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It seemed crazy to me when I first learned that “gun-free zones” really were not free of guns.

Apparently, while many school sports administrators and officials hustled to replace blank-shooting starter pistols with different kinds of devices for signaling the start of races at cross country, swimming and track events, state laws were carving out exceptions to allow other people to carry guns into those very same events.

Now there’s an effort by some to trade a ban on “open carry” in exchange for permission to carry concealed weapons onto school grounds.

We’re proud to know our colleagues at the Michigan Association of School Boards and the Michigan Association of School Administrators and the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals are all saying “No” to any such deal.

I suspect that many of those very same school board members, superintendents and principals are gun owners. But they also seem to appreciate that “gun-free” should mean what it says; that except for law enforcement personnel in the exercise of their official duties, guns have no place in our schools or at school events.

Posted in: Health & Safety

Comments

chapmaja@yahoo.com
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 2:34 PM
I have to STRONGLY disagree with the stance taken in this editorial piece.

I for one, being both a teacher and an official would much rather have someone carrying a concealed weapon on school property than open carrying a weapon. I would also much rather have someone carrying a concealed weapon than have these idiotic gun free zones that we currently have.

The real meaning of "gun free zone" is EASY TARGET ZONE. Why? Any idiot (and most criminals are), knows that a gun free zone will not have anyone equipped to defend the people in that location. If schools allow concealed weapons, it will end the idea that schools are defense free zones, which are really what gun free zones are.

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From the Director

From the Director is the official MHSAA Blog which will touch on pertinent school sports topics periodically throughout the school year from various MHSAA Staff.