Every particularly repugnant crime, like the recent Florida school shooting, produces understandable calls to “do something.”
Unfortunately, many of the proposed “somethings” make little sense.
Something that would make sense is to allow properly vetted, trained and qualified school staff to carry concealed weapons on school grounds.
Over 15 states already do so, according to media reports.
A good example is allowing the arming of pilots after 9/11.
There never has been a hijacking of a plane with an armed pilot, nor any injury or death resulting from this program.
Ideas that make less sense include raising the minimum age for firearms purchases.
The idea that someone old enough to serve in the military, be entrusted with a fully automatic weapon, and die for his country can not be trusted, solely by reason of his age, to buy a non-automatic firearm for personal use is ludicrous.
If the next school shooter is 31, are we going to raise the minimum age for firearms purchases to 32?
Over 37,000 persons die annually in car accidents, compared to about 11,000 annual gun-related homicides.
We don’t blame the automobile for car crashes and try to ban it.
We go after drunk, drugged or otherwise impaired drivers instead.
Proposals to ban so-called “assault weapons” which are not capable of automatic fire like military weapons but merely “look scary,” or proposals to ban magazines over a certain size, make as little sense as banning cars over a certain weight or with a gas tank over a certain size.
Kaj Ahlburg,
Port Angeles