Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is once again pushing common sense where Washington has pushed nonsense for decades. He’s calling for the repeal of the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, a law that essentially hangs a neon sign over every school that reads: “Soft Target—Come Right In.” His bill, the Safe Students Act (HR 5066), would finally strip away the federal ban on firearms in school zones and return the authority to states and school boards to decide what’s best for their communities. Imagine that—local control over local schools. What a radical concept.
The Gun-Free School Zones Act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, and for 35 years, it’s accomplished little more than disarming the good guys while the bad guys ignore it entirely. Massie is right to call it “dangerous.” If you’re a would-be killer looking to rack up a body count, the current federal policy practically does the scouting for you. It tells you exactly where your victims will be helpless and unprotected.
Hunter Pollack, whose sister Meadow was murdered in the 2018 Parkland shooting, understands this reality all too well. Instead of joining the chorus of left-wing politicians demanding “gun control” every time tragedy strikes, Pollack has been advocating for policies that actually make schools safer. He points out that roughly 92 percent of mass shootings happen in so-called gun-free zones. That’s not a coincidence, it’s a direct consequence. Criminals are not lining up to obey signage, they’re exploiting it.
Pollack’s family has pushed for practical solutions like fortifying schools, improving mental health interventions, and training law enforcement to respond effectively. He makes the simple but powerful point that a sign declaring “gun-free zone” does nothing to protect children, but it does everything to advertise vulnerability.
Gun Owners of America agrees, giving Massie’s bill their endorsement and making the case bluntly: abandon the failed gun-free policy and let trained, willing teachers and staff carry firearms. That’s not about turning schools into the Wild West, it’s about restoring deterrence. A bad guy doesn’t barge into a police station looking for victims, because he knows he won’t make it past the lobby. Why should schools be any different?
The bottom line is this: disarming law-abiding citizens has never stopped criminals. Massie’s bill is about restoring responsibility and choice to communities while removing a federal policy that has failed students for more than three decades. If Washington really cared about protecting kids, they’d pass the Safe Students Act tomorrow.
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