Last week, we ran some polls on our social media accounts and asked our readers if they felt that the National School Walkouts would help change gun laws and help with school safety. Instead of answering “yes” or “no”, most people answered “hopefully”.
No matter what your stance is on gun laws and gun control, I think most people will agree that there needs to be some changes made within the schools to keep our students safe. We have a gun violence issue, and it needs to be dealt with, As I’m writing this, i’m watching the news about yet another school shooting in Maryland. This is unacceptable. We, the adults that are able to vote and have our voices heard, must stand up for our children and be advocates for their safety and well being.
You must be at least 21 years old to rent a car. You must be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol. You have to go through classroom training to get your CCW; and for clarification purposes, CCW stands for Carrying a Concealed Weapon. To obtain your CCW, you need 8 hours of classroom time and 2 hours of range time. Should we raise the legal age to buy a weapon to 21 years old? Should we have people who want to purchase their first weapon take a class on safe gun handling and gun safety? We’re already seeing stores holding themselves to a higher standard and raising the age to purchase firearms and ammunition.
We don’t have the answers for everyone. We don’t claim to be gun control and gun safety experts. We come from a background of law enforcement and our goal is to create safe environments across the country. Whatever we can do to protect our children and keep our schools safe, we will support. In an earlier blog post, we talked about how we can effectively communicate during an active shooter situation. Now it’s up to us to make sure that we no longer have active shooters in our schools.
From school counselors to relationship officers, to raising the age limit and/or requiring gun safety classes before a first purchase of a weapon; we have to be more proactive in finding a solution while keeping our constitutional rights intact. There is a balance out there, and it’s our job as law enforcement officials, communications providers, school officials, parents, and every day citizens to find that balance. We need to listen to these kids… they have something to say. We also have to remember that these kids will soon be adults, and they’ll be running this country soon enough. Let’s show them that their voice is important, and change can happen.
Let’s start working together to find a solution.