Once again, some moron is telling me I’m not a patriotic American.

Page 1, Section B; “UTAH”, Salt Lake Tribune, Saturday, February 5, 2011:

“Committee OKs guns near schools   POLITICS>> A House committee Friday approved a bill that would wipe out a 1,000 foot buffer zone around schools and day care centers that bars people from carrying guns.”

Only in Utah, folks.  Now, the real offensive part is on page 2 of this same section.   Peter Cannon, a member of the Davis County 9/12 Project, is quoted by the paper as having said:

“I think a reasonable All-American teacher would say to his class, ‘Let’s talk about the Second Amendment to the Constitution. … We have the right to carry a weapon, to bear arms.’ … We don’t need to teach our children to panic because they see a firearm.”

Thank you Mr. Cannon.  I must be either unreasonable, un-American, just a bad teacher, or all of the above, because if it were my place to discuss the Second Amendment with my students I would discuss the entire thing, including the clause “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,”, not just the part that says “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

What I love so much about these tea-bagger people is that if you don’t agree with them then you are obviously a long haired hippie-type (shudder) liberal pinko socialist.  Period.  Nothing in between.  Period.

Ok, enough of the close-minded schmucks that have crawled out from under rocks since Obama took office, what about the proposed bill itself?  According to State Representative Curt Oda (R-Clearfield) (as reported by the Tribune) these “zones have created an impossible patchwork and well-meaning gun owners can break the law without knowing it and criminals will just ignore it.”

Here’s my problem;  How many well meaning gun owners have been charged lately for accidentally crossing over into a school buffer zone while on their morning, gun-totin’ health walk?  My guess:  zip.  On the other hand, if this passes, what power does that give the police when the law-abiding gang-banger shows up at my school’s fence with a gun, intending on just standing there, doing nothing other than intimidating a rival gang member?

Right now, schools are allowed to assume anyone at their front door (figuratively speaking) carrying a gun out in the open is up to no good and, rightfully so, immediately lock down the school and call the police.  How much confusion and trouble is it going to cause if administrators have to decide if that person out there with a rifle is a real threat or just coming to pick up their student for a hunting weekend?