Young Marine Faces Expulsion For Replica Rifles


KimberPB

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For Marie Morrow, the equipment left in the back seat of her car was for an upcoming competition. She said she never expected it would lead to her being suspended from school -- or possibly expelled.

"I take responsibility, it was my mistake," Morrow told 7NEWS. She left three drill team "practice" rifles in plain view of passing students last week.

Morrow, who says she has a 3.5 grade point average, is a member of the Douglas County Young Marines. She said she spins the practice rifles for the organization’s drill team.

Staff members at Cherokee Trail High School were alerted by concerned students who thought they might be real, said a Cherry Creek Schools spokeswoman.

"They went inside. They were anxious. They were frightened," school district spokeswoman Tustin Amole said.

The mock rifles are made of wood, with duct tape, to resemble a real rifle.

Amole explained the school district’s policy mirrors state and federal laws about weapons in schools, and calls for "mandatory expulsion" when possessing a dangerous weapon in any school building.

A student conduct handbook states a dangerous weapon includes "a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, or a firearm facsimile that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm."

"You have to remember these laws were implemented in the years after Columbine," Amole said, and added the school was left with no choice.

"We follow the state law," Amole said.

"I understand exactly why the policy is there," Morrow said on the east steps of the state capitol Monday.

Chris Proctor, commanding officer of the Douglas County Young Marines, praised Morrow's commitment to the program and school.

"For her to have to go through this is completely insane," Proctor said.

The Young Marine Organization is the official youth program of the U.S. Marine Corps and focused on drug reduction and leadership, Proctor explained.

Morrow, dressed in her drill team uniform, visited the capitol to visit with lawmakers about the possibility of changing the state statute relating to weapons in schools.

"It should be up to the discretion of the school board to say, 'OK, there's no intent, it was just a mistake,'" Morrow said with her mom, brother, and friends looking on.

Morrow, who plans to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy, met briefly with and gained support from several legislators on the hill.

Sen. Scott Renfroe, (R-Weld County,) said the 17-year-old was the topic of discussion among fellow senators.

"We need to look at this and add some common sense to our statute," Renfroe said.

Reps. Cindy Acree, (R-Aurora,) and Frank McNulty, (R-Highlands Ranch,) held an impromptu meeting with Morrow and her family inside the capitol.

Acree told 7NEWS she doesn't fault the school district for enforcing state laws.

"We just have to make sure it's not overbearing for our administrators and students, so they can still be kids," Acree said.

She explained she may seek to amend the state statute with a late bill during the current legislative session.

Acree added she is also writing a letter to colleagues "so we can support (Marie) before she goes to her hearing."

Amole said an expulsion hearing will be held within 10 days of a student suspension. An expulsion officer will make a recommendation to the superintendent, who will rule on the length of expulsion.

Morrow said she her expulsion hearing is Feb. 20.

"I'm just hoping I can go back to school and graduate with my class and take my AP tests and all that," she said.

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What do you guys think about this???
 

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So a fake rifle is dangerous??? I guess the danger is that it will make some people look like a bunch of fools.:neo:
 
I think this is probably what they're referring to in the story:

Link Removed

That could reasonably be mistaken for a real rifle by someone who isn't familiar with firearms. It's not a good idea to discourage students from reporting if they see people walking around with firearms or sitting in cars, because it may well avert another school massacre.

Marie should be given a break here, because she's probably the first ROTC student in a long time to get into trouble over this. For future purposes, students who are allowed to take replica rifles home should be required to take a gun safety course (this is a great opportunity for some gun ed!) and learn the firearms laws of their state, and be instructed to treat the replicas as if they were real, except for the part where they bring them onto campus. That means carrying them in a case, keeping them out of sight in their car, etc.
 
Another case of absurd political correctness. In one case, a kid was expelled from school for drawing (with a crayon) a picture of a gun. It would've been cool if the entire class had them drawn all kinds of guns, and the entire class expelled. Imagine the uproar from the community.

I think it's time for a lot of civil disobedience. I think an entire ROTC team should show up at school with their practice rifles, and get expelled. A lot of students with good grades and exemplary atendance getting kicked out of school for participating in an ROTC program. And that would be just a start.

It's time to start using this kind of action to overload these idiotic bureaucracies and get them thrown out. PC is a main reason why this country has gone to hell.
 
I think this is probably what they're referring to in the story:

Link Removed

That could reasonably be mistaken for a real rifle by someone who isn't familiar with firearms. It's not a good idea to discourage students from reporting if they see people walking around with firearms or sitting in cars, because it may well avert another school massacre.

Marie should be given a break here, because she's probably the first ROTC student in a long time to get into trouble over this. For future purposes, students who are allowed to take replica rifles home should be required to take a gun safety course (this is a great opportunity for some gun ed!) and learn the firearms laws of their state, and be instructed to treat the replicas as if they were real, except for the part where they bring them onto campus. That means carrying them in a case, keeping them out of sight in their car, etc.

I know the rifles the ROTC at my High school used were all wooden. Ya it resembled the real rifle but if you just took a sec you'd realize it was a chunk of wood. Also they use to practice in the band room and the parking lot of the school. That wasn't that long ago.
 
So a fake rifle is dangerous??? I guess the danger is that it will make some people look like a bunch of fools.:neo:

Hell, the stupid school systems (Government) has expelled kids playing for pointing fingers and saying bang as having guns on school grounds. Or drawing a picture of a gun. Or possessing a small plactic charm bracelet gun or knife. And we're talking about first graders.
NO COMMON SENSE WHATSOEVER.:neo:
 
I remember taking an ROTC course in high school in the late 60's. The guns we used then were real. Of course that was before insanity set in.
 
It's the zero INTELLIGENCE laws and rampant political correctness.

It wasn't all that long ago that kids would store their hunting rifles in their school locker because they were in the woods before school.
 
What a shame. I went all the way through high school with a shotgun and a model 94 in the gun rack of my pickup, nobody ever said a word. Of coarse there were 50 other pickups in the parking lot with the same thing in the window.
 
I know the rifles the ROTC at my High school used were all wooden. Ya it resembled the real rifle but if you just took a sec you'd realize it was a chunk of wood. Also they use to practice in the band room and the parking lot of the school. That wasn't that long ago.
They did at my school too...they just looked like rubber band guns.

But some schools apparently use ones with finished wood, metal parts and a trigger guard. That's not super smart to begin with, giving them something for school that they can't freely carry around campus.
 
I remember a few years ago they expelled a very young kid for just pointing his finger at someone like it was a gun and pulling the trigger. I guess the kids can't play cowboys and Indians anymore. Another kid was expelled for giving a little girl a peck on the cheek.

OOPS I guess cowboys and Indians is not politically correct.

AL
 
Another case of absurd political correctness. In one case, a kid was expelled from school for drawing (with a crayon) a picture of a gun. It would've been cool if the entire class had them drawn all kinds of guns, and the entire class expelled. Imagine the uproar from the community.

I think it's time for a lot of civil disobedience. I think an entire ROTC team should show up at school with their practice rifles, and get expelled. A lot of students with good grades and exemplary atendance getting kicked out of school for participating in an ROTC program. And that would be just a start.

It's time to start using this kind of action to overload these idiotic bureaucracies and get them thrown out. PC is a main reason why this country has gone to hell.

+1.. fighting stupidity and ignorance is long overdue!
 
if cops can carry in public (at schools) a student in ROTC SHOULD be allowed to carry a fake gun.
Next they will make cops keep their guns a the station and go get them if need :sarcastic:
 
years ago we took nra hunters training at the high school ,part of the class training was bringing in our 22 rifles for firearm training then going out behind the school and doing some shooting one girl brought in her fathers 30-30,they used to also have a 22 caliber shooting team at the school and indoor range in the basement.they added cross country sking into it later.now you dont even want to mention the word gun in a school.
 
It is too bad that there isnt a need to prove intent anymore.

I do not feel that she had the intent to scare any chilluns


Save the chilluns
 
I remember taking an ROTC course in high school in the late 60's. The guns we used then were real. Of course that was before insanity set in.

Yeah, my school had an armory (with over 400 M-1's, a few M-14's, an M-79 grenade launcher and an M-60), rifle range (real, bolt-action .22's stored in the armory), a rifle team and drill team with real rifles also. I know they all could be cocked and have magazines or belts inserted but could have had their firing pins shortened I suppose.

Does anyone even know of a HS level ROTC unit which has these thing anymore? Do these still exist?

How did we avoid all the campus massacres back in those days?
 
I remember a few years ago they expelled a very young kid for just pointing his finger at someone like it was a gun and pulling the trigger. I guess the kids can't play cowboys and Indians anymore. Another kid was expelled for giving a little girl a peck on the cheek.

OOPS I guess cowboys and Indians is not politically correct.

AL

Or how about the kid that got into trouble for drawing a picture of a building, which the screwl thaught looked like a gun! :wacko:
 
When I went to high school (many, many years ago) the school had an NRA sponsored rifle club. Now you get in all kinds of trouble for a drill weapon that can't fire and is no danger. It's simply baffling that this could occur.
 
When I went to high school (many, many years ago) the school had an NRA sponsored rifle club. Now you get in all kinds of trouble for a drill weapon that can't fire and is no danger. It's simply baffling that this could occur.

Sad part is that it's highly likely to get a lot worse...... :mad:




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