All Americans watched in horror at the mass killing of innocent children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas.
That should not be a controversial statement, but to left-wing media and politicians, it is. It’s as if those of us on one side of the political debate over gun control, which is somewhere around half of the adults in this country, don’t have children and are not equally outraged over senseless murders. (RELATED: JOHNSTON: Here’s What One Democrat Gets Wrong About Biden’s Gun Agenda)
That fact doesn’t fit their agenda, so it’s just ignored while politicians like President Joe Biden and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy return to their talking-points agenda looking for solutions.
The “solution” most readily at hand is Universal Background Check legislation, i.e., gun owner registration. Would this have done anything to stop the psychopath in Texas?
Of course not. In fact, the Uvalde killer bought his firearms at a retailer and presumably passed a background check. Same with the alleged murderer in Buffalo.
The unfortunate fact is that sometimes we do not know someone is a psychotic killer until after they pull the trigger. Background checks do not help in such cases, and the politicians know that.
Still, Biden, Murphy and the Democrat leaders in Congress are pushing to implement legislation that they know would not have helped in Texas, yet will impact millions of lawful gun owners. When supporters of gun rights point out that such ineffectual laws will only lead to calls for more gun control, they accuse us of invoking the “slippery slope” fallacy.
But Murphy, who is a major gun control advocate, admits that if he can get Republicans to vote for Universal Background Checks, “then maybe we open the door for further change”
Put another way, despicable, lying politicians are looking to score some easy political points in the aftermath of a tragic mass murder. And that should make every American’s blood boil.
Instead of doing just “something,” the focus should be on doing something meaningful.
Since at least 2018, there have been several discussions, many led by Andrew Pollack, the father of a Parkland High School victim, to harden our schools.
Having single points of entry, armed security and other common-sense measures would help to at least protect our children almost as well as politicians are protected — but even this is not foolproof.
A single point of entry can still be breached. An armed security officer could be targeted by a deranged killer (which was the case in Buffalo and may have been the case in Uvalde), who could still gain access to the school.
Look back at an incident at the U.S. Capitol, one of the most well-protected buildings in the world. A lone gunman murdered two Capitol Police officers and made his way to the office of the majority leader.
Because no perimeter is completely impenetrable, there is still the need for additional security measures, including allowing individuals — teachers, administrators, school staff or parents — to be lawfully armed as a last line of defense in our schools.
Furthermore, a hardened perimeter may have the effect of moving an attack outside the school building, perhaps to a parking lot, playground, or field.
Armed security are like traditional police officers in the sense that they cannot be everywhere all the time. And attackers will normally try to avoid direct confrontation with an armed guard, so they may look for a softer target outside the school building.
That leads us right back to self-protection. When all else fails — and any system has a point of failure — the people’s right to defend themselves and others, and especially children, must be guaranteed.
Around 30% of Texas’ school districts allow for armed teachers as permitted by state statute in 2020. Unfortunately, Robb Elementary was apparently not one of them. The number should be 100%, not just in Texas, but across the country.
Of course, Biden and Murphy will not talk about citizens’ rights as they echo the ineffectual policy “solutions” of their gun control agenda, which will not change the outcome of these tragic massacres. It’s time to consider serious solutions.
John Velleco is the executive vice president of Gun Owners of America.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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