Guns in HS Senior Photos

Browncoat

Senior Member
On the heels of the Protecting yourself thread, comes this news story:

Nebraska school lets students pose with guns for their yearbook photos

The school board unanimously voted 6-0 on Monday to allow 17 and 18 year old students at Broken Bow Public Schools in Nebraska to have firearms and knives after bowing to pressure from parents.

nrm_1414146934-college_seniors_pose_with_guns.jpg

WARNING: This is a very left-leaning article.

I live in a rural area where hunting is just part of life, and I have photographed several seniors with guns myself. Hunting is just another sport, and I don't see it as being any different than a senior posing with other sports props.
 

AC016

Senior Member
First things first, why are you reading Cosmo?? :rolleyes: Well, it's a bit weird when you consider the school has a policy of not allowing guns on it's property. After all the school shootings that have occurred, with Sandy Hook still fresh in my mind, it's all a bit off center to me. I just don't see the need to have "Janey" pose with a Desert Eagle in a HS year book, but that is just me. Let's face it, guns were invented to kill. I just don't see a correlation between graduating high school and deadly weapons. Only my opinion of course.
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
First things first, why are you reading Cosmo?? :rolleyes:

LOL! I use a news aggregate that scours for various topics, regardless of their source.

As for the rest, you raise a valid point. I'm very pro-gun, but I can see that this is a sensitive issue. However, this is clearly promoting hunting as a sport. But if that issue gets raised, where is the line drawn?

I don't imagine that Chicago city schools allows their seniors to don gang banger colors and pose with AK-47's. But if you allow promoting this kind of "gun lifestyle", then what's really the difference from another?
 

AC016

Senior Member
LOL! I use a news aggregate that scours for various topics, regardless of their source.

As for the rest, you raise a valid point. I'm very pro-gun, but I can see that this is a sensitive issue. However, this is clearly promoting hunting as a sport. But if that issue gets raised, where is the line drawn?

I don't imagine that Chicago city schools allows their seniors to don gang banger colors and pose with AK-47's. But if you allow promoting this kind of "gun lifestyle", then what's really the difference from another?

Many hunters do use a handgun for hunting, even a Desert Eagle. With a .44, .50 AE or even a .357, the Desert Eagle makes a good gun for big game, such as bear. However, the "bling bling" Eagle the girl is holding is a bit obnoxious for a hunting handgun. You will usually see Eagles that are used for hunting, in "black", with an optical sight or with an extended 10" barrel or both. So, i am not sure that particular photo is promoting hunting. I still don't see the correlation. It makes me wonder if this is something the parents thought up or was it really an idea the students came up with? I went to a HS in a very rural area and everyone i knew (the guys) had access to guns. Not one of them would dream up of posing with their gun for the year book though.
 

Pretzel

Senior Member
Just my 2 cents on the matter: I'd say if hunting were a big part of their life, why not allow guns in the pic when representing the sport? Heck, a lot of the ROTC students participate in marksmanship events... wouldn't that be allowed? Maybe it's not considered a "school" activity though.

2 of the above shots I'd say were fine. The pose with the Desert Eagle, while I have nothing against the pic itself... perhaps it shouldn't be in the yearbook. No matter what you believe, that pic is VERY polarizing, and practically makes a political statement on behalf of the school whether that's the intent or not. Should the school choose to say "No guns in the yearbook" though... *shrug goes here* Let's just say it wouldn't hurt my feelings. It's just a yearbook, and if you want all your friends to have a pic of you with a gun, order some extra 3x5's from your photog and hand 'em out. :D

Not an issue worth a fight, IMO.
 

AC016

Senior Member
Here is some food for thought: Since these photographs are supposedly portraying a "way of life", what would someones reaction be if a male student wanted to pose in drag? It's his "way of life". I can bet anything that there would be an uproar and that everyone would be "up in arms". There are many more examples that i can use, but i think most people will get the point. Despite the fact that hunting and guns is a deep rooted "way of life" for these folks, they still feel the need to portray it in a HS year book, which to me is kind of a "in your face" move. I am sure they are proud people and good for them. I personally still don't see the connection, but i am not from Nebraska ;)
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
As a family we all shoot and my kids have their own guns. We also have pictures of our kids with guns and I would shoot senior photos with guns in them. However, a year book is not really the place IMO. For me, if the school said no gun pictures in the year book then I too shrug.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I think there is a certain portion of the population that looks for any and every opportunity to be offended. Of course once offended, they take it upon themselves to make everyone else within a sixty-mile radius aware of just *how* offended they are, how offended we should be if we're not and how there ought to be a law against such things.

Your pearls... Quit clutching them.

....
 

Pretzel

Senior Member
I think there is a certain portion of the population that looks for any and every opportunity to be offended. Of course once offended, they take it upon themselves to make everyone else within a sixty-mile radius aware of just *how* offended they are, how offended we should be if we're not and how there ought to be a law against such things.

Your pearls... Quit clutching them.

....

What do you have against pearls? You got a problem with clutching?? Every pearl deserves the right to be...

Oh, wait, I get it now...

(ALL tongue in cheek, of course)
 

Anschutz

New member
I had a gun in mine but it happened to be one I used in competition which helped me get to West Point so it would be like posing with a baseball bat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

STM

Senior Member
I this young woman loves the outdoors and likes to hunt, then her Senior photos are a reflection of her personality. What the fig I wrong with that?

If I may get on my soapbox for just a moment. I am so sick and tired of the "gun-o-phobia" left in this country. Our Constitution provides for all American citizens the right to keep and bear arms. If the lefties don't want to own firearms, that is certainly their right. But they have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to prevent the rest of us from owning firearms if that is what we choose. My gun cabinet looks like an Infantry museum. I don't just collect them, I SHOOT THEM REGULARLY. I love to hunt, have done it since I was 10 years old, and I eat or give away all of the meat of any animal I have shot. Do I have racks and a few mounted heads on my wall? Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do. If the offends you gun grabbing lefties, then that is too f'n bad. You have NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT WHATSOEVER to not be offended. Go get some therapy and go on Prozac.
 

AC016

Senior Member
I this young woman loves the outdoors and likes to hunt, then her Senior photos are a reflection of her personality. What the fig I wrong with that?

If I may get on my soapbox for just a moment. I am so sick and tired of the "gun-o-phobia" left in this country. Our Constitution provides for all American citizens the right to keep and bear arms. If the lefties don't want to own firearms, that is certainly their right. But they have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to prevent the rest of us from owning firearms if that is what we choose. My gun cabinet looks like an Infantry museum. I don't just collect them, I SHOOT THEM REGULARLY. I love to hunt, have done it since I was 10 years old, and I eat or give away all of the meat of any animal I have shot. Do I have racks and a few mounted heads on my wall? Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do. If the offends you gun grabbing lefties, then that is too f'n bad. You have NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT WHATSOEVER to not be offended. Go get some therapy and go on Prozac.

There is a comment section below the article.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Boy, year books have sure changed since I went to school. Our pictures were head/shoulder shots and a few of the school clubs, athletic games, etc. Of course we didn't have cameras back then, everything was done in charcoal drawings. Ha! Most of the extra activity shots were shot by members of the photography class & club. Actually we did have a rifle team and had a range in the basement of one of the school buildings. There were pictures of that team also with their .22 rifles. The idea of having student pictures taken in other settings away from the normal photo studio (selected by the school) was not an option. Senior pictures, all of the guys wore a tie, white shirt, and suit coat. I did comply with that, but wore cut-off jeans as they wouldn't show in the picture. :)

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Guns or no guns in pictures............................................really............................................what are our high school year books coming to. Ha!
 
Boy, year books have sure changed since I went to school. Our pictures were head/shoulder shots and a few of the school clubs, athletic games, etc. Of course we didn't have cameras back then, everything was done in charcoal drawings. Ha! Most of the extra activity shots were shot by members of the photography class & club. Actually we did have a rifle team and had a range in the basement of one of the school buildings. There were pictures of that team also with their .22 rifles. The idea of having student pictures taken in other settings away from the normal photo studio (selected by the school) was not an option. Senior pictures, all of the guys wore a tie, white shirt, and suit coat. I did comply with that, but wore cut-off jeans as they wouldn't show in the picture. :)

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Guns or no guns in pictures............................................really............................................what are our high school year books coming to. Ha!

You and I must be about the same age. That was the way it was when I was in school.

My wife teaches at the local High School and rumor has it that they will be dropping the year books entirely because the kids just are that interested in them anymore and the cost has gone through the roof. It is a large school also, about 2200 kids in grades 9 - 12. I am sure the smaller schools are having a harder time with it.
 

Pretzel

Senior Member
Boy, year books have sure changed since I went to school. Our pictures were head/shoulder shots and a few of the school clubs, athletic games, etc. Of course we didn't have cameras back then, everything was done in charcoal drawings. Ha! Most of the extra activity shots were shot by members of the photography class & club. Actually we did have a rifle team and had a range in the basement of one of the school buildings. There were pictures of that team also with their .22 rifles. The idea of having student pictures taken in other settings away from the normal photo studio (selected by the school) was not an option. Senior pictures, all of the guys wore a tie, white shirt, and suit coat. I did comply with that, but wore cut-off jeans as they wouldn't show in the picture. :)

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Guns or no guns in pictures............................................really............................................what are our high school year books coming to. Ha!

I just did a senior shoot this weekend and found out that, for the class pics section, a photographer came in and did standard head/shoulder shots, but parents can now buy spots for 1 photo, 1/4 pages, 1/2 page or even FULL pages for "other" pics...

My mind was blown, but hey... creates more opportunity for us weekend hacks. ;)
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
First things first, why are you reading Cosmo?? :rolleyes: Well, it's a bit weird when you consider the school has a policy of not allowing guns on it's property. After all the school shootings that have occurred, with Sandy Hook still fresh in my mind, it's all a bit off center to me. I just don't see the need to have "Janey" pose with a Desert Eagle in a HS year book, but that is just me. Let's face it, guns were invented to kill. I just don't see a correlation between graduating high school and deadly weapons. Only my opinion of course.

Guns, and the right to posses them, have long played a vital role in the history and traditions of this nation.

One thing that I find shameful is how cowardly, ignorant, and complacent so many of my countrymen have become; that we, as a nation, are so willing to surrender to criminals and tyrants the means to defend ourselves, our homes, our families, and our freedom therefrom.
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
I think there is a certain portion of the population that looks for any and every opportunity to be offended. Of course once offended, they take it upon themselves to make everyone else within a sixty-mile radius aware of just *how* offended they are, how offended we should be if we're not and how there ought to be a law against such things.

Your pearls... Quit clutching them.

....

How odd that one major thing that is being treated as “offensive” these days is expressions (as protected under the First Amendment” of the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms “as protected under the Second Amendment”. How did we get to the point that such legitimate and proper exercise of our most essential Constitutional rights is being taken by so many as “offensive”?
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
I this young woman loves the outdoors and likes to hunt, then her Senior photos are a reflection of her personality. What the fig I wrong with that?

If I may get on my soapbox for just a moment. I am so sick and tired of the "gun-o-phobia" left in this country. Our Constitution provides for all American citizens the right to keep and bear arms. If the lefties don't want to own firearms, that is certainly their right. But they have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to prevent the rest of us from owning firearms if that is what we choose. My gun cabinet looks like an Infantry museum. I don't just collect them, I SHOOT THEM REGULARLY. I love to hunt, have done it since I was 10 years old, and I eat or give away all of the meat of any animal I have shot. Do I have racks and a few mounted heads on my wall? Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do. If the offends you gun grabbing lefties, then that is too f'n bad. You have NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT WHATSOEVER to not be offended. Go get some therapy and go on Prozac.

I wish I could “Like” this posting more than once. Very well said.
 

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
Boy, year books have sure changed since I went to school. Our pictures were head/shoulder shots and a few of the school clubs, athletic games, etc. Of course we didn't have cameras back then, everything was done in charcoal drawings.

When I was that age, charcoal drawings hadn't been invented yet. My yearbook picture was painted on the wall of a cave, in the blood of a recently-slain enemy from a rival school. That was rather tricky, since neither blood nor cave walls had yet been invented.
 
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