Here’s a story that probably won’t make the national news: Colorado’s "zero tolerance" law on guns traps an honors student in its extremes. From Saturday’s Washington Times, Valerie Richardson reports:
A Colorado high school student expelled for having fake drill-team rifles in her car was cleared Friday to return to school.
The school board limited the expulsion of Marie Morrow, 17, to time served for bringing the duct-taped "rifles" made of wood and plastic to Cherokee Trail High School in the back of her car. She was expelled immediately on Feb. 5, pending a school board decision.
Colorado's "zero tolerance" law mandates that students who bring weapons - even facsimiles - to school, must be expelled for a period ranging from one day to one year. Marie's case has led some state lawmakers to consider legislation that would add flexibility to the law.
Marie, an honors student and member of the Douglas County Young Marines, said Friday she was looking forward to returning to class.
"I'm just ready to go back, just glad to get back to school," she told KUSA-TV, the local NBC-TV affiliate.
Marie, a member of the Young Marines drill team, brought the three fake rifles to school because she had planned to practice after class for an April competition at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
We could hope that since the local NBC station has the story that NBC in New York might notice. But they, like the other networks, completely freaked out for gun control measures ten years ago in the wake of the massacre at Columbine High.
