I support the 2nd ammendment ,recognize the bill of rights are there to limit the powers of the fed govt,and I do not support jumping through any hoops the gov't may require.
Having said that,the price of freedom is responsibility.There is a competency responsibility a citizen must live up to if we are to protect our freedom from fearful people.It is in the best interests of all of us for the trade,market and fellow shooters to help beginners and young folks learn.
When ,as a young one,I wanted to buy a .22,my older brother insisted I join the YMCA Junior NRA 50 ft .22 rifle club,and learn to shoot first.
He also took me skeet shooting for some more training.Then he had a war to go to.
When Colo first went to the Hunter Safety card,they took a few days of PE class in the public schools,and the Colo Div of Wildlife came in and gave all of the students a Hunter Safety course.
Now without making this political,it would seem to me there was some clear thinking going on.
If the schools teach essential competencies to get through life.including such activities as basketball,volleyball,cooking, sewing, singing,making pinhole cameras and developing black and white film,and so on
It would seem a foundational knowledge of the Bill of Rights and the core competencies of living with that Bill of Rights,(like voting and basic firearms competence) might be a reasonable expectation for publicly funded education.
I do not suggest infringing on the second ammendment,I suggest re-establishing safe,responsible shooting as the cultural norm.It was so,back in the 60's,before the Gun Control Act of 68 began to drive firearms out of mainstream and into the shadows.
Back when most kids could look forward to a .22 and the experiences in the book "The Old Man and the Boy" and a cop show was Matt Dillon keeping the peace,or even Palladin the hired gun,Steve McQueen,bounty hunter,all were gun based but with values
rather than the deranged picture of a saggy shorts punk coward gangbanger with a sideways Glock,or the angry white man with a sniper rifle or Mac-10 or Scorpio the psyco that Callahan had to whack.
Now,the image of a citizen with a firearm is used as a polarizing political agenda.Us,and them.
When was the last time you saw anything on a TV program,a Hollywood movie,in the newspaper etc that said anything good abput the average citizen with a gun?
Only the elite,like CSI and NYPD can do right with a gun,evryone else is a dangerous moron or a psycho,right?
This insidious propaganda has two effects.
One,it encourages the harmful behavior.(For many tube influenced minds,"Normal is what's on TV)
And,for the non shooting public,it re-enforces a fear of people with guns,and encourages voting for the political platform that pursues the antigun agenda.