File this under the stupidity of “wanting to do something while clinging to ridiculous ideals” heading.

School board members of San Diego Unified voted to ban the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps from training its students in marksmanship. The board members used gang violence and urban shootings as their reason for shutting down the rifle ranges — as if JROTC students are gang members and thugs. And the weapon of choice for local gang members is a single-shot, .22 rifle.

“The issue here is the message that we want to send,” said school board member John Lee Evans, who proposed the ban. “And the message is that we don’t want weapons training to be part of our educational program.”

It was a victory for a coalition of high school students and community activists who campaigned against the rifle ranges in place at several San Diego high schools for more than a year, arguing that the practice encourages violence. JROTC students, teachers and backers protested the plan and complained that their program had been inaccurately linked to gang crime and recent shootings citywide, despite its clean safety record.

“We are not gang members and we have never been suspended or expelled,” said Jenny Trac, a junior at Madison High School and a member of the rifle team. Rattling off a list of her classmates’ accomplishments, she added, “Our academic accomplishments speak for themselves.”

Yes, let’s pick apart programs that produce responsible adults who possess the desire to serve their country — that’s a great message to send.

Nincompoops.