So public schools can't do it, but private schools can?

[fireheart17]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/school...-1226484105490

Basically a few Queensland schools have come under fire for allowing their students to take part in shooting programs. Bearing in mind that this is done at a range, under strict supervision and in a controlled environment.

Apparently public schools shouldn't be allowed to do it, because there's a risk of "Columbine occurring in Australia." (I did make a comment which called them out on that)

Yet, there are a few private schools which are providing it, plus army cadets allow shooting programs to occur. I would bet that a few public school students would take part in it.

This sort of makes me a bit stabby, but not for the reasons relating to gun control. Basically, the article seems to imply that private school students are too "cultured" to consider shooting other students and that public school students are feral, crass and would probably shoot to kill if given a gun.

[Duelist925]

My dad taught me to shoot by the time I was twelve. All it meant was I wasn't friggan stupid around guns--I never played with them, because Id been taught better.

I friggan hate thoughts like that...just knowing how to use a firearm isnt going to cause a columbine incident. Hell, just means they'll know how to safely use firearms. COlumbine and the like are caused by far more pervasive and hard to control issues. -_-

And the thought that public school students are somehow more barbaric than private schooled is insulting.

[Hyena Dandy]

I don't see that implication, could you point it out to me?

[fireheart17]

And the thought that public school students are somehow more barbaric than private schooled is insulting.

It actually does piss me off a fair bit....especially given that a friend of mine went to a public school and holds his firearm licence. He knows how to use a gun safely. Ironically, a girl that I knew from my former workplace went to the private school near my house. She now works as a barmaid and is one of the most crass people I know. (She also does some part-time modelling for an adult store...)

[fireheart17]

I don't see that implication, could you point it out to me?

If you read through the article, you'll see that the police and several other government bodies are slamming the public schools for offering the program, yet nobody is complaining about the fact that said public school students can join army cadets and learn how to shoot, or that private schools offer the program.

If you're referring to the Columbine implication, that's what I pointed out...

[Hyena Dandy]

See, I don't quite get that as an implication, because I suspect the questions weren't phrased as "Should public schools?" But "Should schools?" This is the first time it's really made the news, likely because it's the first time anyone has complained. If Australia is like the US then the Australian government has way less power over Private School activity than it does over Public. For the most part, I'm seeing people saying "There shouldn't be guns in our schools" not "There shouldn't be guns in THESE PARTICULAR schools." I think all the complaints about guns at schools are kind of inherently aimed at all schools. I don't see many saying 'this specific' school.

Edit: To me this seems like people are being asked "Should (school X) do this" and people are responding "Certainly not!" I suspect that if they were told "Well, did you know "School Y already does it?" they'd be thinking "They shouldn't do that either!" Not, "Well, it's okay, it was School Y!"

[fireheart17]

Edit: To me this seems like people are being asked "Should (school X) do this" and people are responding "Certainly not!" I suspect that if they were told "Well, did you know "School Y already does it?" they'd be thinking "They shouldn't do that either!" Not, "Well, it's okay, it was School Y!"

I'll post up the link to the Queensland version of our local paper, which has about 200+ comments about this. Same article, but the comments are along the same lines. Nobody has a problem with the private schools or army cadets doing it. It's the public schools that are being slammed.

[BlaqueKatt]

See, I don't quite get that as an implication, because I suspect the questions weren't phrased as "Should public schools?" But "Should schools?"

It's possible FireHeart17 sees the implication due to being part of the culture being discussed, while we as outsider can't see it because we're used to a different culture and different media baises(the difference may be subtle enough that we don't see them but FireHeart17 does)

And bringing up that some public schools are thinking about doing something that private schools have been doing for a while with an OMG!-type headline, I can see a subtle undertone of "this didn't bother a mention for years, until the plebes started considering it."