Public Response

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• Title: San Bernardino School Shooting
• Author: Scott Bame
• Date: 04/12/2017
• Additional Categories: Recent Essays, Scott Boehme

San Bernardino School Shooting

I think we all, to some degree, are affected when violence in a school takes a child's life. I know how Mid-Michigan feels when we lose a child(ren) to traffic accidents, and other circumstances. A pall covers us that lasts for some time.

Do we want something like the San Bernardino school shooting happen for any reason whatsoever? I know this community and know no one except a few sick people want anything such as this to happen locally, let alone nationally. We just don't.

I know how some people feel about guns, they just do not like them. I understand. But guns are only a tool. Tuesday's tragic event could have happened with a chain saw, or something much, much worse than a gun, an automobile being driven through a school. Yes, cars are more dangerous than guns. If someone wants to do harm a better way to do so is using a vehicle as a weapon.

What about outlawing guns? It only means that these individuals would find another means to do the same thing. It could be a chemical bomb releasing toxins, as an example. The people who choose to do harm will do so, no matter what.

What does this mean? It means that we have to stop this policy that leaves our children defenseless in school. Some schools have a police officer on duty, many do not. A police officer is at a disadvantage being only one person that could be in another part of the school or killed so that violence can descend upon the children and the adults within the school

I am asking all adults to think about allowing concealed carry, with more training in the schools. Such a person must have insurance to cover concealed carry and go through additional steps, such as mental tests and additional training which would continue on each year.

The real problem about guns is that we no longer are growing up with guns around us. Also, the propaganda from the anit-gun people has been very affective. Do we want such campaigns to be so affective as to cause us to loose a child or children or teachers or staff because they are five minute from responders? Most instances the event is already over by the time police arrive.

I just want you to think about it. Do we want to be able to defend our children against tragedy?

I am providing a link to a YouTube video by Joel Persinger who has a channel called GunGuy TV. He owns a security firm in California and has taught many to safely carry. I would like you to watch his twelve minute message about the San Bernardino school shooting. He speaks better than I do.

watch video here

Also, I would like us to think about adding a gun course to the curriculum so that our young people will again learn about guns, since they can no longer learn about them at home. They never have to like guns, but understand that the only danger with a gun is inexperience people, or mentally disturbed individuals using them.

Do we step past our dislike of guns so that our children will be safer? I think we do. I think most of you believe the same way because we will do anything for our children.

This is way the School millage will fail. This millage is not about our children; it is about some adults who do not understand about education and how to achieve it. If the almost $100 million would actually improve education, it would be a slam dunk for passing. But this is not about a millage. This posting is about adding an additional line of defense for our children. This is something we can do as a community and if qualified individuals volunteer, it would cost the school district nothing.

Scott Bame