Western Legislatures Claim Different Paths to School Safety
The Fifty States have been called the laboratory of democracy. As politicians try to control us more and more, their laws lead to some strange laboratory accidents. We see one behavior encouraged on one side of the state line, while that same behavior is considered a serious crime on the other side. They can’t both be right, but politics is more about getting campaign donations and press releases than actually making lives safer on the ground. Clear examples come from three western states who say they want to protect school children.
We saw attacks on schools increase a few decades ago after the 24-hour news media gave each murderer a multi-million dollar publicity campaign. We had to coin a new term for it, the celebrity murderer. We also saw attacks increase after Democrat politicians made schools into so-called “gun-free” zones. Despite the press releases, a thin plastic sign that advertised unprotected victims actually attracts mass murderers rather than repelling them.
Colorado Democrats recently proposed laws to make it extremely difficult to legally carry a concealed firearm in public. They proposed to make most public places into so-called “gun-free” zones. A similar Colorado bill proposed to remove the several hundred armed school staff who currently protect their schools. These armed school staff haven’t caused any problems. In fact, they have a perfect record of being both safe and effective. There were no accidents AND no attacks on their schools. Colorado Democrats aren’t pro-choice when it comes to protecting school children.
Across the western border from Colorado, Utah legislators wanted more school staff to go armed and offered them more training. The motivation is easy to understand. A dozen children will die as a school waits for the police to respond. School staff have tried to defend their students time after time. Like other ordinary citizens who legally carry a firearm in public, armed staff would contain or stop the threat in seconds rather than waiting minutes. If we asked you to defend children at school, most of us would say that we want to but that we don’t feel comfortable doing so without training. The bill in Utah would have local sheriffs offer that training to school staff.
Across the northern border from Colorado, Wyoming legislators took a different approach. They allow teachers to go armed. To address the concerns that not enough school staff were armed to protect students, the Wyoming legislature took down the gun-free zone signs. That meant that anyone who could legally carry a firearm in public could legally carry as they visited a school. The bus driver who has a carry permit and carries everywhere else can now carry on the job and at school. The maintenance contractor can continue to carry legally as he drives his truck into the school parking lot.
As usual, the press offered false alternatives wrapped in misleading headlines. Some of the blame for our poor record of school safety clearly lies with us. We literally have a child’s view of teachers and other school staff. In contrast, I attended five training classes where volunteer school staff learned to be first responders. Every person I met in those classes was exactly the sort of person I would want protecting my children. Without exception, they had the prudent mix of caution and courage that we all hope for.
I don’t know if these three bills in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah will become law. They can’t all be the right answer since they point in opposite directions. Over two-dozen states allow armed school staff already. It is a fascinating study in human nature to see how imaginary fears keep us from addressing a real threat to our children.
I’ve written over one hundred articles about school safety and public violence. Please learn more, and share what you find. RM
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