The United States' relationship with guns is deeply rooted in its culture in a way that is unimaginable in other countries. So much so, that in Tennessee, a state governed by Republicans, children starting at the age of five will begin taking safety classes in gun handling. This state has become the first in the USA to pass such a law.
In 2024, the state legislature approved a bill that mandates these courses, which will start being taught in public schools at the beginning of the new academic year, at the end of summer.
The State Department of Education published guidelines stating that students aged five to eight should, for example, be able to distinguish between a fake and a real gun.
It added that they should also learn to "demonstrate a responsible attitude towards firearms" and identify parts of a gun, such as the trigger, barrel, or muzzle.
The course will be annual and mandatory for students until they finish high school.
Supporters of the class say it is a way to respond to school shootings, which are tragically common in the United States, where there are more guns than people.
Tennessee is the first state to pass a law mandating gun safety classes for children, although Utah and Arkansas have also recently passed similar laws.
State guidelines do not specify how educators should teach this material or how long the course should last, they only indicate that instructors should not use "real ammunition, live fire, or real guns," and that they should be "neutral in their viewpoint on political issues."
School authorities may invite police or public health experts to help teach this class.
Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teenagers in the United States, according to the country's public health officials.
Last week, a heavily armed attacker killed two children and injured 14 others in a Catholic church attached to a school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Three adults were also injured.
The United States has the highest rate of gun violence deaths of any developed country.