Yesterday, a young man walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and opened fire.
As I type this, 17 wonderful human beings are dead and at least 12 more are wounded and fighting for their lives in South Florida hospitals. I’m sure amazing doctors and EMT’s are doing what they can, and the stories of their heroism will be told in the days to come. Thoughts and prayers abound.
The shooter, according to NBC, is a troubled young man named Nikolaus Cruz, who was expelled from the very high school he unleashed his anger upon. He knew his victims. He knew the grounds. It is believed he used an AR-15 style weapon.
While the blood was still wet liberal politicians are hit the internet calling for more gun control. I am tired of arguing with idiots. Gun control doesn’t work. Calling for it is a political ploy for more power or simply ignorance as to the ways of the world.
I will not argue about how scary an AR-15 looks or how the Second Amendment is only for a militia. I’m tired of innocent people, especially our children, being slaughtered because we are too afraid to say and DO the truth. Gun control fails 100% of the time. You can outlaw AR-15’s for eternity…that won’t stop evil, death, or carnage.
Columbine was a wakeup call. The first slaughter of its kind to jar the nation. Afterward, we did nothing to stop the next one.
When the sweet kids at Newtown were lined up and executed, I was devastated and wept for those little ones. What have we done to stop it from happening again? Nothing. Prayer vigils happen. Politicians pontificate and more kids will die next year. Well…I say ENOUGH!
It’s time to for armed guards in every single school in America.
I have served on a school board. I have kids in public and private schools ages 9 to 19. I have written extensively about the merits of self-protection and released a full-length novel titled Mercy Shot on the very subject. My novel centers around a church shooting. Churches are private, and they should hire their own guards. Public schools, however, are in the realm of the general public and it is time we protect our kids as much as Binny’s Beverage Depot protects its booze!
I was recently in Chicago for my brother’s 40th birthday party. Chicago, Illinois is a town in a state known for some of the strictest gun control laws in the country and a murder rate higher than Afghanistan. We stopped by the world famous “Binny’s Beverage Depot”, a liquor store known for a huge selection and unbeatable prices.
I noticed one thing as I walked in. A big, tough-looking fellow dressed in black with bright yellow letters on his shoulder stating, SECURITY. Demonstrably upon his hip was a semi-automatic handgun. We smiled at each other. He sized me up as harmless and I read him as a dangerous man not to be messed with.
I’d never been to a “Binny’s” before and it lived up the reputation. The beer and wine selection was obscene, and the prices were a fraction of what it was back in my hometown in Iowa. But that’s not what I remember. I remembered the armed guard. Nobody was going to rob that place. Nobody was going to shoplift. Nobody was going to walk in and open fire, all because there was an obvious armed presence at the front door. That brings me to my question and my demand.
My question: Why is the booze at “Binny’s” more important than the lives of our children?
My demand: It’s time to put armed guards in every single school in America!
We can tap the retired police and military men who are proud to serve and protect our kids. They would be happy to have a job that would be to protect our innocent ones and use the skills they have earned the hard way. This is no longer a question or a debate.
An armed guard at every school and these shooting stop overnight. Seriously…they would stop overnight. They would not ever happen again at a school.
It’s not the teachers’ job. They are there to teach. It’s not the principal’s job. He’s already too busy. Trained. Serious. Armed. Professionals. That is who we need in America’s schools and now. Let’s get it going and have it in place for Fall 2018. It must be done unless we want to keep seeing kids and parents crying as they flee an active shooter in yet another school.
From now on I will blame every Democrat who stands against this idea for the next dead students. I will also blame every Republican who thinks this is a bridge too far.
I call both of you cowards.
Grow a spine and stand up for our kids. If it is an American right to have a public education, then it is an American duty to protect our kids from psycho’s like the one in Florida and others lurking amongst us all across this land.
Nothing will stop this carnage, but armed guards in schools.
It’s beyond time.