School shootings are happening almost faster than news media can keep up with them. On the heels of the Parkland tragedy that created a nationwide uproar, Florida has suffered another school shooting that has taken the life of an admittedly innocent person, causing others countless physical and emotional injuries as well.
The real test of our policymakers is not whether they can knee-jerk their way into temporary stasis. It is whether they can hold steady in the face of undoubtedly overwhelming pressure in order to create policies that actually protect American citizens.
It is also true that the correct response is not to create any new policy at all — especially if shootings are occurring partially as a result of failing to uphold existing law.
If you take a look at the heat map of school shootings, you will notice that the majority of them took place in liberal hotspots — including the infamous “gun free zones” that typically govern schools, government buildings, churches, and similar public spaces. Gun laws in these areas are stricter than they are in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, marchers demand even more restrictions from the federal government.
Second Amendment supporters and Republican lawmakers need to start making the case that the correct response to these violent tragedies is proper law enforcement. Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz was a walking red flag from the very beginning, with Broward County police receiving over 30 complaints about his behavior well before he gunned down 17 fellow students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Fox News recently learned that Cruz had been planning the brutal attack for some time, with latest reports revealing he had studied the infamous 1999 Columbine shooting beforehand.
Additional factors that may have helped contribute to the fact that Cruz was able to move so easily around the school were uncovered as well. For example, teachers trying to shelter their students from the gunfire were apparently not able to lock their doors from the inside. Instead, they were forced to grab a key before opening the door from the outside to lock it. Having the ability to lock the door normally could have provided the precious seconds needed to give police officers more time to respond.
Of course, we have to talk about the police response itself. During the shooting, school resource officers present at the high school proved to be largely useless, with one armed officer refusing to even engage the suspect out of sheer fear. Clearly, there is an issue with how Broward County vets and trains its police officers.
It may be difficult to tell people that they do not have an honorary law degree just because someone that they knew is no longer here. This grim reality, however, is the truth.
This is a very difficult discussion that is dividing America and will probably continue to do so for a long time. However, the real question is whether we should look at liberal gun policies as the true culprit in these tragedies. It is up to levelheaded conservatives to make a real dent in the conversation now, or we may face additional unnecessary tragedies in the future.
~ Patriotic Freedom Fighter
