Reenactors Beware of Gun Nazi

[Chap15]

A high school kid got in trouble for leaving his Civil War reenacting rifle in the trunk of his car.



PINE BUSH, N.Y. - A teen-age Civil War buff has been suspended from school and faces serious charges after his replica musket was found in his car trunk at school in the Orange County community of Pine Bush.

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Joshua Phelps had been at a re-enactment with his Civil War costume, including a musket last week. He threw the uniform and equipment into his truck and forgot about it. Yesterday a security guard at the Pine Bush High School saw it and called police.



Phelps was sitting in study hall when the security guard told him to go to the assistant principal. When he was told they saw the rifle he wasn't concerned - thinking they would understand it's part of his costume.



But it didn't happen that way. Town of Crawford Police were called and Phelps was cuffed and charged with a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a weapon.



His mother, Valerie Michaels, is outraged, saying the school has blown this thing way out of proportion. She says also in the trunk was a costume, shoes, leather belt, powder keg, and a leather cartridge box.



Phelps used the costume when taking part of the re-enactment of the Battle of Chancellorville which was staged by the 124th New York State Volunteers. The re-enactors say they are models of the unit that came from Orange County and fought in the Civil war. High School students were recruited to take part in the re-enactors club. Phelps' mother questions why give the students fake guns and then arrest them.

Pine Bush School Superintendent RoseMarie Stark called the incident a student discipline matter and declined to comment further.

[grovb]

I read that this morning to. What a shame.

[para03]

PATHETIC!

[Peter_Suciu]

In this post-Columbine, post-9/11 world this is very common. While I feel bad for the kid he really should have used more common sense. Most schools have a zero tolerance policy, and whether we agree or not, he should have been aware of this policy. Forgetting you have a rifle, real or not, in your trunk is about as credible as those idiots who say they forget they had a loaded handgun in their carryon luggage at the airport. Didn't it sound like the kid had just come from his re-enactment? So is it forgetfulness or laziness? I know we could say, "it was his car," but if it is on school property it can be searched.

On the flip side I can say that in New York City I find some of what has been happening very disturbing. Two years ago on Halloween my wife dressed in a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Chinese costume. I had on an American WWI uniform. I did NOT have anything resembling a firearm but she had a sword (decorative with dull blade). We took the Long Island Railroad to a friend's party and on the way home the conductor nearly had the train stopped because the sword was across our seats. It was wrapped up but the conductor saw the end of the handle and asked (loudly), "is that a sword?"

Meanwhile there was a group of kids dressed as vampires (god I hope those were costumes) drinking beer openly (a violation that is never enforced). Now I know there was a shooting on the train a few years back and all...but come on. And it is quite normal for me to see cops with M-14 sniper rifles, H&K MP5 submachine guns and even the occassional M4 with grenade launcher.

[Theodor]

Some people are morones Still can not decide if this is a funny or sad story, or both

[Panzer]

Wait a minute.....how did the Security Guard see it? He must have left it in plain view or it was not secured properly.....in which case he deserves a smack....because this is lazy and carless. If he is old enough to drive a pickup he's old enough to secure a WEAPON.....it's not a dammed spud-gun.


And before you start howling.....I work with guns...have been shot at with guns and will be working with guns on a film set tommorrow. So I am no tree hugging hippie! Oh and Cheers! Wade K.

[Craigob]

Greetings all,
A few things here don't make sense.

"Why give the students fake guns then arrest them?"
Who gave the kid anything?

I'm a reenactor and all the stuff I carry belongs to me personally. The article said it was HIS musket. If it DID belong to the school then why did the kid take it home with him after the reenactment? Bad planning and dereliction of duty by the school arms keeper!?!?!?
The article said students were "recruited" to take part in the reenactors club.

Who allows grownups to come into a public school and ask if they can "borrow" some kids to play with guns and black powder? This is the most bizarre thing in the whole article to me.

Even if it's a reproduction musket ( therefore a "fake" in some ways ) it can still shoot a lead projectile and kill someone. It's still a firearm to me! BATF doesn't classify anything made prior to 1898 as a firearm at all but local municipalities may think different!!!

The article said it was found in his car trunk but then it says the kid was driving a truck so there's no trunk to "hide" stuff. Which is it??? It must have been in plain sight ( in a truck ) so the kid wasn't too bright to leave it there no matter where he took it. If he had covered the thing up completely or better yet, removed it from the vehicle he wouldn't be in this mess! Below average thought processing here!
Misdemeanor....criminal possession of a weapon? Sounds like more than a misdemeanor to me!

This might all be basically true but there is obviously a LOT of fact sorting left to be done before the gallows are built.

My opinion here... give the kid his $400 musket back, tell him STERNLY not to bring it to school anymore, and get on with life. Have the police chase real criminals instead of semi-dumb harmless kids!

[Peter_Suciu]

My opinion here... give the kid his $400 musket back, tell him STERNLY not to bring it to school anymore, and get on with life. Have the police chase real criminals instead of semi-dumb harmless kids!

Agreed on all counts. I don't know the kid "forget" it was in the car but then it was seen by the security guard. Worst case the kid should have told the security guard and principal and asked to go home to remove it from the car. But it just sounds like laziness...he returned from a reenactment and didn't feel like taking out his gear. Zero tolerance policies are commonplace, so you can't feel too bad for the kid.

[George Stimson]

Wade

"And before you start howling.....I work with guns...have been shot at with guns and will be working with guns on a film set tommorrow. So I am no tree hugging hippie! Oh and Cheers! Wade K."

I'm a tree hugging hippie with guns!

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I'm a tree hugging hippie with guns!

Ok, now THAT is scary.... sounds like the kind of house I might skip when trick-or-treating with the kids...

"that one? No son... move along....quickly... and don't make eye contact..."

And folks, have you all lost your minds? That poor kid made a mistake, even if he was lazy, he's not a criminal. It's a musket! Use some common sense for the love of god, this is a case of people with blinders who worry about that poor kid and not about the real issues....like not letting kids play cowboys and indians (or do I have to say Native Americans?)....ah... forget it, what's the use....

[Roy Queen]

When I was in high school, I was the school mascot. We were known as the Rebels, and I would wear my Confederate uniform to the football games, and fire my musket with a blank charge every time our football team scored. My teachers never had a problem with me bringing black powder and my reenacting equipment to school on game day. In fact, I also doubled as a living historian being loaned out to other schools in the area to do presentations on the common Confederate and Union soldier. How times have change in 13 years!

[Peter_Suciu]

When I was in high school, I was the school mascot. We were known as the Rebels, and I would wear my Confederate uniform to the football games, and fire my musket with a blank charge every time our football team scored. My teachers never had a problem with me bringing black powder and my reenacting equipment to school on game day. In fact, I also doubled as a living historian being loaned out to other schools in the area to do presentations on the common Confederate and Union soldier. How times have change in 13 years!

I think just wearing the uniform today would possibly be a problem!

[Rolf D.]

A while back, a high schooler somewhere in the states was suspended for having a knife in his truck. The knife was in the bed of the truck. The knife was a BUTTER KNIFE!!!!!!!!! ! He had been helping move his grandmother to a nursing home and a knife, a BUTTER KNIFE!!!!! , had slipped out and fell into the bed of his truck. Because of this BUTTER KNIFE!!!!! he was suspended. What morons suspend you because of that?

[Rolf D.]

Also, when I was a kid, guns were "bad" because of the Libs. A boy brought a GI JOE GUN to school, a little plastic thingy that he was playing with with his little 5" action figures. He got suspended too!

This guy is a cool smilie!

[Panzer]

That is all well and good and personally I also believe that "political correctness" is spoiling our world and the taste of it. But that having been said it does not change the fact that this lad (in the original story) left a GUN lying around (in his car in the car park is lying around!) and had not secured it! Anyone who deals with weapons should have enough common sense and respeect to SECURE a weapon. No "forgot it was there" or some other excuse.....because the next time it is a real gun and SORRY doesn't cut it when some kid has a hole in their head! COMMON SENSE folks....plain old garden variety COMMON SENSE!


Some people are more worried about their percieved rights being infringed upon than the FACT that children are accidentally killed by guns (left unsecured) every day. Think about it. Have the gun by all means.....but SECURE IT!
Cheers, Wade K.