Kansas Tops Brady List for “Crazy Gun Laws”

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence appears to be doing anything to get in the news. This week several news outlets are reporting that Kansas tops the list for “Craziest Gun Laws.” The rational for this list is actually what is crazy.

It seems that Governor Sam Brownback signed into law a bill that prevents concealed-carry permit holders from taking guns into any building that posts no-gun sign on its door. The Brady Bunch then noted that this means that concealed-carry permit holders could carry guns into K-12 schools if they don’t post the sign.

This is absolutely absurd, but typical of the Brady Campaign. It follows their usual logic that a criminal might somehow read the law, which states that guns can’t be brought into a school and thus not bring in a gun. But we what is crazy is to think that Brady Campaign might believe what it says.

Gun in Truck Could Result in Expulsion for Honor Student

An honor student at Columbia Falls High School in Montana could face expulsion. The student reportedly went hunting over the Thanksgiving holiday and inadvertently left a rifle in the truck, which was parked on school grounds.

The first twist here is that the student is 16-year old female honor student Demarie DeReu, a member of student council and varsity cheerleader. Usually these stories involve boys, not girls so obviously this story will likely draw additional media attention given the student’s gender.

The other twist is that DeReu actually turned herself in. DeReu, according to the report from KXLH, reported that the gun was in the truck to school officials. She did so after learning that a contraband dog would be in the parking lot, and this supposedly made her remember the gun.

Did she make a mistake? Absolutely, but should she face expulsion. No, especially since she actually reported the gun to school officials. We realize that many schools have enacted a “zero tolerance” policy in the wake of school shootings, but this is policy often makes zero sense.

“Controversial Gun Shop” And it Isn’t Even Open For Business

TMJ4 in Milwaukee offered a story on how the town of West Allis won’t “prevent future gun stores from opening near schools.” The story’s intro offered this biased take on the situation:

“A controversial gun shop is right across the street from a school and is expected to open in the next couple of weeks.”

So what made the store “controversial” exactly? Did they hand out guns to kids on Halloween, did they lure small children into the basement? No, the controversy is that the store is across the street from a school. With this sort of mood, soon gun stores may be forced to the edge of town next to the adult book store.

Gun Store Near School – Won’t Somebody Think of the Children

When reading a story from Milwaukee’s 620 WTMJ Newsradio’s website today, we couldn’t help but think of Helen Lovejoy, the fictional minister’s wife from TV’s The Simpsons. Anytime she there is anything that upsets her she lets loose with her trademark tagline, “won’t somebody think of the children.” That’s the sentiment from a handful of people interviewed in the story that notes that an empty storefront would soon open as a gun store.

Parents were quoted in the article as saying, “I just think it’s very dangerous,” and “I don’t even let my daughter play with toy guns.” The piece of course didn’t note that whether the neighborhood is safe in general, or whether there have even been any shootings in the area.

Of course the most insulting comment is one from the West Milwaukee School Superintendent Kurt Wachholz who offered, “What won’t occur is the ability to control the clientele that comes in and out of the building.” What does this even mean? Does Mr. Wachholz think less of those who go to a gun store? It certainly seems that the parents, superintendent and writer of this piece have some pretty serious preconceived notions.

Toy Gun Considered “Class ‘A’ Weapons”

Samuel Burgos was expelled from school reports CNN.com. He was expelled for bringing a “Class ‘A’ Weapon” to school. From the surface it sounds like another Columbine was averted. But the case is far more complex as the CNN story notes.

First, in Florida, where the zero tolerance policy places any item that fires a projectile as a “Class ‘A’ Weapons, even toy guns can end up in this class instead of (rightfully) a class of their own. Samuel Burgos only brought a toy gun to school. Second, he’s 8 years old! He had placed a toy gun in his backpack over a weekend, forgot about it and brought it to school. This was discovered, reported to the school board and he’s been kicked out of school. The parents were offered the chance to send Samuel to an alternative school for at risk kids.

This is the level of absurdity that we’ve reached in this country. Yes, it could be considered inappropriate to bring a toy gun to school. But to suspend a child, and potentially destroy his entire education and in turn his life over an honest mistake is outrageous.

Toy Soldiers Banned in School

A student in Rhode Island wasn’t allowed to wear a camouflage hat to school, because he decked it out with toy soldiers – you know the type of toy soldiers that have been sold in this country for decades. The rational from the school reports The Associated Press was that the hat was banned “because it ran afoul of the district’s zero-tolerance weapons policy. Why? The toy soldiers were carrying tiny guns.”

Is this political correctness run amuck? We know that school officials need to draw the line somewhere, but either this year it was a toy plastic gun less than an inch long for one small boy, and now it is toy soldiers for another. This follows the peace grannies who want to see no “war toys” in any form. The sad part of all this is our understanding of history could be lost in the past, because like it or not war is part of our history and if you change that… we might not have a future.