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I got all fired up after the recent active shooter event, perpetrated by a 14 year old, at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Not that I have not gotten upset before; but why so much this time? This particular active shooter event hit close to home, as it took place not too far from where we live; and some folks I know were impacted. However, what really got me fired up was both the media and the politicians went straight to talking about the need for more gun control, yet again, only serving to further the agenda and incite even more emotional response. And I, for one, have had it, because it is utter nonsense!

This post is focused on reducing active shooter events in schools; and I will also warn you that I will not be discussing the implementation of any further gun control.

Matter of Fact

I avoid any real political discussion here; but I will say we all need to start doing a better job of critical thinking for ourselves and not just swallowing what the media and politicians continue to feed us. Why? Because the issue will not get addressed if we continue believing what they all tell us the issue is.

Don’t like that last statement? I do not care. Folks that are offended or upset by that statement are more than likely not in our demographic in the first place.

People who simply regurgitate what they hear on the news or what our politicians say are also likely not going to like what I have to say here either.

If folks are of the mindset that it is solely the responsibility of our government to protect us, while we would love to convince them otherwise, those people should probably leave now before being offended, as what I say here will likely not make some people feel good and puts some responsibility back onto the people.

And if you are reading this and think to yourself, “This is nonsense. Getting rid of guns is exactly what is needed to prevent more mass shootings,” you are probably not in the right place either; and I am likely going to incense and offend you too.

I do not want to alienate anyone; but I do want to give fair warning. Plus, I cannot make everyone happy anyway.

This is for people who are trying to critically think about the issue and these events to find better solutions that may not currently be utilized. Maybe they are doing it on their own or with other like-minded individuals; but at least, they are trying to come up with measures that could actually reduce active shooter events in schools.

What Is It About?

Let me clearly state for the record… Active shooter events are NOT about guns. They are about the mental state and/or the evil in the hearts of those perpetrating these heinous events. Period.

Trying to Address The Wrong Thing

A firearm, like any other tools we have access to and use, is an inanimate object incapable of doing anything on its own until a human picks it up, whether it be firearms, knives, pencils, baseball bats, staplers, hammers, etc. Leave a gun out on a table for any period of time, come back, and the firearm will still be in the exact same place having not done a thing on its own.

The intent of humans is what we must try and address, as well as the need for better proactive measures. It is not sexy. Addressing the human element is much harder to do and uncomfortable for a lot of reasons and likely will not have the same emotional appeal as getting fired up about and poo-pooing the tools, like firearms, especially when folks know little about the tool in question. Owning up to the fact that we all need to take a bit more responsibility in the matter is a tough pill for some to swallow as well.

Gun Laws

Let me remind everyone that we already have gun control laws in place, some of which still get mentioned as though we do not have them, i.e. background checks, waiting periods, age restrictions on handguns, etc. More extreme measures, like red-flag laws and universal gun registration, as examples, are not good ideas because they give our government even more control, oversight, and the potential for overstepping or abusing the policies.

Oh… And all the talk of the need for an “assault rifle” ban? First, there is no such thing as an “assault rifle;” and secondly, AR-15s are seldom used in active shooter events in schools. Look up the statistics!

The irony for all those demanding more gun control is that the vast majority of active shooter incidents occur in gun-free zones which, with some exceptions more recently, schools are. Seems some folks have overlooked or are continuing to ignore this rather significant fact.

There are Better Ways

Instead of talking about guns all the time, I am of the belief there are other things we should be doing to reduce active shooter (killer) events in schools. Many of which most likely could ultimately make our children and others safer. It is not just guns that can do damage on a mass scale when in the hands of a misguided human.

What We Actually Should be Doing

The following is a list of things we could be doing that actually could make a positive impact and reduce active shooter events in schools. Not all of them are my ideas; and it is not an exhaustive list. However, the things mentioned here could be somewhat effective on their own or even more so when combined with others in the lists.

Parents

• Keep their firearms locked up at all times unless in your direct control.
• Do not give direct access to secured firearms to children. In other words, the only way a firearm comes out is if the parent accesses it themselves; and there is a plan for an activity with the firearm(s) together. A firearm is never left out and unattended.
• Do not ignore or overlook statements overheard, sentiment expressed, conversations had, sketches, memoirs, letters, or diaries discovered, social media posts, etc. Investigate and seek help and support.
• Demand to see schools’ policies and to be a part of the creation or modification process.
• Seek psychiatric counseling for children when they see things that may seem off or when it is apparent their children are going through something and may need the help. Get an evaluation if nothing else.
• Do not give kids firearms when there has been any sort of <insert incident or issue> with child within at least the <insert appropriate amount of time here>, if ever. This assumes psychiatric help has been obtained for the child before as well.
• Get more involved in school, demanding more policies and protections put into place, like the ones listed here instead of just sending children back the next day after an event and hoping it will all be OK.
• Keep kids home or get them out of school if a threat is made or is suspected.
• Acknowledge that reality may not align with how you think things should be or how you want to live, i.e. stop pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows, thinking that because it seldom occurs you do not need to be worried, thinking it will never happen to your family or someone you know, thinking the police will handle it, or thinking because schools are gun free zones that they are always going to be safe.
• Stop trying to be best friends with kids. It’s harder to make the tough decisions and discipline children when you are to busy trying to be your children’s friend. Parents are not supposed to be friends with their children.
• ?

Policies and Procedures

Schools

• Better-Safe-Than-Sorry (what I’m calling them) policies whereby schools (and parents) treat every threat as a real threat and investigate, no longer ignoring things overheard, conversations had, pictures shown, social media posts, emails, texts, or threatening phone calls made to a school, etc.
• Constantly remind the student body is that if they see or hear something (anything) to report it immediately to school faculty or administration or talk to their parents. Consider regularly providing examples of what to look for so as to help reduce noise.
• Only allow transparent bags and backs.
• No trench coats or other apparel allowed that is not part of the norm (weather-driven, etc).
• Installing metal detectors at primary entrances/checkpoints to catch primary weapons of concern, i.e. firearms, knives, awls/picks, etc.
• All inbound traffic to the school has to go through controlled checkpoint(s) with bag and backpack checks.
• Keeping all doors closed and locked at all times from the inside during school hours or special events. Staff should have keys allowing them access to specific entries.
• Random bag checks by school staff, always inspecting oversized bags.
• Random locker inspections by school staff.
• Active killer drills practiced with the student body and faculty on what to do in response to an event. We still have tornado drills? How many kids have died from tornadoes hitting schools? How many kids have now died from active shooter events? I will give you a hint. Significantly more have died from the latter.
• Consider affiliate programs thereby allowing them to offer discounts on firearm safes and other locking mechanisms to parents. Use the income to purchase safety and medical training for faculty and students.
• Allow concealed carry firearms on campuses for those that can show proof of license and appropriate training taken and passed.
• ?

The System

• Hold parents accountable for their children’s actions, as we may be seeing more of. Parents are ultimately responsible for their children, not the schools.
• ?

Media

• Stop showing the perpetrators’ faces and names in the media. Some number of them are wanting and expecting the media coverage to make them ‘famous.’
• Start talking any about other viable measures besides more gun control.
• ?

Education

• Any training should include basic trauma care to deal with severe bleeding. Stop the Bleed, for handling severe bleeding, is a great option for the masses, i.e. school staff, parents, and even some students.
• Bring in programs like AVERT, FASTER, ALICE or others for faculty and maybe the student body. FEMA’s Run, Hide, Fight is a good starting place for the masses; but more emphasis is needed on fighting back (as age and mindset appropriate).
• Gun safety classes brought back to schools.
• Warning signs and what to look for training programs offered to parents and school staff.
• ?

Personnel on Site

• School Resource Officers (SRO), off-duty LEO, security companies, former military personnel, or trained civilians placed on-site during school hours and special events with firearms.
• Allow faculty, who train, shoot regularly, and have the right mindset, to carry firearms. See above.
• Consider incentive programs to encourage teachers to get training and maintain proficiency so even more have the capability.
• Increase qualified counseling efforts in schools to provide more support and institute more proactive initiatives with student body.
• ?

First Responders

• Continue to train and get more training for responding to and handling active shooter events. They have already made some good progress.
• Continue to prioritize getting medical care to those severely injured sooner, while still neutralizing the threat(s) as quickly and effectively as possible.
• While there is no constitutional duty for law enforcement to protect, decide if you are in the right line of work. Can you develop the right mindset to answer these types of calls?
• ?

I understand some schools may have already implemented some of these already; and that is great. The conversations at those schools can now move to how well and consistently the measures are implemented and enforced; and then, how much more can be done?

Do these sorts of things likely cost more time and money or cause some hard decisions to have to be made? Certainly. Tough decisions involving our children can be difficult to say the least; and any efforts beyond the minimum usually does take time and money. But the minimums do not seem to be working; do they? And besides… Aren’t our children worth it?

Conclusion

Active shooter events should make us all take a closer look at our schools and their policies. These incidents also put a lot of the onus back on us to demand more from our schools and ourselves, as they should.

People continuing to express their disgust and outrage towards the availability and usage of the tools is not enough. It will definitely require thinking beyond just limiting or controlling said tools.

If we were to ever ban guns, what would be next, as assuredly there would be something else? We have seen it already. Knives have been used in large scale attacks very successfully, here and abroad. Are you going to give up your kitchen knives? What about pens and pencils, baseball bats, screwdrivers, hammers? The focus needs to move away from the tools and placed on the proactive measures that actually might reduce active shooter events in schools.

Think of this as a brainstorming activity. Let us know in the comments below your thoughts or any ideas you have for actually reducing active shooter (killer) events. Try to think beyond just emotional appeal. And please, whatever you do, try to avoid using the term “common-sense” to describe anything, as we will know it is not your idea. 😉

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