Years ago, Columbine

Years ago, after the Columbine massacre, I was involved on another discussion board, long since defunct. At that time, the call for gun control was very high. Much like today, it would have made no difference if there was one more or even two more laws on the books.

So let's look at the crimes that were committed at New Hope.

1) It is against the law to possess a gun within 1,000 feet of a school.

This law did nothing to protect the children. It's idea is admirable, it is to create a gun free zone where children are safe. Instead it created a zone where defiance and defense were impossible.

2) It is illegal to commit murder.

The law did nothing to protect the children, as before the gunman had arrived, he'd already murdered his mother.

3) It is illegal to possess firearms without the consent of the owner.

I'm sure his Mother did not give him permission to take the guns before he was shot dead.

4) It is illegal to plan to carry out an illegal action. This is called conspiracy.

This law did nothing to protect the children.

5) It is illegal for anyone who suffers mental health issues to possess a firearm.

Now, what can you see by these laws, did any of those words written on a piece of paper do anything to protect the children? No, none of them would have helped, because all of them are enforceable only after the crime, the murders, has happened.

It is said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Yet, in every criminal action, the pen comes in only after someone with a sword, a weapon, captures the criminal. So the pen comes in only after the violence has been used.

Violence never solved anything is another fallacy. Violence, raw force, has settled more issues in history than every other means combined. Recently, the idea of secession has been in the news. With some states putting forth ideas that explore the issue. Yet we are told that the Civil War settled the issue of session forever. Really? What pen settled that issue? When did trial by combat become a constitutional means of determining an issue? That issue was settled by force, as were every other serious disagreement.

People writing letters did not end the reign of Hitler. People signing documents with flowery language did nothing to stop the Kaiser of WW I. Force settled those issues.

So what can we do to protect our children? First, teach them truth. Teach them that force and violence are used to protect the innocent by the good and decent citizens of the world. Then put weapons in the school. Teachers are trusted enough to educate our children, and create the moral foundation that we use to grow citizens. Yet we don't trust them to have access to firearms?

Second, put a cop on the campus. Yes, the armed lunatic may shoot the cop first, but that is far less likely that you would think. You see, cops don't get mugged, raped, robbed, or harassed by thugs. The reason is they have the authority, and the power to enforce the will of the people. A cop or two will reduce crime in our schools dramatically.

Studies have proven it, and common sense proves it. Take a shopping center near my house as a boy. A lot of crime was going on there. People were robbed, cars were broken into and either had their contents stolen, or were stolen outright. The police responded, and put a small office in the shopping center. A cop was always there, walking around, in the office. Available. Crime dropped to zero. Instead of continuing this, the police decided they weren't needed there anymore, and left. Crime started right back up.

We have a choice, and if history is any indicator, we'll pick the wrong thing.