In a move that blatantly disregards the rights of law-abiding citizens, State Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, has audaciously presented a bill to the N.H. Senate Judiciary Committee this Tuesday, aiming to strip individuals of their right to carry firearms onto school property. This Democratic push towards infringing on our Second Amendment rights under the guise of “safety” and “well-being” is not only misguided but dangerously naive.
“As a concerned citizen, legislator and most importantly, a parent with young children I believe that this legislation is crucial for the safety and well-being of our schools and communities,” he said.
Fenton’s rhetoric about promoting security by disarming responsible adults is a thinly veiled attempt at eroding our constitutional freedoms. Senate Bill 593, as proposed, would supposedly enable quicker responses to threats by school officials and police—yet it conveniently exempts law enforcement officers, school resource officers, on-duty military members, and those specially authorized by local school boards.
Let’s not forget that New Hampshire already has laws preventing students from bringing guns to school. However, Fenton’s bill seeks to extend these prohibitions to adults—essentially suggesting that parents should disarm themselves even when dropping off their children. “This bill asks that if you have a gun, you keep it in your car if you’re dropping off your kids, plain and simple,” Fenton stated.
Recalling his experience during the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, Fenton uses emotional manipulation to push his agenda forward. “Since then, we’ve practiced hiding under chairs, lockdowns and evacuations,” Fenton said. “I don’t want my kids to live in fear and this is the direction we are heading.”
However, what Fenton fails to acknowledge is the deterrent effect armed citizens can have on potential threats. Instead of empowering individuals to protect themselves and others in critical situations, his bill seeks to create vulnerable ‘gun-free’ zones that could potentially attract malicious actors.
The recent incident involving a two-hour lockdown at Lebanon High School and Hanover Street School over an individual with firearms only underscores the need for competent armed presence around our educational institutions—not less.
Despite nearly 200 school shootings since 2018 as reported by Education Week, Democrats like Fenton continue to ignore the fact that criminals do not adhere to gun bans. His claim of balancing public safety with Second Amendment rights rings hollow when his actions clearly demonstrate an intent to restrict lawful gun ownership further.
GOP Gov. Chris Sununu and Republicans in the N.H. Legislature have consistently stood against such overreaching measures by working to expand gun rights instead of curtailing them—a stance all freedom-loving Americans should applaud.
In stark contrast to Fenton’s fearmongering tactics stands Rep. Bob Lynn, R-Windham who rightly criticized the bill during the Judiciary Committee hearing as “the ultimate feel-good legislation.” Lynn astutely pointed out that those intent on causing harm will not be deterred by such bans—a sentiment echoed by many who understand that safety comes from responsible armed citizens rather than defenseless zones.
“The people that I know who own guns are responsible people and the people who are not responsible people are not going to be stopped by this.”
It’s worth noting that when Democrats had control over the N.H. Legislature in 2019 attempts were made through bills like HB 564 (prohibiting firearms on school property), HB 514 (requiring background checks for commercial firearm sales), and HB 109 (imposing waiting periods for handgun purchases) which were all vetoed by Gov. Sununu who emphasized addressing root causes of violence rather than restricting constitutional rights.
Fenton’s proposal adds another layer of confusion for school officials unsure how to react when seeing an adult with a firearm on campus—a problem exacerbated by conflicting state laws regarding firearm possession in schools.
“An adult walks into a school with a gun, a teacher doesn’t know if this is an active shooter threat,” he said. “Does the teacher go into lockdown does the teacher call police? It’s so murky.”
As we await further developments from the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding SB 593 it becomes increasingly clear: The Democratic agenda prioritizes disarming law-abiding citizens over tackling real issues surrounding violence and mental health in America.