NYC Lawmaker Proposes Ban on Archery and Sport Shooting in CNY Schools

A New York Assemblywoman is proposing legislation that would ban archery, shooting, and marksmanship from public schools.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who represents a legislative district in Manhattan, is the sole sponsor of Assembly Bill 10428, which seeks to "amend the education law...prohibiting marksmanship programs in New York State public schools."

Rosenthal says, in the memo attached to the bill, "marksmanship programs in public schools were once popular, but a rise in gun violence and school shootings in recent years has spurred a long-overdue reevaluation of their place in our students' curriculum. A number of schools which still operate marksmanship programs do so throughgrants from the National Rifle Association, including the Parkland, FL, high school where a former student and marksmanship team member murdered 17 students and teachers in February 2018."

Of course, the majority of these types of programs are conducted in upstate New York school districts, according to data collected by NYUpstate.com. While Rosenthal argues that this legislation will ultimately makes schools safer "by prohibiting public schools from offering marksmanship programs or other programs that allow students to possess and discharge firearms on school property," the argument could certainly be made that, here, in Central New York, careful and thorough training on gun usage would INCREASE safety - not decrease it.

In fact, CNY had an Olympian - Maddie Phaneuf from Old Forge - whose event included target shooting. On top of that, does a Manhattan legislator really understand that archery and marksmanship are serious sports in CNY? It's not dodge ball with weapons. 

What do you think?

BONUS VIDEO: