By Jackson Brewer
The most impressionable of minds are often the most inquisitive.
Sometimes, they’re also the most courageous.
Student president Jackson Brewer, a 12-year-old sixth-grader at ABC-Stewart School in Columbus, posed a tough question to the faces of his lawmakers Monday.
Brewer asked the four members of the General Assembly attending the Third House session at Donner Center about their opinions on pending state legislation that would allow teachers to receive handgun training if they so desired and permit retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms on school property.
Legislators included Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus and Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford,
Lucas was the only one of the four to answer Brewer, as he told the nearly 60 people in the audience, including four ABC Stewart students, that he believes gun control laws won’t prevent school shootings, training teachers to use firearms can make schools safer and that a federal court has ruled “police do not have a duty to protect children while they are being slaughtered.”
Some adults would’ve stopped asking questions right there after hearing the controversial take, but Brewer didn’t back off the topic. He didn’t feel intimidated when an adult told he couldn’t rely on police officers to protect him from harm.
After Lucas answered Brewer’s query, the student posed a follow-up question: “Do you believe the more guns that are being carried, including in this room, would make my classmates and I safer?”
Lucas immediately said “absolutely” and then told the crowd “I’m carrying right now. Does that scare anybody?”
Around 20 people, or roughly a third of those in the room, raised their hands to signal that it scared them. Several other people said “yes” without raising their hands. There were also a few people who said “no.”
Whether or not we agree with Lucas’ message, and graphic syntax, Brewer’s questions helped everyone in the room better understand the viewpoints of the person making the laws that affect their everyday life.
All because one child wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak.
“I hope they would start to think for themselves and apply reason and logic,” Lucas said in a phone call after the event.
Little did Lucas know that the students already were.
Send comments to [email protected].