A Modest Proposal to Combat School Shootings

 

Since the school shooting in Broward County (right up the road from me), a whole lot of proposed remedies have been proffered, none that I’ve seen would work. Democrats immediately dusted off their bass drum with “ban guns” stenciled across the sides and began banging it all over the commons, trying to get people whipped up and in a gun-bannin’ fever. Republicans, and that ever-shrinking intersection of conservatives and Republicans, seem willing to cede the high ground and accept the premise that “something must be done” to solve the problem, and that the entity to do that “something” is the federal government.

Let’s see, that’s the federal government that got a tipper on Cruz well before he committed his obscene crime. No. Thanks.

Unfortunately, it has become a trope that the only person that can stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun. @henryracette gets to the heart of it, as does @therightnurse advocating gun education for educators.

What right looks like:

Feds stay out of the way, other than to provide top cover and strings-free assistance to states and municipalities.

Teachers, administrators, and staff are allowed concealed carry permissions on school grounds during the workday and school events on a voluntary basis. The number and names of teachers volunteering to take true responsibility for the safety of the kids in their charge will not be in the public domain. States and municipalities waive all licensing and certification fees for educators obtaining their concealed carry permit and pay for initial training. Subsidize the educators’ purchase of a fundamentally sound and reliable firearm.  There are 1,001 subsidies that I’d be happy to criticize, this is one that I’d let slide for the nonce. Limit liability for educators involved in a righteous shoot; unless gross negligence or maliciousness is proven, indemnify them.

For parents and the community, allow licensed, responsible citizens with concealed carry licenses to donate their time to help provide a secure environment.  Parents work miracles with the volunteer hours they spend at their child’s school. Let them contribute to this most important dimension of a quality education — getting through the school day alive. Armed parents, flooding the zone (as organized by the administration) can help secure the school during the school day, at athletic events, during assemblies, and during morning and afternoon ingress and egress activities. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School had an armed law enforcement officer on the grounds — but one armed LEO cannot cover down on the whole school. Plenty of parents and concerned citizens would be willing to give of their time to prevent a massacre.

I don’t think that parents’ certifications and weapons should be subsidized. If you weren’t willing to pay full freight to protect your kin and kith before there were financial incentives, you’re probably not the right guy. If you realize you can share in the protection of your child and his classmates and assess the full freight as a small price to pay, you probably are the right person for the job. A parent (or member of the community) should be able to deduct range fees and ammunition purchases if he or she has volunteered for X hours providing security for the school.

In general, mass shooters abandon their nefarious activities when confronted, and either kill themselves or surrender. There are no mass shooters that I can find that decided to shoot it out with the police once the police were on site and able to effectively engage him. While evil, the lord-of-death fantasy mass shooters’ share is fragile, and once it’s popped the shooting stops.

At Columbine, the death toll was much higher than it needed to be because LE waited for back up/SWAT. Now, most LE advocate sending in officers on a “go when you show” basis, on the premise that a lone officer can abrupt the shooter’s fantasy and stop the killing. The mere possibility that an armed citizenry has “flooded the zone” will provide a heavy deterrent to mass shooters.

This modest proposal would do more to provide for the safety, security, and protection of our children in their schools than any ban, expanded background check, and possibly any investigative initiatives. Anyone who goes ballistic at the thought of “militarizing our schools” needs to be told to sit down and shut up, as this is “for the children.”

I call on Republican leadership to stand up, summon that glistening tear to the eye and the frog in the throat, and declare passionately with voices quavering with emotion, “If this will save just one life, how can you vote against it?”

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  1. PHCheese Inactive
    PHCheese
    @PHCheese

    Actually a not so modest proposal Boss. A lot of good ideas.

    • #1
  2. Mate De Inactive
    Mate De
    @MateDe

    I love it Mongo. I’ll be the first tear stained cheek mom to demand conceal carry parents or teacher at schools ” for the children”

     

    • #2
  3. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Campus concealed carry (for colleges and universities) was enacted here in Texas back in 2015, much to the howling and garment-rending of the left. There is no more effective a way to guarantee school safety.

    • #3
  4. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):
    Campus concealed carry (for colleges and universities) was enacted here in Texas back in 2015, much to the howling and garment-rending of the left. There is no more effective a way to guarantee school safety.

    And Mike, since it was enacted how many acts of willful recklessness, depraved disregard for safety, and aggravated intimidation by those carrying on campus have there been?

    • #4
  5. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Boss Mongo (View Comment):

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):
    Campus concealed carry (for colleges and universities) was enacted here in Texas back in 2015, much to the howling and garment-rending of the left. There is no more effective a way to guarantee school safety.

    And Mike, since it was enacted how many acts of willful recklessness, depraved disregard for safety, and aggravated intimidation by those carrying on campus have there been?

    As far as I know, none. Amazing, ain’t it?

    • #5
  6. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    The county called me last summer to ensure that since I had a permit and kids in school, that I would not have my gun with me when I dropped either off.  My response was that I’d  comply with making our schools more unnecessarily dangerous than they need to be.  The lady was not amused.

    • #6
  7. Hank Rhody, Prince of Humbug Contributor
    Hank Rhody, Prince of Humbug
    @HankRhody

    From the title I was expecting something like requiring all students to carry. Start the 4th graders off with a .22 or some such, and require it each year thereafter. Shove gun education under social studies; if you can’t get a social studies lesson out of a day at the range then you’re teaching the wrong things.

    • #7
  8. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    This Columbine survivor has the right idea.

    • #8
  9. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    I think I’m in love with Kaley Guthrie Raley.

    https://www.truthrevolt.org/news/teacher-year-blames-parents-modern-culture-school-shootings

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Hank Rhody, Prince of Humbug (View Comment):
    From the title I was expecting something like requiring all students to carry. Start the 4th graders off with a .22 or some such, and require it each year thereafter. Shove gun education under social studies; if you can’t get a social studies lesson out of a day at the range then you’re teaching the wrong things.

    I like this one. I seriously do. I think it’s where we need to go.

    Micturate on golf.

    • #10
  11. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    The sheriff of Butler County, Ohio, is offering free CCW training for educators. So far he has over 200 takers.

    God bless Butler County.

    • #11
  12. Nanda Panjandrum Member
    Nanda Panjandrum
    @

    With you, Boss! When are you gonna run for office, anyway?

    • #12
  13. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    I’m totally on board with this.  I would even add emergency guns on the walls like fire axes,with whatever cameras, alarms, dye packs, thumb print scanners or whatever else is deemed necessary to make them safe.

    The point is to visibly and noticeably eliminate schools as gun free zones.  Make them less attractive targets.

    • #13
  14. Nanda Panjandrum Member
    Nanda Panjandrum
    @

    Maybe we should think about this for military installations, too? Just sayin’.

    • #14
  15. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    I would do that and I would also refrain from mentioning the names of the mass shooters.

    • #15
  16. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Hank Rhody, Prince of Humbug (View Comment):
    From the title I was expecting something like requiring all students to carry. Start the 4th graders off with a .22 or some such, and require it each year thereafter. Shove gun education under social studies; if you can’t get a social studies lesson out of a day at the range then you’re teaching the wrong things.

    I like this one. I seriously do. I think it’s where we need to go.

    Micturate on golf.

    Ok … ‘fess up … who else had to look up the definition of ‘micturate’?

    An unexpected benefit could be that the US might finally field a competitive Olympic biathlon team.  (Sorry … sucked into the winter Olympics.   80,000,000 gun owners in America and nobody can shoot and ski?)

    • #16
  17. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    And in Texas:

    We don’t wait to implement a good idea. This picture was made in 2015.

    • #17
  18. Guruforhire Inactive
    Guruforhire
    @Guruforhire

    I believe a number of ancient societies would remove boys from the care of the women at around puberty and their education would be finished out by the men.

    This should be reconsidered.

    • #18
  19. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    “Ok … ‘fess up … who else had to look up the definition of ‘micturate’?“

    @ekosj, you’ve obviously never seen The Big Lebowski. 

    • #19
  20. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    DocJay (View Comment):
    The county called me last summer to ensure that since I had a permit and kids in school, that I would not have my gun with me when I dropped either off. My response was that I’d comply with making our schools more unnecessarily dangerous than they need to be. The lady was not amused.

    Question, how/why did they know you have a permit? I know it is “on file” but do they do a record search of all the parents?

    @bossmongo, I love your ideas in the OP. Gun-free zones are a joke as are those who advocate for them. Fantasy world living idiots.

    • #20
  21. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    Blondie (View Comment):
    “Ok … ‘fess up … who else had to look up the definition of ‘micturate’?“

    @ekosj, you’ve obviously never seen The Big Lebowski.

    Nope.    Not much of a movie guy so I miss lots of those references.

    But I learned a new word before breakfast and that’s a good thing.

    • #21
  22. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    OP:

    In general, mass shooters abandon their nefarious activities when confronted, and either kill themselves or surrender. There are no mass shooters that I can find that decided to shoot it out with the police once the police were on site and able to effectively engage him. While evil, the Lord-of-death fantasy mass shooters share is fragile, and once it’s popped the shooting stops.

    I would like to see this pointed out more frequently, as it strongly suggests that fairly minimal defensive responses would have an outsized impact in minimizing the death toll.

    • #22
  23. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    Ekosj (View Comment):

    Blondie (View Comment):
    “Ok … ‘fess up … who else had to look up the definition of ‘micturate’?“

    @ekosj, you’ve obviously never seen The Big Lebowski.

    Nope. Not much of a movie guy so I miss lots of those references.

    But I learned a new word before breakfast and that’s a good thing.

    I’m just messing with ya. It’s the only reason my husband knows what the word means. ;)

    • #23
  24. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Guruforhire (View Comment):
    I believe a number of ancient societies would remove boys from the care of the women at around puberty and their education would be finished out by the men.

    This should be reconsidered.

    Depends on the society, etc. Many moved them at what we would consider school age of five or six from the care of governess to a male tutor.

    • #24
  25. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    A sane voice, with an obvious solution, coming out of the chaos. Thanks, Boss. Well said!

    • #25
  26. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Boss Mongo: If you weren’t willing to pay full freight to protect your kin and kith before there were financial incentives, you’re probably not the right guy.

    It ain’t that expensive….

    Pistol – $300-$500 max for a good one

    Training – $300-$500, depending

    CPL – $50 where I live.

     

    • #26
  27. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):

    Boss Mongo (View Comment):

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):
    Campus concealed carry (for colleges and universities) was enacted here in Texas back in 2015, much to the howling and garment-rending of the left. There is no more effective a way to guarantee school safety.

    And Mike, since it was enacted how many acts of willful recklessness, depraved disregard for safety, and aggravated intimidation by those carrying on campus have there been?

    As far as I know, none. Amazing, ain’t it?

    “An armed society is a polite society!”

    • #27
  28. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    Spin (View Comment):
    It ain’t that expensive….

    That’s relative.  When all my houseapes were wee little ones, and the lovely and talented Mrs. Mongo had taken a break from work to raise the kids and finish the breeding cycle, we had some spirited…dialogues about squirreling away enough cash to (in my view) ensure the family had the appropriate protection accoutrements.  Couple years later, we were moving from (I think) NC to Kentucky, and while we were in a motel watching the news (after setting up all the porta-cribs etc) there was a story that, in the same state we were in, a family was butchered at a rest stop by a gang of teenagers that apparently thought they were vampires.  Mrs. Mongo looked at me and said, “you’re leveled up, right?”

    “Affirmative.”

    Spin (View Comment):
    Pistol – $300-$500 max for a good one

    That seems a little light, to me.  I’d SWAG $500 to $800.

    Spin (View Comment):
    CPL – $50 where I live.

    Down here in Miami, it’s about $120.

    I’d like @kevincreighton‘s take.

    • #28
  29. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Boss Mongo (View Comment):

    Spin (View Comment):
    It ain’t that expensive….

    That’s relative. When all my houseapes were wee little ones, and the lovely and talented Mrs. Mongo had taken a break from work to raise the kids and finish the breeding cycle, we had some spirited…dialogues about squirreling away enough cash to (in my view) ensure the family had the appropriate protection accoutrements. Couple years later, we were moving from (I think) NC to Kentucky, and while we were in a motel watching the news (after setting up all the porta-cribs etc) there was a story that, in the same state we were in, a family was butchered at a rest stop by a gang of teenagers that apparently thought they were vampires. Mrs. Mongo looked at me and said, “you’re leveled up, right?”

    “Affirmative.”

    Spin (View Comment):
    Pistol – $300-$500 max for a good one

    That seems a little light, to me. I’d SWAG $500 to $800.

    Spin (View Comment):
    CPL – $50 where I live.

    Down here in Miami, it’s about $120.

    I’d like @kevincreighton‘s take.

    Well of course it is going to vary based on where you go.  But you can buy an M&P Shield right now at Cabela’s for $420.  That’s not a bad gun.  If you buy used of course you can get it cheaper.

    The point is, it just isn’t that much money, if someone is paying attention to their money, to get the gun, the training, and the license to carry it.

    “Do you care more about your money than our kids?” – If we are going to do what they do…

    • #29
  30. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    they had a couple of these down at the gun store for $500:

    http://www.mossberg.com/category/series/590-shockwave/

     

    • #30
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