Let's Get Serious About Stopping Gun Violence

Are we serious about reducing gun violence, or do we just want to ban guns?

Gun control doesn't work.  Since we started to enact these laws, 80 years ago, gun crime has actually increased.  Gun rights advocates say gun control is contributing to the increase.  Gun control advocates say we need more laws.  Both are wrong.  No one has ever scientifically shown a causal correlation between gun restrictions and gun crime.  Gun control does not reduce crime.  It also does not increase it.

Gun control does absolutely nothing.

Isn't it time we stopped passing useless laws in a feel-good effort to “do something”?  Isn't it time we enacted measures that really work?  Isn't it time we asked the experts what to do rather than the politicians?

Active Shooters in Schools: The Enemy is Denial

Active Shooters in Schools: Should Teachers be Trained by Police Firearms Instructors?

In the above articles, Doug Wyllie addresses the issue of stopping an active shooter in a school setting.  He talks about designing schools to provide safe zones, holding drills, training teachers in how to safeguard their students, etc.  He compares it to our initiatives to avoid injury and death from school fires, and follows a similar model.  Wyllie also discusses the idea of training and arming certain individuals in the school, so they will be able to respond immediately with force-on-force, in much the same way a police officer would in a similar circumstance.  This is much like the Israeli model for defending against terrorism.

And let’s call this what it is.  It isn’t a gun problem.  It isn’t a mental health issue.  It’s not about video games, movies, or a lack of God in our schools.   These issues may contribute to the cause of these events, and it’s great that people want to study them, but we need to focus on our response first.  Dealing with the triggers can come later.  We are responding to terrorism.  Period.

Israel has dealt with terrorism almost since the nation was re-established.  We need to look at their model.  We need to consider adopting some of their policies.

Israeli teachers can and do sometimes carry firearms to protect their students.  Armed military personnel patrol public areas, ready to respond to terror threats.  Private citizens are observant and report suspicious activity which is immediately investigated.

I believe we should adopt some or all of the following policies:

• Teach firearm safety in the schools.  The Eddie Eagle program is one of the best models out there.  Let’s use it.

• Provide funding for community education programs teaching home firearm safety to adults and older minors.  The NRA’s “Home Firearms Safety” program is an excellent training model.  (The NRA and its instructors would probably offer this program for free if asked.) 

• Create a new Civil Defense Corps (CDC) made up of private citizens who have passed a background check and mental health screening.  Members of the corps will be overseen by Homeland Security, which will provide funding and supervise training.  Members will voluntarily provide security to local public areas and schools.

• Use the National Guard and reserve military personnel to supplement the CDC in providing security in areas under federal jurisdiction such as Post Offices, airports, train stations, etc.  National Guard units could also be used in State areas at the request of the Governor.

• Start a national program teaching the general public how to watch for and identify unusual activity and report it to the authorities.

• Ask the media to voluntarily stop providing names, images of, and statements from criminals who engage in terrorist acts such as public shootings or other forms of mass murder.

• Allow Concealed Pistol License (CPL) holders to carry in currently restricted areas in which other official forms of armed security are not provided (i.e. Schools, hospitals, sports arenas, stadiums, etc.).

• Amend current laws to protect lawful armed citizens from prosecution and litigation should they use their firearms in a justifiable manner, especially in the protection of the general public.

• Eliminate “gun free zones”.  Police, military personnel, CPL holders, etc. should be allowed to carry freely in these areas.  (Criminals already do.)

• Allow all public employees with CPLs to carry while on duty, not in a law enforcement capacity, but as first responders in a terrorist event.  Provide any necessary training to interested employees.

• Offer free training, litigation protection, and tax incentives to private companies who allow their employees to carry firearms while at work.

• Equip every police car with a high powered rifle and provide appropriate training to all police personnel.

• Allow CPL holders with rifle training to keep secured rifles in their vehicles.

• Finally, let’s start enforcing the laws we already have.  Let’s get serious about violent crime.  Let’s stop offering parole, plea bargains, and suspended sentences for violent crimes.  Jail sentencing should not be seen as a punishment for violent criminals, but as a means of protecting the public through sequestration.