Obviously with the upcoming presidential election, there are a lot of pressing issues that are being addressed, and among those issues, as always, is gun control. Our Second Amendment states that the people have the right to keep and bear arms, and that right shall not be infringed. Some argue that guns are violent and unnecessary, and while I strongly disagree, I do see that side of the argument. People are shot every day, whether it be a result of violent crime, mental instability, or an “accident.”. But while people fight against the amendment that “shall not be infringed,” the National Rife Association is fighting harder and has been since beginning to lobby some forty plus years ago. I’m well aware of the issues that are argued in this not so recent debate, but I was not aware that some people feel that we do not have the right to advocate for the NRA, an organization that has been trying to protect our rights as citizens and even goes as far to educate people on the importance of gun safety.

I was recently on Facebook and I came across this article: http://bearingarms.com/jenn-j/2016/05/26/michigan-high-school-student-targeted-nra-shirt/

It’s titled “Michigan High School Student Targeted Over NRA Shirt.” Are you kidding? If you didn’t read the article, it basically says that the captain of Flushing High School’s Skeet Shooting Team wore an NRA shirt to school and the assistant principal had an issue with it. She said that the shirt was inappropriate and “it promotes weapons and violence.” This statement is entirely inaccurate. It’s comparable to saying that a student can’t wear a shirt that supports a LGBT organization, and this prohibition would go against the First Amendment. Who is this assistant principal to say that a student can’t exercise their right given to them in the Constitution of the United States? As far as I’m concerned, she and the school have no right to take this kid out of class for representing a national organization that supports our Constitution. As mentioned in the article, Flushing High School’s Student Handbook does say that “clothing advocating/displaying the use of illegal substances, weapons, discrimination, or violence” is prohibited. However, that rule can be interpreted in different ways.

The NRA does support the use of firearms, but never have they promoted weapons or violence. That may sound like a contradictory statement to some, but bear with me. A gun is not a weapon. Yes, it can be used as one, but what about a baseball bat? A hammer? Or how about something as simple as a butter knife or even the car you drive every day? Essentially anything can be used as a weapon if someone is in poor enough of a mental state to use an inanimate object in a harmful way. Guns are tools that are used for target shooting (which, might I add, is a youth, high school, collegiate, and Olympic sport) and hunting, which my family and many others across the United States consider to be a method of providing the food that we eat. Along with target shooting and hunting, guns are a part of tradition and legacy in plenty of families throughout the country, including my own. Guns are without a doubt misused and it is sad to see the shootings and “accidents” that occur so frequently, but those issues lie within mental health problems and citizens not being responsible and educated. The counterargument I often hear goes along the lines of “but if nobody is allowed to have guns, all of these issues won’t exist.” Since when do criminals abide by laws? And there’s also this thing called the Black Market that will boost like crazy as soon as firearms are banned. It’s just ignorant to assume that stricter laws will prevent crime and time should really be spent enforcing the current laws and doing something about the mental health issues in this country.

As for the gun “accidents,” there is no accident to be had. Think about it, every time a kid gets a gun and unintentionally shoots somebody, is it an accident? No, they obviously pulled the trigger. The incident happened because of the carelessness of a parent not locking up their gun, leaving it loaded, and not teaching their children how to properly handle a firearm. You don’t just accidentally load a gun and pull the trigger; accidents happen because people fail to take the proper precautionary measures or they forget about the power of a firearm and its capabilities. If you know anything about shooting sports, you would know that the captain of Flushing’s Skeet Team has been trained to handle his shotgun with care and with strong regard to safety. Or, on the other hand, if you knew anything about the NRA, you would know that the organization promotes gun safety while simultaneously preserving our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and just like the school, they’re against using firearms for violence.

The obvious solution to limiting the issues that arise with the presence of firearms is education. Isn’t that what the NRA is trying to do? It is absolutely infuriating that people like Flushing’s assistant principal have the audacity to take the time out of a student’s school day because they believe that an NRA shirt promotes weapons and violence. That is nothing more than a sign of her under-education on what the association actually stands for and does for this country. As I said before, the NRA has lobbied for gun rights for over forty years, but they’ve also pushed for further education for almost one hundred and fifty years, which is not a bad thing, no matter how you look at it. I’m a proud captain of my collegiate shooting team and a proud supporter and member of the National Rifle Association. I’m also incredibly proud of this high school student for standing up for our First and Second Amendments and having enough education and courage to back his argument against the ignorance of his assistant principal and school.

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed it ourselves.”

Essentially what Flushing High School is saying is that it isn’t okay to wear a t-shirt that represents our country and our incredible freedoms that make the United States the country that it is. I don’t know what this country is coming to, but it sounds to me like we’re on the path to destroying everything that our founding fathers worked for, not to mention what so many men and women have selflessly fought and died for.