Every practitioner who has ever cast a protection spell knows that they’re very tricky to cast properly and take years to master. Even though most casters who work in government preside over Gun Free Zones (over 78%), GFZs have come under fire of late from watchdog groups who say that zones are simply failing to protect people. This is largely due to the recently published study by the Office of Magical Affairs (OMA) which found that most government casters graduated from casting school with well-below-average grades. The study found that over 94% of all government casters casting GFZ spells scored a final and overall grade of no greater than 61%. That fact combined with several criminal breaches of GFZs have led many people to reconsider their safety in these zones.
A new law passed in 1994 prohibits any civilian from casting in or around Gun Free Zones and government casters are not subject to civilian oversight nor are the schools where they learn to cast. That means, all GFZs are protected by spells cast by the least-skilled (government) casters. This could explain why they aren’t keeping guns out of these protected zones.
“There can be no other explanation,” said Cast Commissioner Mary Yulz, “for how guns are making it across the protection boundary of these zones. When cast correctly, the protection field around the zone prevents a gun from being able to pass it. Since they’re getting across, that means someone’s not doing their job.”
Some government groups have suggested that it’s not the fault of the casters but of the nature of the protection spells themselves. “Protection spells were made thousands of years ago and haven’t been modified or improved in millennia despite our efforts to change that”, said Federal Spell Oversight (FSO) Director Doug Weller. “What we need is congress to have the courage act and allow us to update these aging spells rather than them just blaming the casters.”
“The spells work when you cast them correctly,” said Professor Dorin Clay Jr. in response to the FSO chairman’s remarks. “I’ve been studying and teaching these spells for over 43 years, and I can tell you with confidence that whoever is casting them in Gun Free Zones, is casting them incorrectly.” Professor Clay’s long tenure at the National School of Magic and as a board member of the Center for Casting Safety has led to him being called as an expert witness before congress on several occasions.
GFZs exist to protect everyone inside them from gun damage by stopping guns at the border. This is the main reason all civilians have been prohibited by law and spell, not only from casting in the zones, but from carrying guns in them as well. But if the protection spells are failing, what’s protecting innocent people inside them from becoming victims of gun damage from a maddened criminal?
Perhaps it’s time for the government to review its requirements for casters and enforce a higher standard so that GFZs have a 100% defense rating instead of their current rating of less than 16%. Until then, perhaps they should lift the carry ban in these zones so that people can protect themselves from criminal violence, especially from gun damage. If the government’s protection spells don’t work and can’t keep us safe, we must be able to protect ourselves.
Amidst the turmoil, the government is now considering temporarily lifting the ban on carrying guns in GFZs until it can determine how guns are getting past the protection border and what to do to stop them. There is a hearing scheduled in mid-2028 to decide whether to hold a committee whose job it will be to consider whether to take a vote to determine if congress will have a debate on the gun carry issue. As efficient as government is, these proceedings can still take time, but many politicians predict we may an answer to the congressional debate question as early as 2072. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see, and hope the protection spells in our respective zones don’t fail.