“Commonsense” shamefully absent from school security!

The Tuesday, March 28, 2023 edition of our local newspaper, the Parsons Sun, includes noteworthy coverage of yet another most heart-breaking school tragedy — the recent March 27 mass shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee school entailing the horrifying murder of three young students and three adults.

This the latest in a “seemingly endless series” of such unthinkable atrocities. Preceded less than a year ago by likewise horrific massacre carried out on May 24, 2022 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where at nineteen students and two teachers lost their lives.

All while various political leaders and others “continue” to shamefully use such pain and sufferings for self-serving gain, and as growing numbers of others (especially within younger generations) fearfully, hopelessly, but nevertheless “mistakenly,” consider such atrocities to be an unpreventable norm.

While others among us hold the view that murder of our school children “is not” in America’s DNA, and we so-called adults-in-the-room should have long ago insisted—and must now demand—that “commonsense security” not only be responsibly included in, but also moved to the top of, the priority lists regarding our educational institutions.

Yes, “commonsense security” that, for example, acknowledges and responsibly deals with the fact that: “Gun-Free Zones” are but irresponsible “magnets” for attacks by evil-doers; and those committed to carrying out such atrocities could not care less about laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, signage, and other shalt-nots.

“Commonsense security” that also accepts the ever-so-likely existence of “good reason” why few if any among us choose to protect/secure our personal residences with “Gun-Free Zone” signs displayed in our front lawns and/or posted on or at our doorways, etc.

“Commonsense security” that in turn finds it a bit difficult to “responsibly rationalize” why “Gun-Free Zone” signage remains an acceptable security measure for school students and teaching staffs, etc., — but not, for example, for Kansas Supreme Court personnel when conducting their special session at our Parsons High School on Monday evening, October 3, 2022. A session that included the very visible and plentiful “commonsense security” of armed law enforcement personnel; contraband screening procedures; etc.

“Commonsense security” that also takes responsible note of Crime Prevention Research Center reporting that some twenty states in our country have armed teachers. And in the many schools so protected by one or more voluntarily armed and properly trained teachers, there reportedly has not yet been even one single attack where anyone has been killed or wounded.

Yes, we so-called adults in the room seem willing to support most any real or professed education systems need for buildings, facilities, creature comfort, etc., i.e., “anything for the children”—except, that is, "commonsense security” against mass murder. And for that most shamefully neglected priority we irresponsibly continue to lean upon that historically demonstrated failure and proven invitation to life destroying evil-doers—that good old signage-declared “Gun-Free Zone”! That is, however, until our KS Supreme Court should choose to return to town for another special session.

                                          —William James Moore

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"Click" on image at bottom of this post to "expand" a scanned copy of two very worthy of read April 1-2, 2023 Parsons Sun published Public Mind articles:

(1.) Article titled "What has happened in Amercia" is in my view a very spot-on message of justified concern about these most troubling of times.  About an America that has lost touch of its precious liberty-sustaining roots.  "America-defining roots" entailing the crucial foundation blocks of secured borders, a common language-English, and common culture founded on Judeo-Christian principles.    ---William James Moore. 

(2.) Article titled "Advocate for strong gun laws" is in my view among the many examples of why "commonsense security" has yet to be adopted in countless educational institutions throughout America.  A writing that counterproductively focuses on "the weapon" as opposed to "the murderer."  A failing to accept that those committed to mass-murder of school children and other such atrocities could not care less about laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, "Gun Free Zone" signage, and other shalt-nots. ---William James Moore.