As a father and grandfather, I grieve with the nation over the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Watching the White House townhall with the bereaved family members, survivors of the shooting, and educators was enlightening. There were basically two groups that met with President Trump, and they mirror the two visions of government for this nation.
One group understands that in a free society there exists danger, and a wise person may desire that the danger should not exist, but they want to be prepared for it, if, and when it comes.
The second group merely wishes that there was no danger; that a law could be passed that would take care of the problem and eliminate the need to have individuals take a defensive position when evils comes knocking. And, because we are dealing with fallen humanity, we know that evil does and will come knocking again.
I found it amazing that President Trump offered the most sane and obvious solution, and one that could be implemented quickly. A solution that could have demonstrable effectiveness: eliminate the target on the school, as a result of it being a “gun free zone.”
We protect everything we value with guns: Presidents and legislators; banks and jewelry stores; actors and actresses; athletes and the billionaires who pay them. But the same leftists who pour hate on police officers that use guns to defend us from internal threats; and soldiers that use guns to protect us from external threats; are now pushing against the idea of arming teachers to protect our children from crazed killers.
The President suggested that some school teachers, and other school personnel, could become gun qualified, as not only a deterrent, but also in case of another attack. In spite of the obvious, and understandable pain of these parents and teachers who oppose President Trump’s suggestion of arming teachers, I would ask them the tough question, “Why is it okay and admirable for a teacher to throw himself/herself into the line of fire in front of students to take the bullet while they are unarmed, but it’s not okay, or admirable, for that same teacher to get in front of the students with a gun to shoot back?
I know we should not press a grieving parent, but this obvious question must be put to our society at large.
Many of the nation’s voters wanted a real man’s man as President. In President Trump, we now have one.
In the video clip below, one of the grieving fathers pleaded with all gathered, to keep the gun control debate separate from the issue of protecting our children. Our “real man” President heard him. Do we have what it takes to follow his lead?
I believe that the seventeen fallen would want the students at any future incident to have a fighting chance. Perhaps, then, they could rest in peace . . .
Alyssa Alhadeff, 14
Scott Beigel, 35
Martin Duque Anguiano, 14
Nicholas Dworet, 17
Aaron Feis, 37
Jaime Guttenberg, 14
Chris Hixon, 49
Luke Hoyer, 15
Cara Loughran, 14
Gina Montalto, 14
Joaquin Oliver, 17
Alaina Petty, 14
Meadow Pollack, 18
Helena Ramsay, 17
Alex Schachter, 14
Carmen Schentrup, 16
Peter Wang, 15
