...Well, no matter, I am sure banning ARs and high capacity magazines will in fact ensure that no more mass killings occur. Yeah, it will work. So, who has the magic wand that will make the 300 million guns already in the country disappear. What about the fact the Ct shooter basically stole the weapons he used, as did the recent shooter in Oregon. Yup, pass those laws and everything will be all better. Everyone head to the closest sand dunes and insert head.
The issue isn't as simple as that, Snibbor, I'm sure most of us understand that.
What is necessary is a rebuilding of culture. We have to accept - as an entire country - the responsibility of dealing with mental illness and social failures. It sure ain't gonna be easy, but it sure beats sitting around and do nothing.
But here's the real reason for my post. I was thinking a lot about the wolves/sheepdogs/sheep metaphor, and believe there is something very powerful in it. I'd like to invite all of your thoughts on an idea ...
We have volunteer fire departments with remarkable individuals who put their lives at stake (I salute them); why not a structure for the defense of schools?
What about a nationwide matrix of local volunteer defense forces, populated with properly trained, armed people who live in close proximity to schools? An emergency response communication system could be put in place to trigger telephone calls to the response team in the event of an incident. The responders would know each other, the school staff, and the layout of the schools they protect, and would be led in any intervention by a trained, qualified person, such as an ex cop, an off-duty police officer, ex-military, or some other person of high level of training (similar in concept to a fire-chief).
I honestly don't believe arming school staff would be effective, but having a group of trained defense volunteers immediately to hand would enable our communities to provide a faster and more powerful response than police in many cases.
Here's part of my rationale:
1. We send our children to schools, to be in the care of the school system as deputies for us parents. In effect, the school is an extension of the homes of all the children in the classroom. If we accept this definition, then defense of the classroom is a logical extension of defense of the home, and the laws applicable to lethal use of firearms would apply.
2. A school defense militia would, in many cases, be able to respond faster than local police, and in all cases in far greater strength and with greater tactical awareness. If what some of you are claiming - that armed defenders would be a real defense - then such a response team would be effective at deterring a greater number of these attacks.
Is this a crazy idea? What do y'all think? I'm not saying I totally agree with this idea, but I want to foster discussion and brainstorm ideas. Please feel free to criticize my idea. It's OK to call the idea crazy, just don't make it personal :-)
And just for the record, I confess I am a gun-hating liberal, but I don't claim to be right or have all the answers, and I really do respect opinions other than my own, as long as they are well thought out.