LTE – Ryan Luepke – 12-19-12
Like many of you reading this, I too said a prayer for the victims and families of the recent shooting in Connecticut. It seems to me that our society is on the down slope but that’s a topic for another day. One way or another this act committed against the most vulnerable of our citizens will likely result in legislation of some type on both the state and federal levels. Make no mistake, the politicians on both sides think they have the answer to this violence. They don’t.
The answer to this violence in our schools is really quite simple. It need not be difficult, more dangerous than what we have now (nothing), or expensive. Allow our teachers, principals, support staff, and parents to carry legally concealed firearms while on school grounds and in the classroom. Teachers in some parts of Israel carry firearms in the classroom, many teachers there sometimes carry “assault weapons” on school grounds. That’s right folks they carry guns similar to what Mr. Lanza shot 20 young children with. Many will respond and say we are not Israel. I would argue that the only difference is that we don’t have rockets raining down on us. The bad guys go by different names, but in the end, they are still just as evil. Maybe, just maybe, our society is more dangerous than Israel’s. I hope that our citizens and politicians look at this problem realistically, but they won’t. I pray to God that this recent act results in both sides finally coming to the conclusion that guns are actually the solution to the problem and are not the problem itself. What other choice do we have? Police officers or uniformed armed guards? This might deter some shooters yes. But if the determined bad guys and criminally insane know who holds the guns, they’ll just shoot them first or ambush them, then what? Then you have a dead cop or guard and no one to engage the shooter and stop the slaughter. More physical security? Funneling all visitors past the main desk is a good idea but does nothing to stop a determined shooter. You need staff in this area carrying a gun. Buzz them in? Ok, but do you think that a homicidal/suicidal person determined on getting into the school is going to just walk back to their car and drive away. If they want to get in, they will. That’s the cold hard reality. It’s as simple as breaking a window and crawling through. Large properties like schools, colleges, and hospitals are extremely difficult to secure against intruders. You could have the school built like a medieval castle complete with a moat but you’d never be able to guarantee that you can keep out the bad guys. History proves that this is a fact. I find it interesting that these school shootings really started to grow in number when the school zones were made ‘gun free’. Maybe the signs should read ‘free slaughter zone’. Sound terrible? It should, because that is exactly what we have on our hands right now. A slaughter zone. A slaughter zone in which the good guys (teachers, principals, support staff, and parents) are not allowed to defend our lambs when the wolf comes calling. Our goal should be to make the school zone an unattractive target for the bad guys. Right now it isn’t, it’s a very attractive target for the bad guys and mentally ill. Let’s create some uncertainty for the wolves by arming the shepherds. That is a deterrent in itself. Since Israel has armed some of their teachers, many times the bad guys there now go to other targets that are easier to attack. Buses, outdoor cafes, etc. Want to build a castle to protect our lambs while they get their education? We can’t afford it on any scale that will make a difference and guarantee safety. We don’t have the money in this school district to put in a security system complete with state of the art technology and armed security/police staff. Let’s face it, we don’t have the budget of the White House or Pentagon with literally unlimited funds. Some basic physical security upgrades are probably in order, but not on the magnitude that some are going to call for. I’m sure there are a few reading this that think allowing legally concealed firearms in schools is completely crazy. Ok, then please educate the rest of our district and society in general on how you can stop the slaughter. Realistically, you will never be able to prevent these shootings every single time. People will still die, even with the good guys legally carrying concealed firearms. But, you can minimize the body count by having the good people armed to confront the bad guys. Many active shooters turn the gun on themselves when they are confronted by another person with a gun. This apparently happened during the recent shooting in an Oregon mall. Sometimes the good guy is able to shoot the bad guy and stop the slaughter. It has happened many other times. Some will argue that the good guy could accidentally injure/kill another good guy. Sure, that could happen. So is the answer to that to do nothing but let the bad guy kill at will? No, it is not the answer. Folks, our lambs are all penned up for the slaughter. Support arming the shepherds.
Ryan Luepke
Glenwood Township
Editor’s Note: One of the nation’s leading authorities on guns, John R. Lott, told Newsmax that gun free zones are a “magnet” for mass shooting attacks. He also says that Europe, with strong gun control, has almost an equal number of such attacks, and suggests allowing teachers and school officials to carry guns. It could be the best way to mitigate against future attacks.