The Sandy Hook Elementary shootings are the worst school shooting in recent memory. We must mourn the lost, love and protect those that survived, and do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
I don’t claim to be an expert on guns, violence or mental health, although that hasn’t stopped so many other bloggers, journalists and political pundits from commenting on these subjects. What I do know is schools and education, and I can tell you more guns in our schools is certainly not the answer.
The Michigan legislature passed a provision to allowed concealed weapons to be carried into schools by ordinary citizens. Thankfully, its governor vetoed the measure. I don’t think much of Milwaukee Sheriff Clarke’s and the NRA’s idea to place an armed police officer into every school any more than placing a police officer at every busy intersection, church, shopping mall or place of business
I know of only three shooting deaths in Wisconsin schools over the last 40 years, one each in Wauwatosa, Cazenovia (near Reedsburg) and Manitowoc – none in any Milwaukee school. But place guns in our schools, and I can assure you that Milwaukee will make that unholy list very quickly; other school systems will follow.
The reason is simple. The number of assaults by students on teachers each year in Wisconsin must number in the hundreds. Most are one-punch frustrations. A few are serious beatings. But if teachers carry guns, those guns will ultimately be used. It may be the teacher who pulls out the gun, but it could be the student who gets to the teacher’s gun first.
A few random shootings in our schools which would surely follow each year is a pretty high price to pay in an attempt to stop a mass school shooting which may or may not happen in one of our schools.
So far schools have relied on metal detectors, locker searches, locked doors with buzzer systems to stop guns from coming into our schools. Only police officers are allowed to carrying guns in our schools.
Perhaps increased gun restrictions, required gun registration, or banning assault weapons might cut down on some gun violence, but I realize that these actions may not have stopped the killings at Sandy Hook.
Nevertheless, we can’t shoot our way out of poverty, psychological isolation, depression, racism, drug addiction, and a host of other societal problems. The real problem isn’t the guns; it is the belief that more guns are the solution.
Need money or settle a score with a neighbor? Pull out a gun. Need to protect yourself from the individual who needs money or wants to settle a score? Pull out a gun. You have personal problems, anger or depression? Pull out a gun. Need to protect yourself from someone else who might have a gun? Pull out your own gun.
Yes, it really is true that guns don’t kill people; people kill people. But the gun nuts are enabling the ones who pull the trigger.
