REALITY CHECK:   THESE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ARE HORRIFIC.  I WAS A NRA MEMBER FOR A LONG TIME but THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.  THE FIRST AMMENDMENT IS FIRST BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AMMENDMENT. FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS PRICELESS !  IT IS NOT NORMAL EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT ANYBODY YOU WANT. THAT INCLUDES THE PRESIDENT.  CALL IT FAKE NEWS, CALL IT FALSE, CALL IT TRUE BUT IN THE USA WE HAVE THAT RIGHT THANKS TO THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE COURTS.  THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS SECOND BECAUSE IT IS OUR ARMED CIVILIAN POPULATION THAT WAS DESIGNED AS A CHECK AND BALANCE  TO ENSURE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. DID YOU  SEE MICHAEL DOUGLAS IN ” THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT ?  GREAT MOVIE !  REMEMBER, WHEN HE SAID IT IS NOT EASY BEING A CITIZEN AND HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOMEBODY  SAYING SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOUR BLOOD BOIL ! BUT YOU HAVE TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHT TO SAY IT?   THANK GOD THAT RIGHT EXISTS.

LIKE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE MORE FIREARMS IN THE USA THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE. MANY OF THOSE FIREARMS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE BLACK MARKET .  MORE EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND CHECKS IS A POSITIVE STEP BUT THAT WILL NEVER EFFECT THE AVAILABILITY OF BLACK MARKET WEAPONS.

ARMING TEACHERS IS A BAD IDEA. OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT AS DUMB AS WE ARE. TEACHERS DID NOT SIGN UP TO BE A TEACHER AND A SECURITY GUARD. OUR KIDS WOULD KNOW ON THE FIRST DAY WHICH TEACHERS WERE CARRYING A FIREARM. THEN EVERYBODY KNOWS. FRANKLY, ANY TEACHER THAT WANTS TO CARRY A FIREARM IS PROBABLY THE TEACHER THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO SO.  ALSO, DON’T YOU THINK THE LEARNING/TEACHING  ATMOSPHERE WOULD BE EFFECTED ?

SCHOOLS ARE AN EASY TARGET FOR COWARDS  BECAUSE THEY KNOW ADEQUATE SECURITY IS OR IS  NOT IN PLACE MAKING SCHOOLS   “SOFT” TARGETS.

MENTAL INSTABILITY IS …. RAMPANT.   STATISTICS SHOW 1-OUT OF 3 PEOPLE HAVE SOME FORM OF MENTAL ” PROBLEM”. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AT LEAST TWO OF YOU OUT THERE ARE OK.  THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT  ONE THIRD OF OUR POPULATION IS POTENTIALLY A TERRORIST.  IT JUST POINTS OUT THE DIFFICULTY OF TRYING TO IDENTIFY SOMEBODY THAT “MAY” BE GOING OFF THE DEEP END IN THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WAYS. WE DO HAVE ALOT OF STABLE UNEMPLOYED VETERANS OUT THERE ! LETS GIVE THEM A GOOD JOB!!!! , AN IMPORTANT JOB!!  WHO DO YOU THINK GUARDS THE SCHOOLS IN ISRAEL !!  THE IDF !

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION SINCE THE COLUMBINE SHOOTING. THERE WAS SERIOUS STUDENT “BULLYING”  LEFT UNCHECKED AND VERY DRAMATIC WARNING SIGNS THAT  WERE NOT DETECTED AND WHEN DETECTED,

WE MUST;

#1 ELIMINATE EASY  ACCESS TO  SCHOOL PROPERTY. ENTRANCES AND EXITS MUST BE CONTROLLED BY QUALIFIED ARMED GUARDS.  TRAINED SECURITY PERSONNEL NEED TO BE HIRED AND PAID A DECENT WAGE.

#2 FENCES MAY NEED TO BE BUILT AND ENTRANCE AND EXITS  MONITORED.  TEACHERS COULD BE A GREAT HELP MONITORING BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE SCHOOL POPULATION. ALSO, QUALIFIED SENIOR CITIZENS COULD HELP WITH MONITORING CAMERAS AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER AND WORK FOR FREE.  SOME PARENTS MAY BE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER. HANDI-CAPABLE PEOPLE COULD WORK AT MONITORING AND MY EXPERIENCE TELLS ME THAT IF YOU HIRE THE HANDICAPABLE, THEY CAN OFTEN EXCEED YOUR GREATEST EXPECTATIONS.

#3 SCHOOLS THAT TAKE STEPS LIKE THESE WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF THIS TYPE OF TRAJEDY FROM HAPPENING.

#4  SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT TAKE STEPS SUCH AS THESE WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF A TRAJEDY. THESE PEOPLE THAT COMMIT THESE CRIMES ARE COWARDS. THEY ARE NOT ATTACKING A POLICE STATION WHERE THERE ARE  MANY ARMED OFFICERS. THEY ATTACK SOFT TARGETS.

THIS COST WILL  BE EXPENSIVE BUT IT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE AND  WILL NEED TO BE DONE PROFESSIONALLY.

BUY HEY, OUR KIDS ARE ALL ‘OUR’ KIDS AND PRICELESS.  THE TEACHERS WE TRUST TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN ARE ALSO PRICELESS.  WHEN WE ARE ALL OLD AND SENILE LIKE I AM , WE WILL NEED OUR CHILDREN  TO  RUN THIS CIRCUS !!   I BELIEVE THAT OUR KIDS ARE   ” ALL ” OUR KIDS.  WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS. ” OUR CHILDREN”. WHICH PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN THAT DIED in FLORIDA WOULD NOT GIVE ALL THE GOLD IN FORT KNOX TO HAVE THEIR CHILD BACK IF THEY COULD ?????????

THERE ARE 300 MILLION GUNS IN AMERICA. BUMPSTOCKS, AR-15′ STYLE BLAH , BLAH BLAH! NOBODY WILL EVER GET THE GUNS OFF THE STREETS OF THE USA. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. THE SECOND COMING MIGHT COME FIRST BUT I’M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH FOR THAT ONE EITHER.  HOWEVER, OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE.  WE WILL HAVE TO DIG DEEP INTO OUR POCKETS AND PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, AND OUR TEACHERS AND…. OUR FUTURE1  THATS THE ONLY WAY IT CAN HAPPEN.

MY OPINION.

MARC DAVID BAKER