SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 10
(By Senators Manchin, Tomblin, Mr. President, Chafin, Craigo,
Wooton, Jackson, Wagner, Helmick, Walker, Schoonover, Love,
Grubb, Deem, Dugan, Minear, Dittmar, Bowman, Scott, Bailey,
Boley, Plymale, Miller, Buckalew, Yoder, Blatnik, Whitlow,
Oliverio, Ross, Kimble, Sharpe, Wiedebusch and Anderson)
Encouraging school systems in West Virginia to adopt the "Eddie
Eagle Gun Safety Program" of the national rifle association
and commending the national rifle association for the
development of this program.
Whereas, Teaching children to act safely around firearms is
a critical step in the ongoing effort to reduce the number of
firearm-related accidents among children; and
Whereas, Each year the national rifle association, with the
assistance of more than twenty-five thousand national rifle
association certified firearms instructors, trains more than
seven hundred fifty thousand people in safe, responsible firearm
ownership; and
Whereas, It is the belief of the Legislature and of the
national rifle association that such training efforts are, to a
major degree, responsible for the dramatic decline in gun-related
accidents among children fourteen years of age and younger; and
Whereas, The "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" teaches the fundamentals of firearms safety to children in an effective and
enjoyable way, communicating to them the lifesaving message
offered by the program: "If you see a gun: STOP! DON'T TOUCH.
LEAVE THE AREA. TELL AN ADULT."; and
Whereas, The "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" is a
nationally recognized firearms safety program that has reached
over six million children since 1988; and
Whereas, The "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" was developed
by educators to present a balanced, factual message and neither
encourages nor discourages gun ownership; and
Whereas, The "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" was awarded
the 1993 outstanding community service award of the national
safety council; and
Whereas, The "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" was awarded
the golden achievement award in 1994 by the national school
public relations association; and
Whereas, The American legion passed a resolution in 1994
recognizing the importance of the "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety
Program" and encourages its posts and departments to introduce
the gun safety curriculum to elementary schools and law-
enforcement agencies; and
Whereas, The Legislature encourages civic and community
service organizations which are concerned about the safety and
well-being of the children of our state to help provide funding
for the "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" at the local level;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the members of this body encourage the promotion of the
national rifle association's "Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" to
help prevent firearm-related accidents and commend the national
rifle association for its diligence and service in developing
this program and making it available for use in our communities;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby
requested to forward a copy of this resolution to the state
superintendent of schools, who is encouraged to make this
information available to local school systems, and to the
department of education as a formal expression of the sentiment
of the Legislature.