With the past horrific shooting deaths of school children, and the renewed and intense gun debates, many are seeking some kind of answer. And I agree, we DO need to explore WHY such things happen, and HOW we can curtail such acts.
I'll be clear right here though. I am NOT an advocate of additional gun laws. NONE. We aren't enforcing enough of what we have now. And further laws only serve to restrict freedoms. I'll leave the rest of that argument for later. (Registration? See comments at bottom.)
National Rifle Association's Wayne LaPierre suggested having armed guards at every school (which I agree with). Others, suggest arming teachers. Others still, want school administrators only to be armed. Well surprise, I have an opinion ... or two!
To start with, I am NOT in favor of - "arming teachers". I AM in favor of "allowing school districts" to be open to teacher/administrators being "permitted" to armed carry in schools. But first and foremost, I want our teachers, the best we can get, to TEACH. Fact is, most teachers would not want to be armed, and shouldn't be armed. They are "teachers" of our nation's schools. They aren't cops, or otherwise trained security guards (*). But they should be permitted the option, same as with our airline pilots.
I am in absolute favor of armed "School Resource Officers" in every school in America. And those assigned, should be proportional in numbers to the school's student ratio, i.e., 1 SRO per 1,000 students (as example). Similar to the average ratio of Cops per 1,000 population. Today, as has been for some time now, many schools already have SROs.
I would also prefer sworn Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), and not private "security guards". LEOs go through FAR more training than most any security guard ever will. And, they practice shooting FAR more than most any security guard ever will.
(*) Private security guards, like Mall Cop types, are NOT sworn Law Enforcement, and except for trained "personal security" folks, most all Security Guards get very limited training, and are far less screened and vetted.
Add to that, they should get special SRO training to focus on "student safety" and responses. They should not be used to supplement normal Teacher/Admin in-school discipline issues!
Okay, as for the combined issue of - Manpower and Budgets, I'll chip in this ...
Manpower, so as not to take away from much needed LEOs on the street, I would hire more SROs, and I would pull from our returning Veterans. Fully vetted returning soldiers, already well trained in firearms, and dare I say, street diplomacy, I think are an ideal resource to draw from. Besides, who would dare try to challenge one of our Veterans? They have lived in an environment where they faced constant threats, and were ready to commit their very lives to defend and protect their buddies and their mission. (The biggest threat to these folks however, could be boredom!)
Budgets are a concern for every School District. Well, what ever taxes need to be directed toward this, should be done. (How and where to tax, is another discussion.) We find other reasons to tax for other stuff(and pork), and what better reason than that of the safety of our children!
While some (many?) will argue this, I'll say that for ME, I would be willing to work for a little less money, as a SRO, than what street Cops get. Lets face it, active SROs would not be handling day to day, call to call, contacts with dangerous people. Street Cops are paid to address serious and dangerous people every day. A SRO would likely never encounter such a deadly threat, and if so, once would most likely ever happen at any one school. An SRO would not be paid for what they do, near as much as what they may HAVE to do. (What about recently retired LEO's and Military, to supplement their retirement incomes? Hire them part-time [saving expense of benefits], with rotating personnel to cover full weeks throughout the school year. - I'd be willing to do that part-time now!)
It is my belief, that once enacted, that professionally armed presence would thwart most all threats of a violent person attempting anything on our schools.
MAKE NO MISTAKE - There is no such thing, as complete security! Evil people, driven do do evil, will find a way. No matter what we do, that applies!
As for the so-called "assault weapons", well, I ranted on about that before. MY bottom line, is what is legal today, should be legal tomorrow. These type firearms, which I also own, are used for possible defense of person, home, neighborhood. They are also sporting rifles, plinking guns, and competition rifles. So they DO have legitimate sporting purposes. (Anyone who is a "plinker", knows that "re-loading" mags is a pain in the butt, when you want to kick up cans, perforated paper, and hear the ting of a steel target! So extended mags are fun and convenient.)
And on the AW subject, the 2nd amendment was written for ONE reason, and that is so citizens had access to weapons in order to oppose a tyrannical government. If citizens cann't own their own firearms, then ONLY such a government would have them. That was to be prevented with the 2nd. Times may have changed, but the principles have not! Besides, the modern day AW, is yesterdays Musket.
I am a firm supporter of the NRA, and encourage membership for everybody, even non-gun owners. At least get on their website and read what all they do and are involved in. If you don't know them, then you will be surprised.
https://membership.nrahq.org/forms/signup.asp?CampaignID=nranews
As for gun registration? I am absolutely against it. We do have criminal background checks on purchases from dealers. And, every firearms dealer licensee (FFL), is required to keep the yellow form that is filled out by the buyer. Those are not sent to law enforcement or the feds, but can be available for review by law enforcement should they need to search a purchase. ATF can check with a manufacturer, and on to a supply house, to track a firearm to a dealer. The dealer can then be contacted to check on that inventoried firearm, then match to a buyer, should a gun be used and recovered in a crime. Registration, logged onto a government database, is the first step in confiscation. Even if no confiscation is planned now, that is NO guarantee that it won't with any new administration. (Years ago, when I closed my little shop, it was only then that I had to turn in all my forms and sales books.)
Disclaimer: I am a Life Member of the NRA, but speak ONLY for myself. I am also a father, former Combat Vet, former Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer, and have been involved in children's programs of all sorts.
