Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act
There has been little public support for the repeal of the Gun-Free School Zone Act other than from active gun groups and a few legislators. Most states (all but three) already had or have laws dealing with guns on school property which makes me wonder why the federal government continues to pass feel good legislation.
Some say, and I agree, that this law has done nothing to curb school shootings and violates the Constitution; specifically the 10th amendment verses the Commerce Clause, which was used to rule the previous 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act unconstitutional.
Many concerned legislators and citizens argue that schools are safer and that's all that matters.
However, the continued erosion of our legal precepts by groups that apply this Machiavellian approach to enforcement worries me. Our laws protect our individual freedoms and those guaranteed by our founding principles are being lost a little at a time.
Two states have challenged the Gun-Free School Zones law arguing that teachers and administration personal should be allowed to carry concealed weapons if they have undergone the back ground check and training required. The idea that our schools are known "soft targets" must have had some impact in the various school shootings from Columbine to Virginia Tech. Don't get me wrong... I don't want untrained teachers and principals walking around with a concealed or holstered six shooter. I don't want parents picking up their kids with AR-15's strapped to their backs but I don't have a problem with a former navy seal, now 4th grade teacher, carrying a concealed SIG Sauer 9mm.
Is this law effective? If it’s not effective get rid of it. It would seem that many legislators and anti-gun supporters don't want to know or don't care. For me it’s clear that teachers, staff and children following the law are at risk while criminals and the mentally ill do what they have done over and over and no law or feel good legislation is ever going to change this.
