Guest op-eds do not always reflect the opinions of the author. RedState.com.)
Tuesday’s shooting in Texas was horrific. A madman took the lives of little children. These tragic events cannot be repeated. I hope we can look at each other and have that conversation rather than repeating these tragedies.
Those who want to gain political points by ignoring the remains of children. What can we do?
These incidents are often greeted with a call for gun control. I don’t know if gun control would’ve prevented this terrible tragedy from happening. Even if we ban all guns in America, I am certain that people who are looking to cause harm will find a way. To commit murder is against the law. By definition, criminals don’t follow the law. But what can you do to make it more law-abiding?
My father, who was an experienced school security officer before retiring in 2000, was also one of founders of Cleveland Metropolitan School District Police Department. In 2007, Asa Coon shot two students and two teachers at Cleveland’s SuccessTech Academy before committing suicide. After the shooting, Asa Coon killed two students and two teachers at Cleveland’s SuccessTech Academy. The school district and its political leaders responded with metal detectors installed in every school and more CMSD security and law enforcement officers. Since then, there has never been another such major shooting at a CMSD school.
This is how I feel the country should look. It is unacceptable for schools in the country to have untrained police and security personnel. There should be multiple police officers. Law enforcement officers should determine the number of officers.
A school’s size, student count, and so forth would indicate that officers are realistically needed.
All school districts should have police stations like the one in Cleveland. These responsibilities should be handled by the state for schools in small towns, suburbs and rural areas. Each school must have surveillance video and metal detectors. It should also be compulsory. There should be no armed guards. There is no federal funding. No metal detectors? There is no funding. No surveillance video? There is no funding.
As a nation, we must be mature enough to recognize that not all municipalities have the resources necessary to implement security measures. We may need to raise budgets to achieve this. I
know that may be an anathema to some who are reading this, but “lack of funding” can no longer be a reason why our children are left unprotected in many schools across this nation.
Some people claim that the schools did not spend hundreds of billions in COVID relief they were granted. Schools should spend those funds on security. This may mean that the law needs to be changed because of restrictions regarding what you can spend COVID money for. However, it is important that we find a solution to protect every school. It is not possible to stop money from getting in the way.
Some people believe that teachers should have weapons. I’m not necessarily opposed to that either. However, I think that schools need to be manned by dedicated guards and officers at all times. Let’s let the teachers
Do not worry about teaching.
There are also those who believe that adding officers and metal detectors would turn “schools into prisons”. Many aspects of American society are safer than elementary schools. You need to be more physically fit to attend most concerts.
It costs less to get into schools than it does for you. Do you agree with this? It is possible to have safeguards in place at sporting events for those who attend. We should also be able to do so for our children.
Let’s try to focus this time on getting things done and not retreating into our partisan corners or fighting each other. Our leaders will do everything in their power to ensure that our children are safe.
There is no school in America that can be considered a soft target. It won’t prevent all of these tragedies, but it will go a long way to preventing most of them.
We must finally admit to something we don’t often discuss publicly anymore. This problem will only be solved if we repent and turn to God. Although it may seem offensive, freedom isn’t possible without God.
Freedom is not the same as anarchy. While laws are important they cannot heal the heart. According to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr said, “Man cannot save himself, for man is not the measure of all things and humanity is not God. His chains are his chain
sin and finiteness, man needs a Savior.”
My prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims.
Darvio is cohost of The Outlaws Radio Show and CEO of FCB Radio Network.
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