Opinion
Colorado – -(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, we publicized the story of a 16 year old Loveland High student who was banned from school after posting a video on Snapchat of him shooting with his mom. The school banned him even after police investigated the “threat report” and instantly cleared him. After the story broke, community members, and even elected officials contacted school admin and district board members to express their disapproval of this blatant violation of the student’s civil liberties, as well as the complete disregard for parental rights. And it undoubtedly had an effect.
The threat assessment hearing took place and the student has been cleared to return to class.
The school officials came prepared with a packet of his homework, and stated they believed him to be a good kid and never thought he was making threats against the school. They acknowledged that his classmates may now react differently to him (I mean, he’s practically been accused of being the next school shooter, right?) and offered to make sure no one gave him trouble.
The SRO who was present agreed that the Safe 2 Tell system is sometimes used inappropriately by students wishing to anonymously seek revenge on another student. School officials also cautioned Nate to not post these types of activities on social media. The mother quickly reminded them that this is his First Amendment they’re talking about, and although she gets their point, that is a dangerous slope they’re heading down.
On January 1, 2020 Colorado’s “Red Flag” Emergency Risk Protection Orders ERPO law will go into effect. I’ve long said ERPO’s will be Safe2Tell for adults, and students have dubbed Safe 2 Tell as “Safe 2 Swat”, referencing the act of “swatting“, a criminal harassment tactic of deceiving an emergency service into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person’s address. Had this same scenario taken place while the ERPO law is in effect, the mother likely would have lost her firearms.
We need to continue to rally together as a community and push back at every turn. If you or your child ends up in a situation like Nate’s, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Rally for our Rights.
About Rally for our Rights
Rally for our Rights is a non-partisan gun rights advocacy organization that was founded in early 2018. It has quickly become Colorado’s most active Second Amendment group with a focus on frontline activism and community outreach.
I trust the parents and child WILL BE SUEING the school board and anyone else who had anything to do with their mistreatment/harassment. I would rather not have to file suit BUT what the school did was blatant, biased, illegal and morally repressible. Enough is enough. Arm up, carry on.
Unacceptable response from the school and the SRO.
There is no reason kids cannot post up pictures of any legal sporting activities and they should not be discouraged from doing so, as that’s what got us here in the first place.
Thank you to all who spoke up for this young man and his mother.
They say “they are really sorry” not because they are, but only because they got caught.
Politicians and bureaucrats are responsible for the climate of accusations and spreading fear and panic. Apologize all you want, the damage is already done.
Three hearty HUZZAHs for Mum. She not only had the heart to take her son shooting, but when the school admin nutjobs exacted “penance” from her and her son for their “crime”, she not only stood her ground but fired a strong warning shot across their bow… when they advised not to post such things on UNsocial media, she let them know in no uncertain terms they were trampling upon his FIRST ammendment protections right along with his Second Ammendment ones. I would have liked to have been there to capture the look of shock and disbelief on that rotten… Read more »
Usually takes a law suit to make a point,hopefully mom considers.
Hope the school and district suffer consequences for their jack booted thuggery.examples need made
Heaven forbid others on social media see that firearms are used for some thing other than being in the hands of a few criminals, hell, maybe this kid will shoot in the Olympics some day and win the Gold for the U.S
My family has been in Colorado for abut 170 years. It was wild then but still beautiful and a nice place to live. The state started to go to hell when idiots arrived in the middle of the last century. They changed the state and tuned it into a Khalifornia in the 1960s. They had requested to host the Olympics and was selected. Then they insulted the IOC and cancelled on them at the last minute. They elected wimps instead of Americans and it went downhill at a rapid pace. A state that was proud of their heritage is now… Read more »
I have heard people say this country is going to hell many times in the past when things were not this bad and I have to agree with them now. The elected officials today are stomping our rights into the ground and once the kids of today are in power the entire United States Constitution will mean nothing because they can’t even read the original copy since it’s in cursive.