00 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 27                                                                                      
01 Relating to support for the National Rifle Association's gun safety program for                                         
02 children.                                                                                                               
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04  WHEREAS our children regularly face situations in the home, and in other children's                                    
05 homes, that could place them in potential danger if they are ignorant of the hazards; and                               
06  WHEREAS these hazards are many and serious, including unsupervised swimming                                            
07 pools, power tools, household chemicals, and electrical appliances; and                                                 
08  WHEREAS parents and educators across the country realize that children should be                                       
09 taught responsible ways to deal with potentially hazardous household objects and situations;                            
10 and                                                                                                                     
11  WHEREAS education programs for our children on these common hazards should be                                          
12 available in schools and, in fact, programs such as bicycle safety, fire safety, and traffic safety                     
13 are already integrated into the curriculum of many schools; and                                                         
14  WHEREAS 70,000,000 law-abiding Americans own and keep firearms in their homes,                                         
01 and unsupervised children may encounter these firearms; and                                                             
02  WHEREAS the National Rifle Association (NRA) has developed the innovative and                                          
03 straightforward NRA gun safety program that leaves children with this simple message: "If                               
04 you see a gun, leave it alone, don't touch it, tell an adult."; and                                                     
05  WHEREAS the NRA is recognized widely as the authority in teaching gun safety and                                       
06 marksmanship, having trained millions of Americans through training and marksmanship                                    
07 courses, Police Athletic Leagues, gun clubs, scout troops, 4-H programs, and American Legion                            
08 posts for more than a century; and                                                                                      
09  WHEREAS the NRA Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program was developed by educators                                              
10 to present a balanced, factual message and neither encourages nor discourages gun ownership;                            
11 and                                                                                                                     
12  WHEREAS the NRA Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program has been endorsed by                                                    
13 educators and law enforcement officers; and                                                                             
14  WHEREAS teachers and police departments in 42 states already have implemented                                          
15 the gun safety program in some elementary schools;                                                                      
16  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature endorses the NRA Eddie Eagle                                          
17 Gun Safety Program and recommends that state and local education officials implement this                               
18 worthwhile program in the schools as soon as possible.                                                                  
19  COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Jerry Covey, commissioner                                     
20 of education; the Honorable Richard L. Burton, commissioner of public safety; and to the                                
21 superintendent of each school system in the state.