(Although I am a Life Member of the NRA, the following are MY personal views only, and not those of any organization, association, or any other entity.)
I believe the fear of guns, is UN-healthy, and even causes our children to be in MORE danger. Fear of anything, may cause a reaction that could be a more dangerous response than the stimulus itself. Having "respect" for a firearm, is much safer than a "fear" of firearms, and can save lives.
Our current rhetoric from political and anti-gun activists, are instilling unnecessary fear, by targeting "guns", and even "gun owners", as evil. Instead of a focus on "evil" people, we are being diverted away from them, to the "gun". Guns are but one of the tools of an evil person may use. (Remember, Tim McVeigh used "fertilizer" bomb to kill 168 people!)
Many people simply get nervous, even fearful, at the mere sight of a gun, on a police officer's belt or otherwise. This is an unreasonable fear, that has been taught and reinforced by anti-gun political forces. I know that from my time as a Police Officer, I would encounter some everyday people who would look at my sidearm, and I could see a slight facial recoil from that sight. I still think that is a silly notion. MY firearm was of NO threat to them. Yet they displayed fear of my police sidearm.
In today's classrooms around the country, we are instilling such a fear, and school children are even being suspended for the simple use of a "finger" held like a pointed "gun", or a pencil drawing of a "gun", and to even include the drawing of a soldier with a "rifle"! How absurd. And I suggest, even dangerous. (You might also read my post, http://american1st.blogspot.com/2012/12/portrait-of-gun-nut.html )
We should be teaching ALL children, a healthy "respect for" and the "safety around", firearms. A healthy respect of what they are, what can be dangerous about them, and most importantly for our children, what to do if they encounter a "gun". NRA's "Eddie Eagle" program school children, is an exceptional one. The taught motto, "STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult".
But sadly, because it's provided by the NRA, that program is often shunned!
See: http://www.aaof.com/ed1.htm
But we, our country in general, are doing the opposite. We are teaching "fear" to our children. And that "fear" is UN-healthy. By making fearful children, we make fearful adults. Fear is a natural response to danger. But instilling fear of "things" not presenting an immediate danger, is not productive.
In the real world, there is much to fear. School shootings for one. Tragic shootings, by purely evil people, is a problem that causes all parents to fear for their children. That fear, in MY view, is causing people to react by focusing on the wrong things. Focusing on some of the tools of the evil, is not focusing on the evil. Being fearful of any true danger of any one "thing" is one thing. But better placed fear is of an evil person, and what ever method they may use.
In a split second, someone can be so afraid that they may react as if their life were in danger, even if it actually isn't a deadly threat, and their body would initiate the fight-or-flight response that is critical to any animal's survival. Even when there is no danger at all, but the belief that danger is present, caused by a stimulus such as a spider, a sudden sound in the dead of night, or the sight of a gun, can also cause some people to react wrongly, and increase their own danger.
Reactions to fear can be different for different people. I KNOW from personal experience, that fear can cause one to be frozen in place, or if armed (in my case), fire without focus and control, emptying a magazine uncontrollably.
I believe that could be why many do not want armed police/guards in schools. They are so afraid of "guns", or the sight of a gun, that even an armed police presence make people fearful. This is shortsighted, and dangerous, as it leave "guns" to be in the hands of just the bad guys, who will not care a lick about a "Gun Free Zone" sign on the front door! And with over 300 MILLION firearms in this country alone, the "gun" will never go away. NEVER. Even if we stop producing firearms, other countries WILL provide black market guns, true machine guns, to street thugs. (Or Eric Holder will arrange the sale to drug bandits!)
To coin a phrase, that IS appropriate, "If guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have guns." Deny as some will, but it is absolutely true.
TEACH our children knowledge and respect, NOT fear. Its one thing to acknowledge that "danger" may be present, but knowledge of what to do will provide for a more controlled response, and a safer one.
