At a time when more youth are falling victim to gunfire, one state legislator is proposing gun education classes for youth to curb violence.
At a time when more youth are falling victim to gunfire, one state legislator is proposing gun education classes for youth to curb violence.
State Rep. Annazette Collins, D-10th Dist., whose district covers portions of the West Side, has long advocated for schools to provide gun education classes just as they do sex education.
“A long time ago I can remember when there were gun competitions held at Chicago Public Schools,” Collins told the Defender. “When I was growing up children used to start getting trained (on) how to use a gun for hunting purposes at age 5.”
Collins, 48, a former federal correctional officer, said Black youth do not really understand guns and they are more fascinated with them than anything else, which is why schools should provide gun education to them by the first grade.
“If you take away the mystery of guns from kids they are less likely to go purchase a gun,” she explained. “Downstate kids do not shoot each other up because they learned about guns growing up. So they know how to clean guns, how to properly load guns and how to safely store them. Our kids are not taught this so they go learn on their own and the end result is Black-on-Black crime.”
In Chicago it is illegal to own a handgun but gun advocates have appealed the city’s ordinance and the measure is expected to go before the U.S. Supreme Court soon. Collins suggested the legal age to purchase a handgun in Illinois should be lowered to 18 from 21.
“The right to bare arms is protected by the U.S. Constitution,” Collins said. “I am not saying it is okay for anyone to own a gun or we should allow our youth to purchase guns. But if we educate our youth about guns then it could curtail the senseless killings taking place.”
Youth violence is not about guns, according to Collins, a former Chicago Public Schools and Department of Children and Family Services worker. “If they have killing on their minds, they will kill.”
And with so much talk about gun education and the right to bare arms, Collins admits she does not like guns.
“I previously worked at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, a federal prison, so I did my time working around guns,” she said. “However, I do feel a person should be able to protect their home so there are times when a gun is needed.”
Collins is not only busy promoting gun education, she is gearing up to replace U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-7th, who is running for Cook County Board president. His congressional district includes Collins’ district so she said working in Congress would be a natural fit.
“Many of his (Danny Davis’) constituents are also my constituents so I would be serving the same core group only on a larger scale,” the Chicago State alumnae explained.
Collins, who has been a state legislator since 1999, is expected to face several challengers for the seat including fellow state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-8th Dist., and state Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-5th, who is also considering a run for lieutenant governor.
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