Education is important, it allows people to make informed decisions concerning potentially dangerous things. Right now people are waging war over the internet to get rid of outdated and incorrect abstinence-only sex-ed. Their efforts have led to new laws and curriculum's being approved to ensure that students learn safer sex practices and to avoid STDs.

But there's something else students aren't learning about in school, something that could be lethal if someone doesn't have the proper education: gun safety.

With around one firearm per person in the population the average American will come into contact with several firearms in their lives. Video games and movies have taught children that you point a firearm then pull the trigger and bam, the good guy wins. What a child sees when they find a firearm isn't the same as what an adult sees. Almost one hundred children a year die because of accidents involving firearms, most of them are situations where unsupervised children has stumbled across a firearm.

While the number of children who accidentally shoot themselves or others has been declining, it is still far too many. If children were taught even the most basic gun safety instead of this "ignore it and it won't happen" philosophy many parents and school districts currently hold, future tragedies can be avoided. The NRA is one of the leaders in childhood gun safety with their Eddie Eagle GunSafe program. The program teaches children what to do if they come across a firearm.

1. STOP

2. DONT'T TOUCH

3. LEAVE THE AREA

4. TELL AN ADULT

From the Eddie Eagle coloring book

Since the NRA introduced their program childhood firearm deaths have gone down dramatically(over 70%) in the areas where children have taken the class.

While there are many who don't like the thought of their children being anywhere near the NRA Eddie Eagle is not a gun advocate and the results of the program are undeniable. Eddie is never shown handling or touching a firearm at all as an example to the children that guns are not playthings.

No matter your opinion on the NRA the work they do to ensure child firearm safety is important. The thousands of volunteers across the country who strive to end child firearm accidents organize frequent sessions to teach children, and where it is taught it is effective. By exposing more children to the program or other similar gun safety courses the tragedy of childhood firearm accidents can be avoided. Volenteers and police departments are already ready to teach children, all you have to do is ask your local school board to include this potentally life saving training for children in your area.