Guns in Schools?

Since the atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Democrats have resurrected the gun control issue in their never-ending attempt to expand government power.

Claiming that guns are the problem, they see an opportunity to continue their long-time efforts to disarm American citizens and convert them from free citizens into subjects.

Regardless of one’s viewpoint about private citizens possessing firearms, the issue of protecting our children in schools remains paramount.

Currently, schools are “gun-free zones.” This writer wishes liberals would explain the intellectual case for defenselessness and its virtues.

The only people in our nation that we have a legal as well as moral obligation to protect are our children.

It is negligent to render that obligation impotent by declaring that no one in a school may possess the wherewithal to protect our most precious heirs.

Denying teachers the right to protect themselves as well as their students is irresponsible and immoral. It is clear that the most cost-effective, rational and sensible method to augment our children’s safety is to permit those educators possessing the necessary desire and ability (of which there are many) to arm themselves.

Students and teachers being slaughtered is not acceptable.

We’ll never stop all mass killings, in schools or elsewhere. We should, however, do what we reasonably can to limit both the carnage and frequency.

This means trying to limit both the number of mentally and emotionally unstable people who have access to guns and the damage that they might do if they get them.

This does not mean all of us deemed “risky” should be locked up, nor does it follow that guns should be banned. Knowing, however, that even some of us who appear “normal” are bound to “snap,” it seems reasonable to try to limit the availability of those weapons that would do the most harm if misused without unduly inconveniencing or denying those who wanted and use them responsibly.

Determining how best to accomplish this will require a lot of serious conversation.

One-size solutions will not work. Differences in custom and environment suggest local solutions wherever possible, bearing in mind that the “ban-them-all” ”arm-them-all” extremes are the most motivated and most likely to be involved in the discussions.

We can’t let the zealots prevail, but neither can we just live with blood in the streets. Cool heads are called for, and calm minds and, seemingly, a bit more control.