School Shooters
It is a shocking travesty that those two words can occur next to each other! We all feel helpless in the face of evil. However, I believe it is a multi-faceted problem, and until all three problems are addressed, the carnage of the innocents will continue.
The United (I prefer Untied) States of America is the only country where children are murdered, and homicides are through the roof. I hosted a student from Belgium for a semester, who asked it if was safe to go to school or would he possibly be shot; they think our country is completely nuts in Europe and Canada for electing crazy people and allowing assault weapons to be purchased like candy. Studies show children today, especially high school students, suffer terrible mental health anxiety and fear from the “school shooter drills” they must endure.
The problems as this unqualified regular person sees it are:
1) More mental health screening and access through physicians and employment. Kids should be screened for mental health issues at school. If someone is diagnosed as dangerous, even though this is politically incorrect and difficult for parents, there should be an option mandated for home schooling until they are cleared as safe.
2) It is outrageous that assault weapons are legal for anyone to purchase. There may be an age limit, but of course we know that is easy to get around, and people can order online or make their own. I understand the philosophy of the “right” (no pun intended) to own a small gun for self protection of your family. Owning an assault rifle designed for a massive bloodbath is not what our forefathers intended. This must stop.
3) Every airport and most hospitals and public event spaces have robust security. You can’t go to a baseball game or even a concert without going through security. Yet our school campuses are completely open for any psychopath to walk right into. I was amazed at my granddaughter’s school that anyone could walk onto the playground at any time. It is not that hard to have a gate and security. If we can do it at the County Bowl, surely we can do it to protect our precious innocent children. This is not the Little House on the Prairie days when 10 children from close knit communities could skip to school whistling the “Lassie” theme and not even think about safety. The common theme of every school shooting (I cringe saying those two words together again!) is access. Access to weapons, and access to schools. Sadly, we need to secure our schools until people learn to stop murdering each other.