Commentary: Edits to gun commentary confused readers

Had the Daily Pilot chosen to print my Jan. 9 essay, “Commentary: It’s time to arm school personnel,” on “gun-free zones” in its entirety, as I had requested of them, instead of leaving more than two-thirds of it on the editing room floor, our community would have had a chance to fully consider a common-sense proposal being embraced by tens of thousands of others to end school shootings once and for all.

I proposed that teachers and administrators who meet stringent qualification requirements be properly trained to handle and use weapons designed for concealed carry only, on a purely voluntary and confidential basis, to make schools “hard” targets to prospective mass murderers.

I don’t think I’d get much disagreement if I stated that those who want to kill a bunch of people are stark-raving nuts. But they most often want to go out in a blaze of glory, usually before killing themselves. If such a miscreant believed there was a better-than-even chance they’d be shot dead before being able to carry out their evil deeds, they would pick a “softer” target. In short, they would choose a shopping mall, or supermarket, or bowling alley instead of a “gun-free” school, where one or more of the staff might be armed and considered dangerous.

Ask yourself this: If even 5% of the ducks were armed, do you think anybody would go duck hunting?

But the Pilot has now dedicated considerably more space than needed to present my entire argument to several local authors, who have declared my idea — or the small portion they got to read — as repugnant, crazy, absurd and against God and nature.

To those I would say: More than two dozen states so far, including Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alaska and Washington, have begun training their teachers to do exactly as I have proposed (without attribution, I would add!). Ohio just completed training of their 4,000th teacher.

Even Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif), not exactly paragons of conservative zeal, have stated they think armed guards in schools are a really good idea. Both are concealed carry licensees. And why wouldn’t they be?

President Obama sends his kids to the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. So do a large number of inside-the-Beltway, more-equal-than-you, politicians, diplomats and entertainers. Sidwell Friends School employs 11 full-time armed security guards and is planning to add a 12th. Good enough for him and his kids, but too good for you and yours?

A good question, don’t you think?

Those desirous of reading my original proposal in its entirety are invited to visit my blog, chuckmeisterunleashed.blogspot.com.

Former Daily Pilot columnist CHUCK CASSITY lives in Costa Mesa.