Beware the Symbolism

I suppose in a world where the gun is considered evil by interventionist dogooders we should not be surprised that the starter's pistol, used by officials to start races at track and field meets, is under attack.

And the movement to ban the gun because of its deadly symbolism includes someone who literally has pulled the trigger to start foot races for thousands of high school athletes across Ontario.

"We don't need people standing around with (pistols) – those days are done," said Brian Keaveney, a former teacher and an internationally ranked starter who has his own pistol.

Having guns in and around schools is bad optics, he added.

Keaveney has been joined in the call for the starter gun ban by some officials from the Toronto District School Board and Athletics Ontario, among others.

The push for a change comes almost two years after the May 2007 shooting death of 15-year-old Jordan Manners at Toronto's C.W. Jefferys high school.

A probe into school safety after the Grade 10 student's death raised troubling questions about safety levels in GTA schools and the threat of weapons on school property.

Questions that I'm sure will all be answered as soon as starter's pistols become a thing of the past.