a 'getting to know the Army' initiative.
The weapons have been made safe by ensuring they are not loaded. In one of the photos there are no magazines in the weapons. I am sure the Army personnel would have gone through a thorough procedure to ensure the weapons were completely safe before taking them onto the school grounds.
There is nothing wrong with what the Army has done, or is doing, imho.
As a 13 year old ATC cadet in the 1970s and 1980s, I learned to safely handle a .22 rifle and use it safely on the Base Wigram rifle range, as did my fellow cadets, male and female. I also safely used the SLR and a Bren gun on this range, between the ages of 13 and 18. We drilled with .303 Lee Enfield rifles and SLRs. We had to follow the same procedure every time we were issued with a weapon from the Base Armoury whether for use on the range, or for drill.
There is no reason that the current crop of youngsters, given correct training and oversight would be able to do the same even now. Given that they are simply having a look at and handling unloaded weapons, there is no harm done whatsoever. Unless you are a Green Party MP closet Marxist communist, or PC wowser.

[baz62]

Woman from the Greens on News was saying "we don't need their propaganda in schools". Really?A career in the Army or Defense Force is propaganda? This is why I would never vote for the Greens with stupid people like this wanting to run the country.

[Dave Homewood]

Since 2011 there have been 34 workplace deaths in the construction industry, 13 deaths in Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services, and 12 deaths in manufacturing. Shall we ban the woodwork and metalwork shops from schools in case they might be exposing children to danger?

There have been 120 workplace deaths in agriculture in that period. 30 forestry deaths. 12 workplace deaths in health care and social assistance! 5 deaths in quarrying, 3 in mining, and 9 workplace deaths in Public Administration and Safety!!

How many people have died accidentally by NZDF firearms going off in a school though? Or as a result of a kid being shown a firearm and then going home and shooting someone?

[obiwan27]

Well said dave. Given the many thousands of former Cadet Forces and Armed Service personnel out in civvy world it's an interesting thing to ponder. I'm unaware of any fatalities within the Cadet forces, but we were certainly trained well, as we knew that the matter was literally a life or death one when it came to handling a weapon, loaded or not

[Deleted]

Jun 8, 2017 11:16:03 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

So what is your view of this Zac? Do you support the minister?

I think it's ludicrous and the Minister has far better things to do. Kids have easy access to tons of toy guns (I don't think my point was clear earlier) as well as their use in games and movies, and surely being taught about them by those really in-the-know (and learning about a career option) can only be a good thing. As several posters have said, they weren't loaded and were no threat to anyone.

Propaganda?! I didn't believe that line until I read it in one of the stories. Bizarre. A surefire (haha) way for the Greens to turn off even more people.

[htbrst]

Jun 8, 2017 15:10:49 GMT 12 baz62 said:

Woman from the Greens on News was saying "we don't need their propaganda in schools". Really?A career in the Army or Defense Force is propaganda? This is why I would never vote for the Greens with stupid people like this wanting to run the country.

But propaganda in schools is a good thing apparently - many (most?) state schools "close" for an hour each week* specifically so the children can be offered religious instruction. I have much less of a problem with the NZDF visiting with a few rifles as a one-off.


(*they are allowed to do this for 20hours per year, so often an hour a week for half the year)

[pjw4118]

If you live in a fog of green stuff ( but dont inhale ) you are certain to see shadows and live in a world of waterfalls and rainbows. Tell that to the London Police who downed the murderers within 8 minutes . They didnt get that grit by playing with marsh mellows ( pink of course ).

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Nanny State from the NATS.