BILL JOHNSON IS RIGHT: For a change. I rarely agree with Rocky Mountain News columnist Bill Johnson because he's usually wrong on just about everything. But in this case he's dead-on right. The fact that one of the legacies of Columbine is that a 16-year-old Broomfield, Colorado boy will probably end up with a felony on his record just because he forgot and left his unloaded BB gun in his car when he went to school after target practice. They charged him with unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds, which is good for a possible two years in juvenile lockup. Unless more intelligent heads intervene, this kid may well come out of there as a criminal, with a "mad-on" for the society that would put him through that for such a small thing. He wasn't threatening anybody with it. It was unloaded and locked up in his car. They didn't even have probable cause to search his car. Sure, it was dumb. But teenagers do dumb things. They're still learning how to be people, for Heaven's sake! If this boy goes to juvenile lockup where he may be beaten and even raped, I feel sorry for him and for the society he will then prey on with what he has learned there. It will be a miracle if he doesn't come out of there a criminal. And that's another "legacy" of Columbine. (Source: The Bill Johnson column in the Rocky Mountain News, 4/20/2001) [0427601-5]

I can see having a rule about firearms on school property for the safety of all but what basis of search here? Mitigation required, caution, warnings, parents involved under circumstances presented.