CA High School student recognized for essay on gun control

[ericire12]

http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_12591640?nclick_check=1

Like many teenagers and young adults in Santa Cruz County, Justice Locatelli can discuss and defend his well-developed, informed political viewpoints.

But Locatelli, a 16-year-old junior at Monte Vista Christian High School, actually turned his passion for politics, specifically the Second Amendment, into a spot at the National Youth Education Summit YES, a week-long program in Washington that offers an opportunity for high school students to see America's political process in action, first-hand.

An avid marksman who said he goes target shooting and hunting on a regular basis, Locatelli's history with the Second Amendment starts with his family, active participants for five years of the Watsonvile and North Santa Cruz County chapters of Friends of the NRA, a nonpolitical subsidiary of the National Rifle Association. Half of the proceeds raised from the organization's annual dinner and auction go to local organizations like the Boy Scouts and law enforcement agencies, and half go to national organizations that promote firearm education.

"I've been interested [in the Second Amendment] for years," Locatelli said. "Of course it comes from my parents, to a point. When I started learning about it, I gained a lot more interest in it."

The YES program is sponsored by the NRA, the largest Second Amendment lobby group in the nation, and includes a tour of the White House and a chance to meet NRA Executive Vice President Wayne Lapierre. Locatelli is one of  just 40 high schoolers accepted to the program. The application required a high school transcript, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement and a three-page essay on the Second Amendment.

Locatelli's essay, titled "Gun Control -- Can We Be Disarmed?" focused on the historical significance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

"I went back to the Constitution and said that it's obviously our history," Locatelli said. "It's also our freedom, therefore we shouldn't have that taken away. The Second Amendment, to me, is your freedom to protect yourself or go out and have a fun day shooting."

Patriot

[tt11758]

His parents should be very proud.

[shooter32]

Here is hope for the future. A fine young man, not a future sheeple.

[JC5123]

Let's just hope that the country lasts long enough for people like him to take over...