I have a microphone and you don’t,
so you will listen to every … word I have to say
- Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer
A week (or so) ago, a
commenter complained about me getting off the subject of the Followers of Christ,
and while I do care about what readers want, there are times when I have
something else to say. Like now.
A pro-gun friend of
mine posted a link on Facebook about an attack in China that had taken place on the same
day as the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. The person basically said, “see, it doesn’t matter if guns are legal, crazy people
are everywhere.” I’m sorry for the Chinese children who were
attacked, but they are all still ALIVE.
I have been teaching
for the past ten years. I have taught in a preschool, elementary schools,
junior high schools, a high school, and college.
The safest school I
worked at was Glencoe High School in Hillsboro. The school doors are kept
locked, except the front door right by the front office. There are hundreds of
video cameras throughout (and outside of) the school, including classrooms. The
videos are being constantly monitored by a security person. There is a security
staff, and the school has an armed police officer onsite.
I have shared on a
previous post that I dislike guns. I have good reasons for disliking them, but
this is not the time to share those specifics. What I do want to address is
what can be done to prevent irrational people from massacring innocent folks.
Especially children.
Here are my
suggestions. Please add your own suggestions in the comments below:
- Increase security, such as that at Glencoe High School.
- Arm a few, well-qualified and thoroughly-trained staff members. I hate the thought of guns in a school, but it seems that we’ve gotten to the point that it’s necessary.
“The only thing that stops a bad
guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Wayne LaPierre
3. Make assault weapons
illegal.
In Australia, gun laws
were changed after a public massacre. Guess what? That fixed the situation.
There hasn’t been another since.
4. Increase/tighten gun
control laws. A lot. A whole lot. People (gun proponents) will argue that this
doesn’t work because criminals don’t obey laws, but I disagree.
Mexico has recently
shut down (nearly) private gun ownership. It’s rumored that the government
searched homes and businesses to confiscate weapons. This has greatly reduced gun-related deaths.
In Canada, it takes up to 60 days to obtain a
gun, after registering, taking a class and going through background checks.
5. Pay attention to our friends, neighbors, and children.
Seriously, these guys were mentally ill and some people knew about it. We need
to take mental illness serious and be proactive in getting the people into
treatment.
The United States has
5% of the world’s population;
Half of all firearms
worldwide,
And 80% of gun deaths
in the 23 richest countries.
