With the number of school shootings exploding since the passage of federal legislation banning gun possession near schools, a group of constitutionalist legislators is moving to repeal the federal “Gun-Free School Zone” law.
U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) re-introduced this week the “Safe Students Act,” (H.R. 2502) which repeals the “Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990,” eliminating the “one-size-fits-all” federal ban on guns in school zones and allowing state and local governments and school boards to set their own firearms policies.
Originally introduced by Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) in 2007, it would repeal the 1990 law making it “unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.”
A version of the bill introduced in 2014 by then-Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) noted that “in the 22 years prior to enactment of the ‘Gun Free School Zones Act’ there were two school shootings in which four or more people were intentionally murdered in a short period of time, and in the 22 years after the enactment of the ‘Gun Free School Zones Act’ there have been 10 such school shootings.”
“Gun-free zones are ineffective and make our schools less safe. Since 1950, 94 percent of mass public shootings have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns,” said Massie. “Banks, churches, sports stadiums, and many of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms. Yet children inside the classroom are too frequently left vulnerable.”
“The only thing gun-free zones do is disarm law-abiding citizens and take away their ability to protect themselves and others. We shouldn’t leave our most vulnerable – our children – in an unsafe environment like gun-free zones where acts of violence cannot be stopped,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC).
“So-called ‘gun free’ school zones have left our children utterly defenseless,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. “Instead of ‘protecting’ our kids with a tin sign, let’s defend them with something that makes a difference: a good guy with a gun. We’re proud to support the Safe Students Act and we’re lobbying everyone in Congress to join as a co-sponsor. It’s time to protect America’s most precious resource: our kids.”
“GOA staunchly advocates for the repeal of the Gun-Free School Zones Act, which disarms parents and staff, and more importantly, leaves schools significantly less protected as soft targets for those looking to commit violence,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, Gun Owners of America. “The federal government has no business dictating where law-abiding citizens carry arms in public, and prohibiting firearms in schools has certainly not yielded the outcome then Senator Biden and the 101st Congress thought it would.”
“We all agree that protecting our children is a priority,” said Dianna Muller, Founder of the DC Project, Women for Gun Rights. “The DC Project fully supports the Safe Students Act and applauds Congressman Massie and his colleagues for their leadership to ensure parents and teachers can lawfully carry and protect our kids.”
“More than three decades of evidence since the passage of the ‘Gun-Free School Zones Act’ shows us that those who wish to do harm to others specifically target schools because they know everyone there is a sitting duck. These ‘gun-free zones’ don’t work, they empower criminals and endanger students, teachers, and staff,” said Patrick Parsons of The American Firearms Association.
Original cosponsors of the “Safe Students Act” include: Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Eric Burlison (R-MO), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Bob Good (R-VA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Mary Miller (R-IL), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Barry Moore (R-AL), Scott Perry (R-PA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Matt Rosendale (R-MT) and Chip Roy (R-TX).
Rep. Massie and Rep. Boebert co-chair the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus in the 118th Congress.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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It is about time someone does something to protect the children in the schools. With the “gun free zone law” they are sitting ducks for any cowardly pervert to do his/her dastardly deeds without fear of any repercussions. Train and arm any teacher or staff willing to carry.
This issue continues to go on and off, on and off. Proving itself that gun free zones are a disaster. Outlaws will infiltrate guns and drugs in the US of A through our porous borders. And everybody knows who is going to get them.
It is time and far past time for this.
Hooray Yes & Replace Gun Acess Zone
Or Gun Zone
To you burned-out roaches left over from the 60s and your snowflake children. Just because you put a new label on something. It changes nothing especially when you are letting the criminal element go free to do it again. You disgust me and will always be = fAr OuT {*j*}
A so called gun free zone has NEVER stopped a criminal from carrying a gun. Why should there be one to stop a good guy from returning fire?