Opinion
Across Minnesota, students, poked & prodded into action by Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety, walked out of classrooms this month to demand a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and high(aka: normal)-capacity magazines.
The events, organized by Students Demand Action — a grassroots arm of Everytown for Gun Safety — were billed as community solidarity in the wake of the horrific Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis.
But let’s be honest. This wasn’t some spontaneous, non-political gathering of grieving teenagers. This was a well-funded, professionally organized campaign by one of the most powerful anti-gun lobbying groups in America. If the roles were reversed, can you imagine the shrieking and wailing if a pro-gun group like Gun Owners of America staged a mass school walkout in favor of the Second Amendment? Or in favor of more armed school resource officers!?
Teachers, administrators, and half the political class would call it “indoctrination.” Yet here, it’s treated as a noble cause.
Students, Slogans, & Soundbites
At Cretin-Derham Hall, senior Mary Jensen told CBS Minnesota: “It really hit close to home for all of us… Today, we didn’t want to be politically divided. We wanted to come together as a community.” Her classmate Ellen Kovats added: “I don’t think it’s a political issue. I don’t think it has to do with different parties. I think it’s just the fact that as students, we deserve to go to a school and not be afraid of violence.”
The problem is, this is a political issue.
Laws banning rifles won’t change the reality of violence or the brokenness in our culture. Pretending otherwise may comfort activists, but it won’t keep anyone safe. Students chanting “No more! No more!” in front of TV cameras may tug at heartstrings, but those same cameras conveniently ignore evidence that bans on so-called “assault weapons” have no measurable impact on crime.
The Governor’s “Wrong Kinds of Guns”
Governor “Tampon” Tim Walz joined the chorus, declaring: “The things that make America unique in terms of shootings is we just have more guns and the wrong kinds of guns that are on the streets.”
Wrong kinds of guns? That’s an empty phrase designed to sell fear. Millions of Americans own AR-15s and other semi-automatic rifles for sport, hunting, and self-defense. They are not the “wrong” kind of guns — they are constitutionally protected firearms. Criminal misuse of a tool doesn’t erase the rights of law-abiding citizens.
What Works vs. What Wins Headlines
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus cut through the noise with a practical statement: instead of ineffective bans, lawmakers should “strengthen mental health resources, expand community support, and secure schools — steps that research shows actually work and will gain broad bipartisan support.”
That’s where the conversation should be. Not in banning common rifles based on cosmetic features, but in addressing the roots of violence: mental health crises, social alienation, and the soft-target vulnerability of our schools.
Selective Outrage
Notice the imbalance. Students were pulled from class for an anti-gun protest, praised by media outlets, and even joined by faith leaders and politicians at the Capitol. Rep. Ilhan Omar tweeted: “I stand with you and won’t give up until we ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
Three weeks ago, we lost two beautiful angels at the Annunciation Catholic School shooting in Minneapolis.
The gun violence epidemic must end. That starts with a ban on assault weapons & high-capacity magazines.
You can read my full monthly column here:https://t.co/ybehL2CZpM
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) September 18, 2025
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey scolded Congress for inaction, saying: “Kids deserve classrooms, not caution drills. They deserve to learn – not protest for their lives.”
Yet the same officials who cheer on kids marching against guns would throw a fit if those same kids marched for their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. One side of the debate is applauded; the other is demonized.
Grief Exploited for Politics
No one disputes the tragedy of Annunciation. Two young students were murdered. Many more were injured. Families are broken forever. But instead of coming together to find real solutions, national anti-gun groups are exploiting grief to push a pre-written agenda.
Students and parents deserve better than being used as political pawns. America’s gun owners — millions of peaceful, responsible citizens — are not the enemy. The focus should be on stopping killers, not restricting the rights of the innocent.
Haters Never Quit
The Second Amendment is not up for negotiation every time evil strikes. Minnesota’s leaders should reject knee-jerk bans and instead focus on real solutions: mental health care, security measures, and community strength.
While student walkouts make for powerful TV footage and effective fundraising campaigns, they don’t solve the problem. Protecting schools, children, and freedom requires more than slogans. It requires courage to face hard truths — and the hardest truth is this: banning “assault weapons” will do nothing but disarm the very people who follow the law.
About Tred Law
Tred Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals Fing with his right to keep and bear arms.
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NOT-Breaking News: Teachers Unions Are a Major Funder of Gun Control
