And keep the change you filthy animal.

[mercutio_bgq]

Although it's been buried on most major news sources, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken up the constitutionality of handgun bans in cities. SCOTUS has avoided this particular subject for most part since 1939, but they have picked a particularly sharp instance to counter. D.C. has one of the highest murder rates in the country, a very poor minority

Comments

[alteredhistory]

Several years back I was surprised at the take that Massachusettes had on gun laws... they implemented a *required* gun usage course for kids Kindergarten through 12th grade. The younger kids were taught "danger, do not ever touch". The middle kids were taught how you should secure a gun if you find it unsecured and some of the basics of why guns aren't banned, but they were still encouraged to leave them alone for adults to use. And the high schoolers were taught ethics of shooting a robber and even encouraged to take targeting lessons. I think the program was only in place for a couple years and then got repealed or modified or something, but it always seemed like a really good idea to me to have everyone knowledgeable about the weapons and then let individuals decide whether they were carrying them or not. It seemed like the best way to have an armed populace, capable of defending itself (such as in a stadium when some terrorist shows up with a bomb) and gun safety.

[mercutio_bgq]

A good idea. If guns are to be a part of society (as I outlined above in one scenario), then I think they certainly should be taught in school. You'd have to remove some of the levels of fear associated with them that comes from not using them. Much like a driver's ed that you revisit nearly ever other year or so.