Community Magazine May 2013

DI DA AG - TI DA PL U AI -FI LO LE -B TE CO DO AI -FI AG - TI DA PL U AI -FI LO LE -B TE CO DO AI -FI LO LE -B DA These are just some of the names of towns that have recently become synonymous with horrific tragedies, the scenes of innocent adults and children’s lives being brought to a cruel, sudden end at the hands of a heartless, often deranged, gunman. A cross America, shooting attacks are, unfortunately, frequent events, but it was the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on December 14, 2012 which took the lives of 20 young children and six adults, that has set off furious national discussion over the place of guns in schools and in our society. Two polar opposite reactions have surfaced in the wake of the unspeakable tragedy. On one extreme, anti-gun groups are pushing for tougher legislation on gun-control laws, whereas on the other hand, pro-gun groups vehemently object to the curtailing of their 2 nd Amendment Rights, and are advocating for more protection for citizenry. One side sees guns as instruments of destruction and terror, while the other says that guns keep us free and keep us protected. Representatives of the different camps were quick to make their recommendations after the Sandy Hook shooting. New York governor Andrew Cuomo stated his intentions to tighten gun laws, whereas the National Rifle Association (NRA) suggested putting armed guards in every school in America. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” famously stated its spokesman, Wayne LaPierre. Texas Governor Rick Perry encouraged passing nationwide bills allowing teachers to carry firearms to work, and U.S. Secretary of EducationWilliam J. Bennett has argued in favor of armed security for schools. At the opposite end of the spectrum, in Connecticut, Greenwich Selectman Drew Marzullo publicly wrote to oppose armed guards in schools, calling them “a needlessly reactionary response to a horrific crime [that] does not make our town or our schoolchildren any safer.” Marzullo argued that a weapon in the hands of a non-law enforcement officer could result in even more violence, adding that a guard cannot be in all places at all times, and thus “preventing a mass shooting [is] infinitely slim.” Instead, he recommended assigning a police car to park in front of the school for a short time to give a “police presence” which would deter gunmen. ARMED SCHOOL GUARDS Officials in Fontana, California, however, reached a much different conclusion. After consulting with top safety experts, officials in the Los Angeles-area city determined that their students would be better protected with armed officers, whereupon the Should guns be allowed in our schools and shuls? or not to Aurora, Colorado. Newtown, Connecticut. Taft, California. DAVE GORDON To arm arm? 34 Community Magazine