“Last week, more than six hundred voices echoed across the gymnasium of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana,” thetrace.org reports. “They belonged to students gathered to recite a pledge, but not the familiar ode to the stars and stripes. This one was a pledge against illegal drug use gun violence.” Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Hey, I could have put unprotected sex. Or drunk driving. Nodding off in math class? Anyway, in its unending search for PR, the civilian disarmament complex has revived an ancient student pledge (original name unknown). So, what good is it? would you take it? Here it is . . .

I will never bring a gun to school. 

I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute.

I will use my influence with friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes.

My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference.

Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety. 

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence

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64 COMMENTS

  2. I would not take this oath.

    Some of it is common sense, no need to oath-ify it…

    Some of it opposes common sense…

    Some of it seems to exist in defiance of reality…

    Overall, it appear to be written by a very confused, or very stupid, person.

  3. OK.

    But I can still own the gun, right? I just can’t use it to settle a personal dispute if I take this oath.

  4. Well, I don’t go to school, I won’t commit to not using a gun to solve a problem as long as being attacked by someone intent on causing me or mine harm can be classified as a “problem”, I won’t expect my friends to make such a commitment, and I can only pledge regarding my own actions, not someone else’s. So no, I guess I wouldn’t take that one.

    • Yes death by other forms of violence is fine – as long as it isn’t “gun violence.” Bat violence, brick violence, knife violence, etc – all those are acceptable and no oath is needed.

  7. I got a better one.

    I pledge to take my gun everywhere I legally can. I pledge to use it to stop any one trying to kill or serious injure myself or my loved ones. I pledge to inform my friends and use my influence to support and promote their exercising of the second amendment protected rights. Our combined actions will see that our rights to defend and protect ourselves and others from all threats will ensure freedom for generations to come.

    • “I will never resort to violence at school.
      I will never use violence or coercion to settle a personal problem or dispute.
      I will use my influence with friends to keep them from using violence or coercion to settle disputes.
      My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference.
      Together, by honoring this pledge, we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.
      The Student Pledge Against Violence/The student pledge for nonagression”

      A few very minor changes to the original… If I took pledges or believed the mattered I’d take this pledge, it’s essentially the nonagression axiom in pledge form. You actually have to sign something similar to join the libertarian party.

  10. There’s nothing wrong with this pledge — for children. But any adults who feel a need to take this pledge automatically revert to childhood and have to go back to thumb-sucking to relieve their stress.

  11. So was this some sort of mandatory school thing? if so someone needs to be called on carpet. I don’t want my kids doing any sort of pledge that isn’t the Pledge of Allegiance.

  12. If the other party in the dispute pulls a gun on me, you’re damn straight I’ll use a gun to finish said dispute.

  13. F O R
    For-violence.

    The 2nd Amendment is the acknowledgement of the right to the means of violence against your a-hole neighbors who bunch up and call themselves “government” and say you don’t have any rights.

    hella big violence

  15. Lost me on the first line. I used to take a gun to school every day. Not much time between last bell and sundown. It’s just not reasonable to waste 30 minutes going home first during hunting season.

  16. Now if they can get UT students to take the same pledge for dildos. It’s time to stop the dildo violence. Makes as much sense as the gun pledge.

    • I really have no problem with the UT students carrying dildos as long as they follow EXACTLY the same rules as students opting to concealed carry under the new Texas permission.

      * Student must be 21 years of age or older.
      * Pass a background check.
      * Get a government permission slip including a minimum of 8 hours training and demonstrated proficiency in their use.
      * Always carry your dildo concealed. (Where is personal option, but I have a suggestion…)
      * Gun Free Zones on campus are also Dildo Free Zones and you must secure your dildo in a safe location before entering.

      • I thought you were going with the other rules for a minute there…

        Always assume it’s loaded… Keep your finger off the trigger… Never point it at something you’re not willing to destroy

  17. St. Augstine is a private parochial school. Most of the public schools here in CA have declined to permit Eddy Eagle or similar gun safety programs. In fairness, Common Core and other demands leave little time for non-scholastic essentials.

    CA public high school scores have gone from among the nation’s highest to among the lowest. Meanwhile the Santa Clara County Office of Education worries about salad bars and removal of junk food vending machines. Abysmal student test score and drop-out rates testify to their priorities.

    • As with most Lib/Prog efforts at addressing violence (of any sort) this totally fails to differentiate between criminal violence and self defense.

      A pledge recited under duress by immature students with no real understanding of the issues is ridiculous security theater and I’m reasonably (100%) sure that students involved in gangs, criminal activity or with some psychopathic intent or sociopathic grudge will pay absolutely no attention to these frivolous promises if they decide they need a gun to make a point on campus.

  19. I can’t take this pledge. I’m homeschooled so yeah I think I broke every rule. As far as personal disputes my family has a little competition every now and then to see how accurate and fast we can shoot the targets to see when rule of law is no more who gets to hold the gun. And my friends join in to so yeah I’d say I encourage my friends to settle this personal dispute with a gun.

  20. I would not take this silly oath,
    I would not stunt my mental growth,
    I would not take it, Sir or Ma’am,
    I would not take it, Sam I Am!

  21. Kinda like the dim wit local 16 year old chick that started a no text and driveing pledge at the local school. A wonderful idea. Mom and Dad were so proud, the local news paper lauded her efforts. Then she went and killed someone with her car, while she was texting…

  22. I don’t take pledges unless somebody is paying me then I take the pledge, cash the check and promptly disregard any pledge made.

  24. I’d love to but since i live in a ” stupid oath ” free zone.I just can’t.
    Maybe some other time.

  25. But knives, and steel pipes are still OK for settling personal disputes?

    Her’s my pledge “Don’t start nothin, won’t be nothin”

    • Or how about this one:

      “Don’t fvck with me and you will never know I’m carrying a concealed pistol.”

  26. Reminds me of MADD and DARE… I wouldn’t and neither will my Kids… Apples and Oranges as they say… Guns are not a crutch they’re a tool…. We can thank Holder for this tripe…. I think the Eddie the Eagle campaign has it right… This is brainwashing and I find it dangerously irresponsible…

    • Just went back and checked and sure enough, the pledge only speaks to “guns”. No mention of rifles or pistols or grenades or RPGs or….

      That’s a bit sexist if you ask me. “This is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for fighting, this is for fun.” But brings up the question, for the girls, does a dildo qualify as a “gun” by default or only if it is a smoothbore?

  28. Wait, if I claim I can ring a steel target at 1200 meters and one of my shooting buddies calls BS, how am I supposed to resolve this personal dispute without using a gun?

  29. I will always reserve the right to initiate violence, with whatever tool might be at hand, upon whomever I might deem necessary, at my sole discretion. I say this because I’ve learned my bitter lessons from engaging in such silliness when I was younger.

  31. What about professional disputes? Are those still ok? If you disagree with a grade you got, that isn’t a personal dispute at all.

    Although, I suppose the first line means that the issue needs to be resolved in the parking lot and this away from the campus cop.

    It seems to me that it would be prudent to let teachers at this school CC.

  33. I remember settling an issue with guns.

    The argument was over who should get the first try at fixing a piece of machinery. We emptied our guns, set them on our laps, got blindfolded, and the first to disassemble and reassemble (correctly, of course) won.

  34. “I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute.”

    I’d say an armed intruder in the house is something of a personal problem that should perhaps be solved with a firearm. It could also be seen as a dispute, as trespassing, breaking and entering, and burglary are something of a sore spot with me…

    Just as one example of the idiocy of this “pledge”.

  35. Sounds a lot like the pledge taken by university students in Europe after World War One. The pledge to never take up arms in a arm conflict no matter what the situation. Worked wonders back then right?

  36. My buddy says he already requires his guns to be nonviolent. They’re told to stay where he puts them, and if they get up and run around and break things they get a time-out in solitary.

    • Me too, but since learning the history of the pledge of allegiance and thinking about what it says I can’t in good conscience use it as an oath.

  38. The did something like this at my kids’ school, back in the ’90s. Parents complained pretty darn quick. My daughter refused. Made me proud.

  41. I will never intrude upon another’s Constitutional rights.

    I will never demand another endanger himself on my behalf.

    I will never devalue myself so much as to render myself defenseless.

    I will never allow the principles of this nation to be subject to the whims of petty politics.

    I will never comply with unconstitutional laws.

    That’s the only pledge any true American should take.

  42. This pledge is immoral. Sometimes a “dispute” is that someone is actively trying to murder you and/or others, has the means to do so, and you and/or others are in imminent danger or death or grievous bodily harm. In such case, it’s morally imperative to use whatever means possible to save lives, and highly commendable to prepare by arming. Even for a child. If I was being murdered, it would be righteous for me to toss my weapon to my young son for him to shoot the murderer and save me if it was possible for him to do so. In addition, this pledge is not for any length of time. While it may be appropriate for children to not bring firearms to school (except for a class trip to the range or firearm instruction day, right?), I take my word seriously. There’s nothing wrong with going to school with a gun, when you’re a responsible adult. Kids shouldn’t be asked to make promises about their behavior as adults. Carry a gun to a graduate school with campus carry and be a benefit to society and public safety as a responsible armed civilian.

  43. This is where I live. I wish this site would have a write-up about the ongoing investigation New Orleans is having regarding the current police response times.

    Just google: “New Orleanians on average wait over 1 hour for police to arrive”.

  45. I do solemnly swear to do violence unto death in the defense of myself, loved ones and innocents throughout society with no exception and restriction on methods or weapons.

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