So-called gun violence is deemed to be a problem in such a way that it certainly looks like any other kind of violence is perfectly acceptable, especially in places like Maryland.

And, to be clear, Maryland has a problem. It’s called Baltimore.

The city is rife with violent crime, including a lot of it committed with a firearm, and it’s been so bad that the state has passed numerous gun control laws.

It seems they don’t seem to be working all that well.

Which is why I came across a report about a protest there. The headline reads, “Maryland parents, students demand legislation preventing gun violence.”

Um…there are already laws against gun violence and every other form of violent crime. Why would Maryland need to pass laws to prevent it if there are already laws intending to prevent it?

Of course, we know exactly what they mean. They want gun control, as becomes clear in the body of the piece.

Advocates gathered in Annapolis Tuesday in large numbers. They demand action on gun violence, especially in and around schools.

Two groups, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, converged on Lawyers Mall. They are rallying to expand landmark legislation to improve gun safety and enhance gun violence prevention measures.

Gov. Wes Moore is one of their biggest supporters.

“We are going to pass legislation to make sure you are protected, to make sure you are supported and to make sure your family members are remembered,” Moore said.

Advocates support Moore’s bill which would create a Center for Firearm Violence Prevention. They want to see legislation reforming shooting victims’ compensation and continued funding of community intervention and prevention programs.

They also called for the passing of the Gun Industry Accountability Act, which would create a legal avenue to file lawsuits against gun-makers whose weapons are used in shootings.

The “Center for Firearms Violence Prevention” sounds like the exact same anti-gunner jobs program we’ve seen elsewhere.

That last paragraph, though, really shows you what they’re up to with these attempts to get around the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. They just want to create a pathway to sue gun manufacturers for things they had no part in, simply because they want someone to blame.

Yet what we need to remember is that Maryland has extensive gun control laws already on the books, none of which have accomplished anything to prevent so-called gun violence. Nothing at all.

Baltimore remains one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

Oddly enough, though, while all these activists are trying to find new and interesting ways to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms, there’s something that Maryland officials could do that would likely create real benefits in reducing violent crime as a whole.

We know there’s a long link between education and crime. This has long been established. While educated people do sometimes break the law, the kinds of laws being broken aren’t likely to result in innocent bystanders being shot in a drive-by.

Yet Baltimore schools are completely awful.

In September, 2023, it was reported at 13 high schools in Baltimore had no one score proficient in math on standardized tests.

Students took the tests in the spring of 2023, just a few months ago. Project Baltimore found 13 Baltimore City high schools where not one student who took the state math test scored proficient in math. Not one student.

In total, students at 33 Baltimore City high schools took the state math exam last spring. Project Baltimore did not include Eager Street Academy in our analysis because it’s located in the Baltimore City Detention Center.

Of the 32 high schools remaining, if 13 had zero students test proficient, that means 40% of Baltimore City high schools could not produce a single student doing math a grade level. The list of 13 schools includes some of Baltimore’s most well-known high schools, including Patterson High School, Frederick Douglass, and Reginald F. Lewis.

But that’s not the only alarming finding we made. In those 13 high schools, 1,736 students took the test, and 1,295 students, or 74.5%, scored a one out of four. One is the lowest level, meaning those students were not even close to proficient.

Now, I get that there will always be some students who have no interest at all in learning. You can’t beat the knowledge into their skulls, after all. They have to put in some effort themselves. You’re never going to get perfection in public education.

But there’s no way that many students are refusing to put in any kind of effort. At least someone would want to get a decent grade, for the dopamine rush if nothing else. That means the issue lies in the schools themselves.

So while activists are demanding changes to the law, maybe they should be looking at the city and state and demand changes to the educational system.

Do that and I suspect you’ll see the rates of “gun violence” plummet as test scores rise and no one is getting their rights trampled on in the process.

Where’s the downside here?