Experts Warn Defunding School Hunting And Archery Programs Will Contribute To Mental Health Crisis

31.07.2023 - 21:17 / forbes.com

As America faces a storm of geopolitical threats, endures a flood of fentanyl streaming across a largely open southern border—now killing some 100,000 Americans annually, wrestles with soaring inflation, and experiences unmitigated crime in many of our largest cities, the Biden Administration’s recent move to defund schools that offer hunter safety and archery programs has many questioning President Biden’s priorities. The administration seems to be misfiring on many cylinders and, not surprisingly, Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to plummet. “It’s right up there with jock itch,” recently quipped Senator John Kennedy.

The administration is twisting the intent of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) passed last year—with the help of 15 Republican Senators voting in favor—and the Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, has moved to block funding from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to schools that offer hunter education and archery programs. BSCA prohibits ESEA funds from being used to provide training in the use of a, “dangerous weapon.”

Two Republican Senators, John Cornyn (TX) and Thom Tillis (NC) who voted in favor of BSCA, are now reacting to pressure from constituents and recently sent a letter to Secretary Cardona, cautioning him that his department has misinterpreted the intent of BSCA.

“The Department mistakenly believes that the BSCA precludes funding these enrichment programs [hunter safety and archery],” the Senators wrote.

The law of unintended consequences (presumably at least those of the Republican Senators), however, prevailed and now many sportsmen and women view the administration’s move as a backdoor attack on the nation’s hunting and recreational shooting traditions and heritage.

Worse, many psychological health experts are warning that removing such programs that encourage outdoor activities will add to the nation’s mental health epidemic. In a recent Pew study, 70 percent of teens say anxiety and depression are major problems. A 2021 CDC report concluded that nearly one in three high school aged students reported having seriously considered suicide.

A recent medical report credits extracurricular activities for helping instill a sense of belonging, improved social development, opportunities to develop leadership skills, cooperation, and peer interaction—key antidotes to widespread feelings of anxiety and depression among our youth. The report went on to add, “Extracurricular activities focused on kids during the time of transition from middle childhood to early adolescence created higher levels of peer belonging, a sense then carried into adolescence.”

For Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, “Children need to be outdoors, in nature, partly