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In case you missed the news, The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed Congress and
was signed by Biden last year after a string of mass shootings. Biden is using the BSCA to
withhold Federal Funds from schools with hunting programs. This includes Hunter Education,
Archery programs such as NASP (National Archery In The Schools Program), and S3DA
Archery, Rifle, or Trap Shooting Teams. As a result, this is blocking key federal funding
earmarked under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 for schools
with hunting and archery programs. If the Biden Administration gets its way this will be the end
of these programs in the schools. These programs teach responsibility and safety along with
providing opportunities for kids who want something different than the traditional sports like
football, soccer, basketball, etc..
I serve on the Indiana Hunter Education Association Board of Directors for district 3, and I
work as an instructor for Indiana Hunter Education, Indiana Trapper Education, NASP &
S3DA,and 4-H Shooting Sports with teaching disciplines in rifle, muzzleloader, shotgun, pistol,
archery, outdoor Skills, coordinator. I am also a lifetime member of the NRA. Let it be known I
am not speaking on behalf of or for any of the above listed programs, these are MY
PERSONAL VIEWS AND COMMENTS. I’m not speaking out about this for a paycheck, but
because we all volunteer our time and fuel to teaching, state tournaments, nationals and youth
camps. Here are some of the topics I am teaching youth and adult: how to handle firearms,
archery equipment, treestand safety, outdoor skills if you are injured or lost in the woods, hunter
education, wildlife conservation, responsible and ethical hunting, types of ammunition and its
uses, parts and types of firearms, parts of bows, archery equipment, hunter safety, and legal
hunting requirements.
The Biden Administration and Democrats in office show their ignorance every time they open
their mouths about gun control or school shootings and then the fake news takes off and parrots
the democrats narrative. How can you pass a law withholding funding when you are clueless of
what you're talking about? It’s like the Insurance company arguing with your doctor about not
authorizing a life saving treatment. These programs which Biden is wanting to cut Federal
Funding for is LIFE SAVING! It’s the difference between your child going hunting and coming
home safe and alive. Every year, I get to see a report of treestand injuries or deaths along with
accidental shootings/discharges while hunting. This information helps me become a better
Instructor to further teach the kids and adults to come home safe and injury free. If you keep a
kid from learning to wear a safety harness and attach it to a life line going in and out of the tree
stand, he may succumb to a treestand fall because most injuries happen going up and down
into the treestand. Every class, I tell the students not to pull a Vice President Dick Cheney
because if Dick Cheney sat through the class and paid attention in Hunter Education chapter 6
“Be A Safe Hunter,” he would not have shot his hunting buddy. Because we cover hunting in
groups, firearm carries, knowing at all times where members of your hunting party is, and safe
shooting zones, etc. However, Biden wants to remove these valuable lessons from your
children. Another example, I remember listening to the news during the 2020 riots in Kenosha
WI and watching the Rittenhouse trial where the prosecutor was calling Hollow points “exploding
bullets” instead of expanding bullets. Afterwards, the prosecutor, Thomas Binger, asked
Rittenhouse if Hollow points were used for deer hunting to which he replied ‘he didn’t think so.’
Instead, Rittenhouse used FMJ’s (full metal jackets). A confusion which could have been
alleviated had either of them attended a hunter education class since ammunition is discussed
in chapter 2 and its uses. These are just a few examples of the benefits of Hunter Education in
the school and trust me we could go even further. When taking a Hunter Education class, we try
to show every class a video titled “ The Last Shot” which is about a boy who went shooting with
his friend and did not follow the rules taught in his Hunter Education class – resulting in the
death of his friend. This video also demonstrates the damage that a .22 long rifle can do through
the perspective of the surgeon as he is trying to save the boy’s life.This short video usually
opens a lot of eyes too not just the kids, but the adults as well and has an emotional impact that
sticks with them for years because they all remember that video.
As I discussed at the beginning, not all kids are cut out or enjoy football/basketball and not all
those kids are getting college scholarships for college to play ball. But did you know NASP,
S3DA, Trap and Rifle get scholarships too?
In NASP, by being involved over the years working with kids and being a Lane Judge in
the State Tournament and the Eastern Nationals, I’ve got to witness some dedicated young
archers and some AMAZING kids overcoming some developmental challenges. For example,
NASP has bow holders built for students without fully developed arms so that they can pull the
string back with their teeth and still be able to aim and hit the target and participate. Or the
student who has anxiety to the point they are allowed to bring their working dog so they can
compete. We even have students shooting archery from wheelchairs, but Biden wants to take
this away from them. Now ask yourself, do any of the other sports in the school go this far to
include these students? Now not all schools will be affected as some are self funded, but most
schools depend on federal funding and will force the schools to eliminate these vital programs.
My 3 daughters all grew up around firearms, archery, and hunting. They started at 5 years of
age shooting both firearms and archery, they were 10 year shooting sports members, and then
they became Instructors for Hunter Education, 4-H Shooting Sports, and volunteers for NASP
events. We take kids who have never shot and teach them safety,discipline, and
marksmanship. The kids learn most accidents happen when cleaning a firearm and to always
check to see if it’s loaded. Not teaching kids these valuable safety lessons and more is far
worse than teaching them the safety and responsibility that goes with it. And who knows, they
could be our future instructors Passing It On.
I encourage you to contact your Congressman, Senator, and President Biden that you stand
with our kids and schools and not to stop the federal funding of these schools and to INSIST TO
PUT IT IN ALL OUR SCHOOLS across the U.S. and remind these politicians that they need to
work with us AND WE THE PEOPLE have the power to make change.
Thank You
Keith B. Steward