Opinion Piece By Donna Westfall – February 20, 2018 –

A Bill is before the House of Representatives – #34. The purpose, “To repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and amendments to that Act.” The short title, “The Safe Students Act.”

But what is the 20 year old Gun-Free School Zones Act?  It’s an act of the U.S. Congress prohibiting any unauthorized individual from knowingly possessing a loaded or unsecured firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone .

Let’s face it. For nearly 20 years, the Gun Free Schools Zones Act is a dismal failure! Not just a dismal failure but a deadly failure.

Since the 2012 Sandy Hook School shootings,  there have been at least 239 school shootings nationwide. In those episodes, 438 people were shot, 138 of whom were killed. The data  is from the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that began tracking school shootings in 2014, about a year after Sandy Hook.

And this year?  Almost two months in 2018 and 3 school shootings that culminated recently in Parkland, Florida with 17 dead. Some news sources state that 18 school shootings have happened, but I have not been able to verify each and every one.

Something must be done.  If it means metal detectors, then do it.  It doesn’t have to be permanent.  But it does have to be enacted immediately.

Let’s change the subject for just a moment and look at how prisoners are handled in a medical situation. The prison has strict guidelines on what happens when a prisoner goes to Sutter Coast Hospital.  Three or four guards come in full gear; bullet proof vests, guns, everything.  Prisoners are handcuffed or shackled both arms and legs. Guards with guns are posted outside the door. Doctors and nurses go through orientation to make sure they know that they can’t possess or have anything on their person that could be used as a possible weapon against them…. even something as simple as a stethescope can’t be hanging around the nurse or doctor’s neck.

The prison guards and hospital staff have learned from experience how to get medical attention for the prisoner, yet keep everyone else safe during the process.

When your money is collected by Brinks, there are guards to protect the money. Guards with guns.  So money is protected.  But not our children?????

You mean to tell me that no one can figure out how to have a presence on schools to help prevent people intent on harm from entering our schools and shooting and killing?

Why is it taking so long for something to be done to protect our students in public schools, private schools and on school buses?  This raging debate about having guns or not having guns is not the answer. Either is blaming the parents because if anyone knew their kid was crazy and violent, they did. They’re probably afraid of their kid to take any action. Or they already have them on meds that are making the kid even crazier.

The immediate solution lies in having people at the schools who are experienced with violent, crazy killers and putting them down like the rabid dogs they are. Let’s put qualified people around our schools and in our schools for as long as it takes until the tide is turned. Obviously law enforcement isn’t making it to the schools in a timely manner to prevent these massacres.

Whether they’re terrorists from outside our country, or looney tunes inside our country, they’re not fit to breathe the free air if they’re intent on harming and killing our school children, teachers and staff.

It’s not getting better.  It’s time to change course.  Definitely, time for a course correction.

Contact your representatives and put some pressure on them to repeal a bad act. Tell them to vote for HR # 34.