In the aftermath of the recent shooting in Florida, people are taking notice of a major inconsistency in what should be priorities. Put into social media memes, it goes something like this: In America we protect our airports, banks, Brinks trucks, museums, politicians, celebrities, sporting events, factories, jewelry stores and court houses with armed security. But when it comes to protecting the lives of school children, there is pressure in far too many places to think that putting up a sign that says ‘Gun Free Zone’ is good enough. Well, we all know now, or should know at least, that it certainly is not. And yet, there are people, usually activists on the ‘Left’ of the political divide – and the politicians who fear them – who continue to disregard reality and insist that to place armed guards and metal detectors in schools sends the wrong message. But what message do those Gun Free Zones send? Simply answered, it tells any crazy with a gun of his or her own or a bomb or a knife that the school in question is an unprotected and easy target.
Here’s another one for you. The idea is being pushed by clear thinking people to put trained, experienced and armed professionals in every school to protect these kids. There are literally thousands of unemployed veterans and retired police officers, who would jump at the chance to get a job protecting the nation’s school children. Here again, the left leaning activists claim that this too would send the wrong message. To these activists, I say, ‘being blinded by your ideology is no way to go through life and it just adds to the problems we see now’. As far as the claim that it would be too expensive, stop sending foreign aid to countries that hate us and picking up every other country’s tab to float the UN and use that money to protect American children. Again, we have priorities.
Since last week’s shootings, I’ve spoken to three mothers, all of whom have children in elementary schools. All three are worried and each one desperately wants the schools their kids attend to be better protected with metal detectors and yes, trained security people with guns as well.
After every mass shooting we have the obligatory preaching from Hollywood celebrities chastising American gun owners for refusing to give up their right to own firearms. Yet, as we all know, these are the same people who make millions from glorifying gun violence, terrorists and gang culture in their films. Some of their producers are invested in creating video games targeted toward America’s youth that give the game players extra points for rape and killing police officers. The higher the body count, the more points earned. It’s a good bet that not one of these celebrities or the politicians that think the same way would ever give up their own armed security.
Those who know me know that I’m a strong Second Amendment advocate and continue to be. I’m also a long-time member of the NRA. As is par for the course, after incidents like what just happened, all the usual characters gravitate to the news cameras and vilify the NRA. But let’s be clear who makes up that organization which has been an American institution since 1871. They have more than 5 million law abiding members and it gets larger every year. Among the ranks are literally tens of thousands of current and retired members of law enforcement.
Members are farmers, laborers, union members, doctors, lawyers, nurses, members of congress and people from every walk of life. Fifty percent of all new members are women. Former presidents Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were proud to hold lifetime memberships in the NRA. This is an organization that works in close cooperation with police departments all across America to provide gun safety training to youth and adults alike and has done so for generations. And the kicker is, even with all the hate thrown at them by the news media and left wingers in Congress, every survey taken clearly shows that among the American public, The NRA has a much higher favorability rating than Congress and the Media combined.
As far as the dreaded AR-15 rifle, it is said that there are probably at least 8 million of these rifles in the hands of law abiding Americans. Some are calling to ban them. But it’s doubtful that the sale of new ones will ever be stopped and those out there already will never be allowed to be confiscated. The genie is out of the bottle. I know of at least a dozen local residents who own an AR-15 and they haven’t shot anyone. It’s not the gun. Americans have always owned guns, it’s the culture. It’s what so many kids are being taught in schools, the disregard for the value of life with Hollywood being the biggest culprit and the fact that kids are convinced by irresponsible adults that they should be offended by just about everything.
I have good friends with differing opinions on this subject and that’s ok. This newspaper has an Op Ed from one of my friends. Real friends can always agree to disagree and still be friends. We all know that in America, a person’s views on a subject are not the only views allowed. But here you have mine.
I’ll close this week with another saying that was sent to me by a young mother from out of state with small children of her own concerned about what’s been going on: “You may not like guns. That is your right. And you may not believe in God. That is your choice. But if someone breaks into your home, the first two things you’ll do is call someone with a gun and pray they get there in time”.
