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This is an article I came across when I was net-surfing for guard things. Needless to say, it really made me mad. REALLY mad.
"Getting Guns Out of School Means the Colorguard, Too."
By: GARRET MATHEWS, Columnist
Something should be done when area schools reopen to show that the murdered students in Littleton, Colo., have
not been forgotten.
Not just another symbol of grief.
A policy something.
The slain at Columbine High
School have had enough memorial services.
Enough wreaths.
Enough little white crosses.
What better
way to remember that these youngsters lived and died than to make at least a temporary change in the way some schools conduct
pageantry.
The color guard.
Disarm them.
The Columbine students were killed with guns.
Since
the shootings, theres been a national call make that a scream to reduce kids access to guns.
And, yet, some high schools
continue to include dummy rifles sometimes painted white to match their handlers gloves in the color guards regalia during
assemblies and other ceremonial functions.
Let the ROTC students march in. Let them present the flag. Let them go
through the right-face, about-face routine.
But do it without the guns.
Need a resolution?
Ill give
you a resolution.
WHEREAS, April 20 was the worst school shooting in the countrys history, claiming 15 lives including
the two young gunmen. The crime scene looked like a war zone.
WHEREAS, the murders at Columbine High School have increased
our awareness of violent images targeted to the youth market. Since the slayings, some of these image-shapers in TV and the
movies have voluntarily scrapped productions dealing with guns in schools.
Theres even been some movement in the worst
of the worst the merchants of gore who supply arcades with those blood-splattering video games.
WHEREAS, if the money-driven
executives in the entertainment business can rethink what theyre feeding our children from afar, school officials should be
equally sensitive to a troubling image thats displayed right under their noses at some school gatherings.
WHEREAS,
the colors can be effectively presented and respected at school ceremonies without weaponry, however artificial.
WHEREAS,
in tribute to those students who fell at Columbine as well as those who lost their lives in school shootings in Arkansas,
Kentucky, Mississippi and Oregon it seems a fitting tribute to conduct assemblies and other mass gatherings at EVSC high schools
as if one or more of the slain students parents were in attendance. No symbols of mass destruction. No guns, even dummy ones.
WHEREAS, this doesnt seem like much to ask, given that these parents have had their insides ripped out by what happened
to their children.
WHEREAS, a student would probably not only be suspended, but arrested if he or she brought to school
the same facsimile weapon used during assemblies, does the thing suddenly become okey-dokey if its considered school property?
WHEREAS, the disarmed color guard member will need something to carry during school ceremonies.
WHEREAS, a
flag with the names of all students murdered at schools would be a fitting substitute.
And a reminder that we must
redouble our efforts to prevent future tragedies.
Too many little white crosses have been stuck in the ground already.
My personal opinion on this article is that this author is overreacting and putting the blame of school shootings on the wrong
people. This man is looking for an easy blame. Think about it. No colorguard I have ever seen have ever used a rifle in a
violent way, like pretending to shoot a band member in a show or anything like that. This is like saying that merely a picture
of a rifle/gun will promote little 8-year-old Timmy to go shoot out his school and church members. "Hey, the police carry
guns! We should get rid of the police department!" What we do with rifles is an art. We show incredible upper body strength,
our ability to choreograph the tossing and catching of 10 or more rifles at the EXACT same time, pushing our bodies to keep
on going when they can't go any more, physically and emotionally exerting and exhausting ourselves for the sport and the art...the
list goes on and on. I challenge this "Garret Mathews" to try doing that himself!
I recieved an email from Jinx pointing out to me that this article is focused on the ROTC-type colorguard, not the marching
band pagentry colorguard. As I looked carefully into this article, I realize that she's right! ^-^ Now I feel stupid for snapping
out, but I'll still stick to what I said. Hehe, thanks Jinx! :)
"I just read that little article about disarming the
JROTC color guards and I am severely disgusted at the person who wrote it. I am the Unarmed regulation commander of the Randolph-Macon
Academy JROTC Drill team. I am one of the best spinners and well... I ocasionally help out the color guard in the posting
of the colors and such. I can understand if the writer wanted to disarm the Honor Guard because we use actual M-1 carbine
and actually shoot them, but do we shoot actual bullets? No. Can we? No. Do we do a lot of stuff that public school color
guards can't do? That is a definite Yes. If you think other wise find out about a drill competition near you. If it is in
North Carolina, Virginia, or Maryland chances are that my team will be there and you can judge for yourself. And trust me,
2lb. facsimile rifles are nothing compared to 16lb. M-1's."
Cadet Airman 1st class John Liam Butcher
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