The Challenge in Protecting Our Children

We recently read a blog post from Mike the Gun Guy over at the Huffington Post entitled Active Shooter Training Reminiscent of Cold-War Era ‘Duck and Cover.’ 

The post likens present day school drills for armed threats to those from our past designed to protect against the effects of a nuclear explosion. Yes, terrible things to think about but even more terrible to stick your head in the sand and pretend that bad things will not happen. 

Being prepared through training and drills is not ridiculous, it is responsible. Drills for emergency situations, such as ‘Duck and Cover,’ are devised using the best available knowledge at the time in an effort to prevent loss of life when a threat is imminent. Having a personal strategy in place for how to respond is called being proactive and is not something to denigrate.

Of course, being the ‘Gun Guy,’ Mr. Weisser was quick to drag NRA into the mud, suggesting firearms have no place in a security plan and the best option for all is a gun-free zone. Many articles have been written on this topic but as John Lott has pointed out, “It is getting hard to ignore that mass public shooters keep choosing to attack locations where victims can’t defend themselves.” 

To Wayne’s point, in our communities, we protect our banks, airports, office buildings, power plants, courthouses, sports stadiums, celebrities, and even politicians with armed security. Yet when it comes to the most beloved, innocent and vulnerable members of the American family — our children — we as a society leave them utterly defenseless, and the monsters and predators of this world know it and exploit it.

There are many communities across the nation who have taken steps to make their schools more secure, some even adding armed personnel.  

Contrary to Mr. Weisser’s comment, the biggest problem in dealing with school violence is accepting the fact that school security is a complex issue with no simple, single solution. There are many facets that make up school security, including infrastructure, technology, personnel, training, and policy. Some may elect to include armed personnel in their security plan. Others may not. In the end, when dealing with K-12 education, it is a decision that should be made by each individual community, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Founded on the premise of education and training, the NRA applauds those who dedicate time and resources to be better prepared in support of public safety and we salute those like the Yonkers PD for their shared commitment to safe schools. Working together to protect our children is arguably the most effective strategy to make our schools more secure.