"They Just Teach 'Em Critical Race Theory, Anyway!"

Citing the mass shooting at Oxford High School, a Republican member of the State Board of Education is arguing that Michigan should end its compulsory school attendance law.

A Democratic board member says he's trying to exploit a tragedy: https://t.co/DO8o0Sw1kc

— Craig Mauger (@CraigDMauger) December 6, 2021

"As I said, if they need to take their child out for a week, a month, a year and do whatever they want with education while focusing on their child's mental health, then they should do it," McMillin said. "And I've seen that the pressures of school requirements can bear down on kids with mental health problems and their parents."

I really don't think that was the problem at Oxford High.

McMillin says repealing the compulsory attendance law "would open up all kinds of opportunities for families who have kids with mental health issues."

Some parents might have children in fine mental health but are concerned about the environment at their children's school because of threats and bullying, the former lawmaker said. They should be able to remove their students from class, McMillin said.

"They shouldn't have to get permission," he added.

There's almost a scintilla of a reasonable idea there, but wrapped around it is "Parents need to take their crazy kids outta school!"

Michigan law was not a bar to the parents of the shooter at Oxford High.  In fact, they refused to take their kid out of school. The prosecuting attorney is now publicly considering charges against school officials for not overriding the parents and forcing the kid to leave school.  Kinda hard to say the current state of Michigan law is the problem here.

What school admins *really* need is the threat of criminal prosecution as an incentive to search more students.

And guns aren't just hidden in backpacks, you know. https://t.co/akq6C6MwkA

— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) December 6, 2021

What this situation demands is more sledgehammer solutions to swatting the fly, while ignoring the 900 lb. gorilla of gun fetishism and gun proliferation. I actually heard commentary about Michigan being a "hunting" state and do disinclined to hold the shooter’s parents responsible. As if sensible gun owners (and I know a few personally) would respond to the school shooting:  "That's why I tell mah kid to take his gun to school but be careful where he points it!  Gun safety is all about bein' careful where ya point tha gun!"

“Michigan is a hunting state” means “there's nothing we can do.”  So let's start hunting for more people we can put in jail; that's a solution that solves every problem!  Or we can just tell parents with crazy kids to take 'em home and leave 'em there.  Right?

Easier than wrestling with a gorilla. 🦍