It seems likely the only certainty about “age” is that the more of it one is fortunate to have, the less remains available. Available to handle what conversely seems to be an ever growing number of challenges. None the least, making informed and otherwise responsible decisions. Such as, how to best protect our school children and their teaching staff from being harmed by persons having murderous aims.
The unthinkable massacre recently taking the lives of some 17 students and staff at a high school in Parkland, Florida has—once again—justifiably elevated cries for prevention of such atrocities. With age-restrictions, enhanced background checks, elimination of all or various types of guns, etc., being among the more notable measures being pursued by a variety of individuals, groups, and agendas. And as our well-intentioned race for quick and effective fixes is undertaken, hopefully we will not lose touch with reality and common sense.
For example, evil seeking to do harm to innocent others could care less about laws, rules, regulations, or “signs” forbidding their heinous acts and choice of weapons. And it was not a troubled teenager, but rather two adult men, ages 27 and 40, using not a gun, but rather a fertilizer-based bomb, who killed 168 people, injured more than 680 others, destroyed or damaged some 325 buildings, causing damage estimated to be $652 million—in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 19, 1995.
Likewise, on November 5, 2009, it was not a teen with an abusive home/social life, but rather a 39 year old U.S. Army psychiatrist and Medical Corps Major who—after shouting "Allahu Akbar!"— killed 13 people and wounded at least 30 others, in a “mass murder” he carried out at the Fort Hood Military Base, Texas, using not an “assault rifle”—but rather, a “pistol.” A tragedy that would have been much worse, were it not for the murderer being eventually felled by a civilian police sergeant armed with a gun. A senseless tragedy that could have been much less severe, had the murderer not had the benefit of a "gun free zone" to carry out this barbaric atrocity.
The above being but a couple of unsettling reminders that evil can be embodied in a wide range of ages—with access to essentially a boundless nature of weapons. Hence the importance that we unrelentingly hold our government accountable for effectively carrying out its U.S. Constitution granted powers and responsibilities for protection of U.S. citizens. While never infringing upon the likewise constitution acknowledged Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Including law-abiding citizens the Twenty-sixth Amendment prohibits the federal government from using age as a reason for denying citizens, at least 18 years old, the right to vote. Including law-abiding citizens who we permit to join our military at age 18 (and at age 17 with parental consent).
Some seem to find logic and peace of mind in our law-abiding being “old enough” to drive a potentially deadly vehicle; vote in our nation’s elections; and to be put in harm’s way in our military—but not “old enough” to purchase and/or possess a hand gun or rifle. Some feel otherwise.
Somewhere in our quest for solutions is an often muted cry for common sense to prevail. —William James Moore
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Our America has undergone, and will likely continue to experience, many “cultural changes”—all entailing “choices” and “consequences.” Among our worst choices—those resulting in failure to provide our school children and teaching staffs with effective protection from unspeakably horrific massacres.
As should be the case, often there is no shortage of demands for education resources to address needs driven by “advances in technology.” However, too often irresponsibly absent are like demands for resources to effectively “protect lives” in our schools against the heinous threats of today’s world. A truly daunting challenge and moral obligation that continues to get side-tracked, buried, and silenced in an abyss of emotions, miss-information; self-serving political agendas, irresponsible news/social media coverage, etc.
"School safety" is a commonsense duty further encumbered by the unsettling reality that a growing number among us (especially apathetic adults and our more impressionable youth), have even been propagandized with the dangerous delusion that “inanimate objects” (especially guns) somehow have the intent and capability for carrying out murderous or otherwise life threatening acts—“without the hand of humans.” Worse, yet, those offering life-saving, peace-of-mind assuring evidence to the contrary are being shouted-down and demonized as uncaring, irresponsible gun-fanatics, and otherwise socially despicable beings.
Too often disregarded is pertinent information such as, not so many years ago (within my and many existing other’s lifetimes) guns were much more easily accessible in the U.S. than they are today. And, responsibly supervised shooting clubs, rifle teams, etc., were even accepted on various school premises. Schools that even “back then” also included some students who were, for example: treated unfairly; had an abusive home life; were socially neglected; academically challenged; bullied; and at times, even “offended.”
"Back-then schools" where responsible minded students were not expelled for possession of a simple pocket knife, or for drawing a picture of a weapon or a warrior, or for wearing clothing displaying the U.S. Flag, etc. Schools that (regardless of their students’ respective life circumstances) were essentially void of today’s murderous atrocities.
So what has changed and why? The answer: Our American “culture”; for a mix of reasons, including the obvious, illusive, and highly controversial. However, the complexity of the “whys” does not lighten our responsibility for the safety and security of our schools—for the lives of our children and teaching staff. Nor are we absolved from the responsibility to let common sense prevail in our quest for solutions. Starting with accepting that evil does and will continue to exist. And that persons with murderous aims frankly don’t give a damn about laws, policies, age-restrictions, political correctness, “gun-free zone signs" — or about offending someone.
Our solutions must provide our schools with at least the same level of protection we demand (and tolerate) when traveling via commercial aircraft, vacationing on luxury cruise ships, and attending professional sports/other entertainment stadiums, etc. And, we must do so “now”—not later. While keeping responsibly in mind the often late-learned reality that . . . "we (and affected others) ultimately reap what we sow."
—William James Moore