The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles™
$g&m f9bd 45kd q!?5.
Law-Abiding, Honor Roll
High School Student Faces Expulsion
I don't want you to think I have fallen asleep behind the keyboards here in Afghanistan!
Support from all gun owners needed!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Demari DeRue is a 16-year-old junior at Columbia Falls High School in Columbia Falls, Montana. She is an honor roll student, a cheerleader and a hunter. On Monday, December 13th, she faces expulsion from school because, after a recent weekend family hunting trip, she inadvertently left her unloaded and secured hunting rifle locked in her trunk, and then drove to school Monday morning and parked on school property.
The expulsion could be for as long as a year, but any expulsion could seriously hurt Demari’s college plans.
Details of Demari’s situation can be read here:
Unreasonable School Administrators Shoot Down Cheerleaders Chances
School officials claim they have no choice but to expel Demari. But the facts of this case show the unreasonable nature of the “zero-tolerance” mindset. Further, both federal and state law give discretion to school officials to modify the expulsion provisions in the statutes.
The no firearms rules were created to punish students who present a danger or who intend to commit crimes; not to punish an upstanding honor student who simply had a memory lapse. Further, it was Demari who voluntarily informed school officials when she remembered she had left the rifle locked in the trunk of her car. It is appalling that Demari is facing expulsion because of her honesty.
The hearing for Demari will be Monday, December 13, at 6:00 p.m. (plan to arrive by 5:00 p.m.), in the Administration Building at Glacier Gateway Elementary School, located at 501 sixth avenue west, in Columbia Falls. If at all possible, please attend this hearing and support Demari. Politely tell school district officials that blind adherence to unreasonable anti-gun policies does not make our kids safer, and in this particular case, would be a grave injustice.
Let them know that the only reasonable outcome of this hearing is to completely purge Demari’s high school record of this incident, so she won’t be in a position of trying to explain a “gun crime” to firearm-averse review committees considering college and scholarship applications.
Please take a few moments and contact high school officials, the superintendent and the school board and politely let them know that you support Demari, that you oppose any action to expel her and that a complete expungement of her record is in order. Contact information can be found below.
Mike Nicosia Superintendent mnicosia@sd6.k12.mt.us
Alan Robbins Principal arobbins@sd6.k12.mt.us
Scott Gaiser Asst. Principal sgaiser@sd6.k12.mt.us
School Board Members:
Jill Rocksund jrocksund@sd6.k12.mt.us
Dean Chisholm dchisholm@sd6.k12.mt.us
Barbara Riley briley@sd6.k12.mt.us
Darrell Newby dnewby@sd6.k12.mt.us
Gail Pauley gpauley@sd6.k12.mt.us
Jim Henjum jhenjum@sd6.k12.mt.us
Larry Wilson lwilson@sd6.k12.mt.us
Scott Emmerich semmerich@sd6.k12.mt.us
I've sent them an email urging them to expunge her record. 13DEC2010 2241 Afghanistan Time!
Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Shindand Tent Club
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS (Let 'em sue me.)
The Hunt Continues...
Wow, if she is expelled, that's a strong lesson to everyone who could find him- or herself in the same position: Honesty doesn't pay. Let's hope the folks running the hearing recognize that - and shoe respect for her honesty.
ReplyDeleteNorCal,
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly right! I understand she made a bad mistake, ignorance of the law is not an excuse, but when she tried to rectify the error, the school administration went off the deep end and has decided to punish her disproportionatly.
I've written an email outlineing my response to an inappropriate punnishment, and that is to donate to a legal defense team and use TROC as a forum to voice my disagreement.
We have few enough young adults that are responsible, honest, and hardworking like Miss DeRue. I won't stand for a miscarrige of justice!
Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
The Range Reviews: AGI Armorer's Course Colt 1911
How to Support Animal Rights Groups
Albert,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that even here in wooly Montana laws are being enforced unequally on the sane and honest. Although Columbia Falls, the Flathead Valley, Bitterroot Valley and the Bozeman area are more like California-on-the-Montana.
When I heard the story a few days ago, I couldn't believe it.
The contrast of this happening anywhere in the U.S. and us having troops in Afghanistan and Iraq makes me wonder, "What are we fighting for??"
How terrible. I'd condemn someone if they lied about it or just figured that no one would notice but obviously she's honest enough to say something. Amazing what anti-gun propaganda will do to honest kids.
ReplyDeleteHLYH
Dennis!
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by sir! I am thoroughly disgusted by the state of affairs in our Nation. I don't even know where to begin.
I am just looking forward to getting home and building a longrifle, starting a garden, and waiting to see how and where I can make the best contribution to society.
Maybe I'll get into politics!
LMAO!!!!!
Your friend,
Albert
"it was Demari who voluntarily informed school officials when she remembered she had left the rifle locked in the trunk of her car."
ReplyDeleteSeriously? That has got to be the second dumbest thing I have ever heard... or possibly a tie with the time (a zillion years ago) a friend of mine got expelled from school after they found a bag of weed in the bathroom at school and turned it in to a teacher. They were kicked out of school for possessing drugs... WTF?!
The US has really got to get it's priorities in order.
Two points Albert!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Associated Press this morning the honor student won't be expelled and should be in class today. Looks like your lobbying worked. Maybe politics IS your rising star!!!
On a more humorous note, "I understand she made a bad mistake . . ." That would be opposed to a good mistake--I can only assume.
Have a great day, Mr Albert!