Friday, the last of the funerals were held in and around Newtown CT, and for those affected, the holiday season has been ruined, anticipation and joy cruelly being replaced by despair and horror. I suspect the rest of us are relieved to have them done so we can go about our preparations without having to dwell on those events, at least for now. Besides, our children are not going to be in school for the next week and a half, so in our minds, they are safe, for now. What about on January 2nd, when they return to school. Are they going to be any safer then? Without immediate action, the honest answer is no!
By all accounts Sandy Hook Elementary is not much different than most of our schools. Unlike inner city schools, where violence led decades ago to not only a need for higher security, but an acceptance of it's implementation also, schools like Sandy Hook are perceived as safe. Many of the parents of the students there would probably have been horrified at the idea of having metal detectors and armed police officers on duty in their children's school. It is sort of like the idea there are places where doors do not need to be locked. Those are myths perpetuated by a distant memory of a time long past when communities were much more intertwined and where those who would do harm could not easily hide. Our society is no longer like that. Let's face it, most of us do not even know who our closest neighbors are so finding the rare crazed criminal is almost impossible to do.
Events at Sandy Hook are sure to lead to a vigorous debate about a whole host of issues. Unfortunately, debates take time and policy implementation even longer. Except for one. Currently, school superintendents across the country are given the authority to allow any employee to carry firearms. Sadly, many operate under the dangerous assumption that by declaring schools "gun free zones" it somehow makes them safer places to be. This is a horrible miscalculation which can be blamed for much of the loss of lives in these situations.
Some of you may be questioning how it is I can comment like this. Well, let me explain how. Between 2007 and 2010 I received extensive training in active shooter scenarios as a Special State Police Officer working on a local college campus. I was also certified as a patrol rifle instructor for the state of Massachusetts. In addition I received first responder training to critical incidents by Homeland Security. My 20 plus years of law enforcement experience as municipal police officer, private police officer and military police officer lead me to have strong opinions about these issues. In all of the training I received, one theme stood out. The quicker a firearm held by a good guy is brought to bear against a bad guy holding a firearm, the more lives saved. Simple, but true. This is the reason active shooter response training was changed after Columbine. Yet, even with this proper change, there is a problem. Most of the time, the good folks with guns are too far away to help.
Given this, I would concur with the proposal brought forward by Wayne LaPierre of the NRA. I am not a member but he has a valid point. We should immediately demand there be a resource officer at every school. Our school budgets do have the funds for this. In addition, policies which declare our schools gun free zones should be abolished immediately and any employee duly licensed should be allowed to carry on their person a firearm if they choose. After all, if you believe those employees are not responsible, then why are they working in the schools in the first place?
I personally spoke about this with a current firearms instructor who works full time as a police officer in a local town. He offered to train any school employee to the same level that he would train any police officer and he agrees they should be allowed to do it. We have armed security for money, politicians, special buildings, vehicles, yet our most cherished, most valued members of our lives, our children, are left at the mercy of these crazed criminals. It is not right and it should be fixed by January 2nd, 2013. Otherwise, our children are at the same risk as they were last Friday. Unless they attend one of those inner city schools.
