While there are a ton of schools out there so terrified of anything resembling a gun that they punish kids over Pop-Tarts, there are also schools with rifle and archery teams. They teach kids a lot of important lessons, such as responsibility, discipline, and patience, just to name a few.

However, a New York bill would strip schools of these teams.

A state lawmaker from New York City has authored a bill that would end riflery, trap shooting and archery as a sport in public schools.

Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal, a Democrat who represents the 67^th Assembly District in western Manhattan, introduced the bill on April 20. At this point, there is no co-sponsor for it in the state Senate.

The bill, A10428, which was sent to the Assembly’s Education Committee, would amend the state’s Education Law and calls for the “prohibition of marksmanship and/or shooting programs in public schools” – a change that “shall take effect immediately.”

Rosenthal’s bill, covering “marksmanship and/or shooting programs,” includes “any competitive or recreational shooting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in using various types of ranged weapons, such as firearms and air gun, in forms such as handguns, rifles and shotguns and/or bows or crossbows.”

In her memo describing the need for the bill, Rosenthal wrote:

“Marksmanship programs in public schools were once popular, but a rise in gun violence and school shootings in recent years has spurred a long overdue. re-evaluation of their place in our students curriculum. A number of schools which still operate marksmanship programs do so through grants from the National Rifle Association, including Parkland, Fla. high school where a former student and marksmanship team member murdered 17 students and teachers in February 2018.

“In 1990, Congress passed the Gun Free School Zones Act to prohibit the possession of firearms on school grounds, but left exemptions for police officers and school security as well as students possessing firearms as part of an approved school program. Research shows that an increase in guns leads to an increase in gun injuries and deaths, whether intentional or not. To create a true, gun-free school zone we cannot allow students to possess and discharge firearms on school property.

“This bill would increase student safety by prohibiting public schools from offering marksmanship programs or other programs that allow students to possess and discharge firearms on school property.”

Notice how she tries to tie the marksmanship team at Parkland with the shooter? She fails to note that, had the school and police have done their jobs, he not only wouldn’t have had a place on the team, but he also wouldn’t have been able to buy a guy.

Through the years, countless kids have gone through various marksmanship programs at their schools. Parkland is the first known case where someone affiliated with those teams has done anything like this. Once again, though, the anti-gunners want to punish everyone for the act of a single individual.

And let’s not forget that the claim, “research shows that an increase in guns leads to an increase in gun injuries and deaths,” is bogus and based on faulty methodology. That study didn’t just look at lawful gun-owning households, but also included a fair number of criminals. These are people where yes, a gun was in the home, but its presence had nothing to do with the shooting that later followed.

Further, if you’re worried about gun safety, why on Earth would you make it more difficult for a kid to learn how to handle a firearm in a safe manner?

Of course, it’s not about safety. It’s about thinking guns are icky and wanting nothing to do with them while at the same time, wanting to signal that you’re a good little Democrat.