A group representing gun owners says a "social bias" against firearms was behind a decision by the University of Massachusetts to nix a 4-H youth program that teaches competitive shooting sports.
A university center runs Massachusetts 4-H. University officials tell the Hampshire Gazette they decided against the program because they wanted to develop a broader youth development initiative that includes instruction in hunting and fishing.
Some version of the 4-H shooting sports program is offered in every state except Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Supporters say it emphasizes safety.
The head of The Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts, Jim Wallace, says the program would not have cost UMass anything and would have served more than 1,000 young people. He says UMass has a bias against "gun-owning families and their children."
