This is an outrage. Every one of us makes mistakes. Too Err is Human.
Let's help make reason and common sense prevail in this situation.
Paul Stramer
Please help this young lady.
Montana Shooting Sports Association Announcement
-
"From: Gary Marbut-MSSA <mssa@mtssa.org>
To: mssa@mtssa.org
Sent: Mon, Dec 6, 2010 8:00 pm
Subject: Outrage in Flathead County, Montana
"From: Gary Marbut-MSSA <mssa@mtssa.org>
To: mssa@mtssa.org
Sent: Mon, Dec 6, 2010 8:00 pm
Subject: Outrage in Flathead County, Montana
Dear MSSA Friends,
Outrage is right!! Please ACT!!
Demarie DeReu
Sixteen-year-old Demarie DeReu is an honor roll student, a member of the Columbia Falls (Montana) High School Student Council and a varsity cheerleader. Although she has no intent to break any rules or laws, or harm anyone, Demarie is at risk of having her college education derailed and maybe even being identified forever as a domestic terrorist.
Why? Demarie went hunting over Thanksgiving with family and friends. She forgot that her unloaded hunting rifle was cased and locked in the trunk of her car. When she arrived at school, she parked in the school parking lot because to park anywhere else is an expulsion offense at CFHS. Upon hearing that the "contraband dog" was to be working the school parking lot, Demarie remembered her unloaded hunting rifle secured in the trunk of her car AND she voluntarily informed school officials.
Next monday, December 13, at 6 PM, Demarie will face her expulsion hearing before the local school board. She will possibly have her life derailed because a bunch of school idiots insist that she must be subject to an irrational, "zero tolerance" policy about guns in schools that does not countenance lack of bad intent. The theory that people with malice will be intimidated into good conduct if people without malice are punished in lieu of them is idiocy at its finest.
At the upcoming hearing, education officials will tell school board members that they have no choice - that state law and good gamesmanship require the school board to levy harsh and record-destroying punishment against Demarie. They will be wrong!
The controlling Montana law about this is 20-5-202, M.C.A., which says about expulsion for bringing guns "to school," "... the trustees may authorize the school administration to modify the requirement for expulsion of a student on a case-by-case basis." Further, "to school" is not defined in 20-5-2-202, but is at 45-8-361, M.C.A. as "... in a school building." Demarie's hunting rifle was cased and locked in the trunk of her car in the parking lot, but not "in a school building."
What can you do about this outrage?
Forward this message to every gun owner you know, in Flathead County, in Montana, or elsewhere.
Send messages to school officials and school board members. Use your own words and be polite. Remember, they think they wear white hats, even if you don't think so. It IS okay to say you feel very strongly about this, but no profanity and no name-calling, please.
School Dist 6, 501 6th Ave W. Columbia Falls, MT 59912
406-892-6550
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
Copy to the local newspaper. The local daily newspaper would very much like to receive a copy of whatever you send to these folks. Please copy the Kalispell Daily Interlake at:
editor@ dailyinterlake.com
Email suggestions. For your emails, I suggest a Subject line of: "Free Demarie DeReu"
In addition to whatever else you recommend to administration and school board members, I suggest you include the following:
1) Demarie DeReu should be given no more than a verbal warning that she should not in the future pack her hunting rifle to school (I think she's learned that by now);
2) Demarie DeReu should be given an award for being honest and volunteering to school officials about the unloaded and cased hunting rifle locked in the trunk of her car;
3) Demarie DeReu should be held out as an example to other students for her participation in essential wildlife management in Montana; and
4) That when the Legislature considers education funding in the upcoming legislative session, legislators will consider the outcome of this case as an example of how schools are using taxpayer resources in Montana.
Show up. Finally, if you are in Flathead County or within driving distance, gather all of your friends and show up at the CFHS school board hearing next Monday, 12/13/2010. Better yet, show up at the CFHS at 5PM with picket signs that say "Free Demarie DeReu." There ought to be 1,000 of you there!! Organize!! Show up!!
Thanks loads for your help with this.
Outrage is right!! Please ACT!!
Demarie DeReu
Sixteen-year-old Demarie DeReu is an honor roll student, a member of the Columbia Falls (Montana) High School Student Council and a varsity cheerleader. Although she has no intent to break any rules or laws, or harm anyone, Demarie is at risk of having her college education derailed and maybe even being identified forever as a domestic terrorist.
Why? Demarie went hunting over Thanksgiving with family and friends. She forgot that her unloaded hunting rifle was cased and locked in the trunk of her car. When she arrived at school, she parked in the school parking lot because to park anywhere else is an expulsion offense at CFHS. Upon hearing that the "contraband dog" was to be working the school parking lot, Demarie remembered her unloaded hunting rifle secured in the trunk of her car AND she voluntarily informed school officials.
Next monday, December 13, at 6 PM, Demarie will face her expulsion hearing before the local school board. She will possibly have her life derailed because a bunch of school idiots insist that she must be subject to an irrational, "zero tolerance" policy about guns in schools that does not countenance lack of bad intent. The theory that people with malice will be intimidated into good conduct if people without malice are punished in lieu of them is idiocy at its finest.
At the upcoming hearing, education officials will tell school board members that they have no choice - that state law and good gamesmanship require the school board to levy harsh and record-destroying punishment against Demarie. They will be wrong!
The controlling Montana law about this is 20-5-202, M.C.A., which says about expulsion for bringing guns "to school," "... the trustees may authorize the school administration to modify the requirement for expulsion of a student on a case-by-case basis." Further, "to school" is not defined in 20-5-2-202, but is at 45-8-361, M.C.A. as "... in a school building." Demarie's hunting rifle was cased and locked in the trunk of her car in the parking lot, but not "in a school building."
What can you do about this outrage?
Forward this message to every gun owner you know, in Flathead County, in Montana, or elsewhere.
Send messages to school officials and school board members. Use your own words and be polite. Remember, they think they wear white hats, even if you don't think so. It IS okay to say you feel very strongly about this, but no profanity and no name-calling, please.
School Dist 6, 501 6th Ave W. Columbia Falls, MT 59912
406-892-6550
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
Copy to the local newspaper. The local daily newspaper would very much like to receive a copy of whatever you send to these folks. Please copy the Kalispell Daily Interlake at:
editor@ dailyinterlake.com
Email suggestions. For your emails, I suggest a Subject line of: "Free Demarie DeReu"
In addition to whatever else you recommend to administration and school board members, I suggest you include the following:
1) Demarie DeReu should be given no more than a verbal warning that she should not in the future pack her hunting rifle to school (I think she's learned that by now);
2) Demarie DeReu should be given an award for being honest and volunteering to school officials about the unloaded and cased hunting rifle locked in the trunk of her car;
3) Demarie DeReu should be held out as an example to other students for her participation in essential wildlife management in Montana; and
4) That when the Legislature considers education funding in the upcoming legislative session, legislators will consider the outcome of this case as an example of how schools are using taxpayer resources in Montana.
Show up. Finally, if you are in Flathead County or within driving distance, gather all of your friends and show up at the CFHS school board hearing next Monday, 12/13/2010. Better yet, show up at the CFHS at 5PM with picket signs that say "Free Demarie DeReu." There ought to be 1,000 of you there!! Organize!! Show up!!
Thanks loads for your help with this.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com "
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com "
Posted here by
Investigative Blogger
Crystal L. Cox
Crystal@CrystalCox.com
Crystal@CrystalCox.com
RSS Feed (xml)
