Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY-4) is pushing a repeal of the Gun-Free School Zone Act (GFSZA) in hopes that it may finally be done away with under President Donald Trump.
Efforts to repeal the act were originally undertaken by former Congressman Ron Paul. Massie’s push marks the third attempt to repeal the law.
Under the auspices of the GFSZA, public school mass shootings have been plentiful. The act was passed in 1990 and signed by President George H. W. Bush. In its wake a horrified nation has witnessed Columbine (April 20, 1999), Santana High School (March 5, 2001), Rocori High School (September 24, 2003), Red Lake Senior High School (March 21, 2005), Platte Canyon High School (September 27, 2006), Sandy Hook (December 14, 2012), Sparks Middle School (March 21, 2013), Arapahoe High School (December 13, 2013), and many others.
In fact, ABC News reports that 141 students were “killed in a mass murder or attempted mass murder at a school since Columbine” alone.
In light of the myriad slaughters of unarmed innocents, Representative Massie seeks to remove any federal barrier to teachers and staff being armed for defense of themselves and their students. Massie’s bill H.R. 34 is named the Safe Students Act.
Massie’s office put out a press release in which he observed, “Gun-free school zones are ineffective. They make people less safe by inviting criminals into target-rich, no-risk environments. Gun-free zones prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves, and create vulnerable populations that are targeted by criminals.”
The Safe Students Act is backed by the NRA, Gun Owners of America, and the National Association for Gun Rights.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.