"The U.S. Department of Justice's own research (http://NCJRS.org/pdffiles/urdel.pdf) has shown that boys who own legal firearms have much lower rates of delinquency and drug use than those who possess guns illegally. The legal gun owners are even slightly less delinquent than boys who do not own guns. ... As opportunities to learn about firearms dwindle, so do opportunities to learn the virtues inherent in responsible gun ownership. Far from protecting them from danger, keeping our children from learning about guns leaves them defenseless in situations where that knowledge could be life saving. ... The best lesson we can teach our children about guns is that they are powerful tools that can be used for good or bad. In defense against lethal aggression a gun is a piece of safety rescue equipment."

"Last year [1998], when a 16-year-old shot his way into Pearl High School in Mississippi, killing 2 and wounding 7, he was stopped cold by school principal Joel Myrick with a gun he had in violation of the federal Gun-Free School Act, which prohibits firearms within 1,000 feet of a school. Thankfully, the Feds didn't dare prosecute hero Myrick for the breach of federal law. Lord knows how many kids' lives he saved because of his law-breaking ways."

"In Israel in 1974, the government had this debate. Terrorists took 100 kids hostage at a school in Maalot. During the rescue attempt, 25 people were killed and 66 wounded. There was an outcry in Israel to get rid of the guns. But the government wisely chose a different course. Instead of taking away the guns and keeping them taboo in schools, Israel made sure they were more plentiful. All military reservists were issued personal weapons. Anyone with a clean record was given a concealed-carry permit. Teachers -- even kindergarten nurses -- began carrying guns. Schools were protected by parents, not after-the-fact SWAT teams. No school group went anywhere without armed guards. At 15 years of age, kids began receiving gun safety lessons. Guess what? No more school terrorism in Israel."

"When will it occur to American officials and teachers that declaring schools to be Gun Free Zones is the same as sending an engraved invitation to an Al Qaeda terrorist(s) to come on over and shoot up some schools? After September 11, can we really believe that criminals, let alone terrorists, will check out the law and say, 'Aw shucks, I can't take my gun onto the school campus.'"

"In 1974, Israel armed volunteer parents and grandparents and asked them to patrol their schools and grounds. They have not had a child killed in school since they put this program in place. Even though Israel is the target of terrorists and other violent radicals, they have not had one child killed in school in 27 years! Here in the U.S., we turned our children into targets by announcing that our schools are unprotected and vulnerable. ... We want to make our schools safe and stop the killings. Israel has a program that is tested and proven to work. By adopting the Israeli model we can stop the tragic school shootings and protect our Constitutional right to own and carry firearms. We will also gain from having parents and grandparents involved and visible in our schools. This will cut down on the bullying and tormenting that we now see as a major problem in our schools."

"Attempts to outlaw guns from schools, no matter how well meaning, have backfired. Instead of making school safe for children, we have made them safe for those intent on harming our children. Current school policies fire teachers who even accidentally bring otherwise legal concealed handguns to school. We might consider reversing this policy and begin rewarding teachers who take on the responsibility to help protect children."

"The shooting-fish-in-a-barrel scenario in Russia could just as easily happen in the U.S. because we have the same anti-self-defense policy in our schools. We have invited terrorists to strike our schools because we have singled these institutions out as criminal safe zones. The zero-tolerance mantra of the anti-self defense crowd would rather have us suspend a boy or girl for forming the likeness of a gun with their fingers than consider the danger of disarmament. America's porous borders have given ample opportunity for Islamic fascists to enter, form and launch a Beslan-type attack right here in the U.S. Groups of illegal Arab immigrants have been apprehended inside our Arizona border. ... The U.S. needs to change its deadly gun bans in the nation's schools. Otherwise, when a group of Islamic fascists attacks a school in the U.S., we will join the Russians in mourning the needless deaths of defenseless schoolyard victims. ... Congress needs to act decisively to enhance America's homeland security. Congress must pass legislation enable schools to become armed. Our congressmen need to hear from us before it is too late."

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
"...many existing 'gun control' laws are unconstitutional and ineffective. Counties which allow law-abiding citizens to go armed have seen their rates of violent crime drop markedly."
(http://lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Jul-25-Wed-2001/opinion/16612649.html)

From James Yanik of the Washington Post:
"Any 'gun-free zone' is a place where no one will be able to fight back... It's too bad so many people fail to realize that gun laws restrict only law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not obey laws."
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24684-2002May2.html)

Dear Mr. Seaman,

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is neither pro-gun nor anti-gun. It is anti-gun-violence.

A number of gun owners have contacted me to congratulate me on its message. It has been used, in fact, in conjunction with gun safety classes. An NRA member wrote to me saying that he approached our site prepared to be angry about its message, but after looking it over carefully, he could only praise it and express appreciation.

The Student Pledge was supported at its inception by a US Senate Resolution calling for its national distribution. It had 83 original co-sponsors, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. Its co-sponsors ran the political gamut, ranging from Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms to Paul Wellstone and Bill Bradley. Support for it has been bi-partisan from its beginnings.

Just some personal information about me: I come from a family of gun owners and hunters. My family is proud of the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence and strongly supports its message. Most gun owners do not want to see young people using guns to hunt other people and do not want to see young people as either perpetrators or victims of gun violence. If you disagree with this fundamental premise, there is probably nothing that I will be able to say to you to change your mind.

Sincerely,

Mary Lewis Grow

To contact us, email mlgrow@pledge.org or call (507) 645-5378.

(1) Pledges such as The Pledge.org must be stopped. It is based on a fake hypothesis and is only being used to subvert our gun rights and it offers nothing in the protection of our children.

(2) Second Amendment rights must be protected and enforced on school grounds.

(3) People must be made aware of the subversion that is going on with "gun free" school zones and "zero tolerance" programs.

(4) Notify every PTO and PTA and give them this information! Insist they push for the safety and violence preventative measures mentioned in this paper.

(5) Get NRA's Eddie Eagle (http://nrahq.org/safety/eddie/) gun safety program into schools.

(6) Educate students on the risks of "gun free" school zones. Teach alternatives so children can stay alive and safe.

(7) Teach students how to shoot.

(8) Teach students the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, and that it is necessary to protect their liberty, country, and lives.

(9) Contact your federal senators and congressmen with this information and initiate change.