This article was printed from KeepAndBearArms.com.
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The concern about violence in public schools
has quickly turned into hysteria. Fanned by politicians, notably President
Clinton, and the media, what may have begun as misguided but reasonable
concerns over safety has ignited into an implacable and unreasoned hatred of
guns, or indeed anything that looks like a weapon. Across the nation, those
entrusted with the care of children have transformed firearms into a symbol of
menace and evil, attempting to purge guns from the consciousness of kids, even
when all admit doing so would in no way improve safety.
I had a firsthand glimpse of the hysteria last fall, when I took my four boys to the
Yale University Health Service for their annual medical checkups. Prominently
displayed posters on the walls warned about having handguns in the home. Along
with the normal questions about medical histories, the nurse practitioner asked
us whether we owned guns and whether they were locked up or loaded. Her tone
made it clear she disapproved of our answers, and she was unmoved by the fact
that the Centers for Disease Control could only identify 21 children under age
15 dying from accidental handgun deaths in 1996. But the hospital had no signs
warning parents about 5-gallon water buckets, in which 40 children under the
age of 5 drown every year, or about bathtubs, which claim 80 lives. No
questions were asked about whether we kept our buckets stored away or our
bathroom doors locked.
Yet the hysteria Americans may face when they walk into their pediatrician's
offices pales when compared to what is going on in our schools. Under a
"zero tolerance" policy, students face suspension or expulsion for
even carrying around pictures of guns or other weapons. Students ranging from
elementary school to college have even been expelled for even bringing water
pistols to school, though no one believes brightly colored plastic water gun
can be confused with a firearm.
On Tuesday, Jesse Jackson entered the fray again
by asking the Illinois state legislature to limit the zero tolerance penalties
imposed by local school boards. He believes these rules have primarily impacted
black students, though he claims this is not a racial issue: "Eventually,
whites who are victims of this will join in great numbers, too."Take some examples that have all occured during just the last few months:
One city councilman was so worried that the punishment would discourage students
from reporting any weapons to the proper authorities that he raised a $500 reward
for the suspended student who reported the gun.
What Mr. Varis found most disconcerting is that people's minds simply "shut down"
when he came to talking about safety measures for school attacks. Mr. Varis is
puzzled by the hostile reaction to even asking about what policies might save
the most lives. He is also worried that signs in front of schools proclaiming
the area a gun-free zone are a "sheer idiocy. When you translate the sign
it says that risk-free zone for a perpetrator."
Mr. Varis'
resignation has not stemmed the hysteria. Some parents are now trying to revoke
his pension
By demonizing a broad class of objects,
anti-gun activists are swinging the debate away from facts and that guns on net
save lives. Given the recent hysteria
over guns, it is hard to believe federal law has prohibited guns within 1,000
feet of a school since 1995. Yet even supporters of this law will be
hard-pressed to claim it has produced the desired results. Indeed, that may be
what started the hysteria. Rooting out guns has become an end unto itself.
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