Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo with school commissioner Ken Wagner. (Photo: Fox RI)
The ruling class in Rhode Island this week banned guns in public schools with the exception of law enforcement.
Gov. Gina Raimondo made the announcement Wednesday alongside school commissioner Ken Wagner.
“It isn’t hard: Guns don’t belong in schools. Even Mississippi bans non-law enforcement officials from carrying guns onto school grounds,” said Raimondo in a press release.
Quick fact check. Raimondo’s wrong. Mississippi does allow individuals with enhanced concealed carry permits to bring firearms onto public school property.
“As we start a new school year, our students cannot wait a minute longer for the General Assembly to take action on the Safe Schools Act,” she continued. “The Rhode Island Department of Education has issued a binding directive to every school district that immediately bans firearms from our kids’ schools.”
In other words, instead of allowing government to function the way it’s supposed to, with lawmakers making the laws, Raimondo enacted an order by executive fiat.
Guns don’t belong in schools.
This directive comes in response to uncertainty among education leaders and members of the community, and a lack of consistent practice across district lines. https://t.co/2UqWDHdOvw
— Gina Raimondo (@GovRaimondo) August 29, 2018
Wagner backed up that play by suggesting there was some sort of confusion about the existing law.
“It’s our job to protect kids and their teachers,” said Wagner. “Inconsistencies among laws, regulations, and local policies and practices create confusion, producing the exact kind of unsafe environment the law is intended to prevent. As we start a new school year, this directive provides clarity, until such time that the underlying laws are reconciled.”
There was no confusion about the law. Concealed carriers were allowed to bring firearms into public schools. Plain and simple. Raimondo and Wagner just wanted to put a stop to that. The question is why? Because if it’s really about protecting kids and teachers then they have it all wrong. They should ban cops before they ban concealed carriers. Seriously.
Research shows that when compared to cops, concealed carriers commit fewer homicides, firearms violations, misdemeanor and felony offenses. Concealed carries are more law-abiding than cops and are convicted at a lower rate. The question can be asked, then, who presents more of a threat to “the children”? The average cop or the average concealed carry?
Please, I’m not suggesting that law enforcement and armed student resource officers don’t belong in schools. Just pointing out that this assumption by government that all cops are White Knights has real limitations. When you break it down the truth is that Raimondo and Wagner aren’t against guns in schools, they’re just against armed citizens having guns in schools. And based on data and what we know about concealed-carry culture that position doesn’t hold water, especially if one accepts that armed resistance is the best way to foil a would-be killer. What they need to recognize is that cops are not the only good guys with guns, they’re not the only ones willing and capable of confronting an armed attacker.
Suppose a young Rhode Island mother has a concealed carry permit because her crazy ex physically abused her and her son. When she goes to pick up her son from school, that crazy ex now knows that she is unarmed. She is vulnerable. What’s stopping him from attacking her in the parking lot? The cop that’s way inside the building? As they say, when seconds count…
Anyways, what’s not clear, at least at this point, is the penalty for those concealed carriers caught violating Raimondo’s order. I reached out to her office for clarification. We’ll see if she responds.