USA – -(Ammoland.com)-Joshua Bruner, a 15-year-old high school student from Ringoes, New Jersey, made headlines in June when his school, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, refused to accept a photo he submitted of himself for a photography class assignment, wherein students were instructed to provide self-portraits that represent their personality.
In Josh’s now famous photo, the young man is standing proudly awash in sunlight and looking into the distance atop an all-terrain vehicle, holding his Remington 12-gauge shotgun in one hand and the American flag in the other – an encapsulation of Americana.
A Life Member of the NRA, competitive shooter on two state teams and a U.S. Sea Cadet, he thought the photo was the perfect representation of his interests and ideals, and eagerly submitted the project.
Administrators at the school refused to accept the photo, citing the depiction of the shotgun violated the school’s firearms policy and initially refusing to grade the assignment. After relenting and offering a so-called compromise, the school agreed to grade the assignment, but still prohibited Josh from uploading the photo to school servers, claiming the patriotic photo “can be taken out of context.”
According to Josh, the only thing the picture depicts is an unwaveringly proud American, dedicated to one day serving his country, continuing family traditions, and exercising his Constitutional rights.
