An article about the Federal Way schools tells about what the District is doing to keep our kids safe in Federal Way. While some of the measures may be purposely undisclosed to the public, it sounds almost like business as usual. Meanwhile, a national discussion is raging related to protecting our schools after the slaughter of children and adults in Newtown, Connecticut.

Federal Way already has uniformed law enforcement at its high schools and security armed with pepper spray at the middle schools. Is it acceptable to leave elementary schools unprotected? One common objection is that armed teachers and volunteers send the wrong message or may lose control of their weapons. Weapons are worn concealed by all kinds of folks in many walks of life and armed citizens rarely lose control of their concealed weapons when they use approved holsters properly constructed for an appropriate weapon.

The same week as the nation mourned the children of Newtown, Connecticut, a man in China injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in central China by hacking and stabbing them with a knife. Apparently, mentally ill people in China attack schools on a regular basis. One string of knife attacks against school children in 2010 killed nearly 20 and wounded more than 50.

Despite the media focus on renewing the Clinton assault weapon ban and high capacity magazines, some analysts are looking at the role that psychotropic prescription drugs like Prosac have played in many U.S. school shootings. Others are focusing on violent video games. But whatever the cause, the failure of draconian, un-Constitutional gun laws to stop gun violence in cities like Chicago, and Washington, DC, raises the issue of how more such laws will make a difference.

Armed security guards in schools may not save every child’s life but will significantly deter attacks and reduce the number of fatalities in our schools. Armed pilots and Air Marshalls have deterred terrorism.

Security guards also guard many banks. Our children are far more precious than the money in the banks. Armed volunteers, including some motivated school staff trained and supervised under the oversight of law enforcement professionals, are far less expensive to place in our schools than armed security guards.

One country whose children have been a target for mass murder for many years is Israel. See http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob81.html.

Federal Way kids deserve better proposals from school district officials and community leaders than just having security officers at our middle schools- prepared to deploy pepper spray- with a few officers that rove between schools.

Let’s find ways to make sure a killer never gets to attack children like the shooter did at Sandy Hook Elementary. Our community cannot wait for the federal government to make the United States a “gun-free zone” or to ban certain kinds of weapons. There will always be weapons available to those determined to kill. We need to protect Federal Way’s children at school now.

State lawmakers around the U.S. are now proposing that teachers and others carry guns in the classrooms.

Lawmakers in Virginia and North Carolina have proposed allowing teachers to carry guns into schools or store them in a central location. The concept of having volunteers with special training ready to react when violence begins in a school has been discussed for many years but until now public leadership has been lacking when it comes to meeting violence with firepower.

North Carolina state Rep. Marcus Brandon (D-High Point) told goqnotes.com, “The only thing that will stop a gunman is another gun.” Despite his support for more restrictions on gun owners, Rep. Brandon believes that arming and training selected administrators and teachers will make schools safer.

According to the Washington Post, Virginia’s Del. Robert Marshall (R-Manassas) has a proposed plan that would require school districts to designate certain teachers in each building to carry guns. Marshall’s plan is supported by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell ®. Lawmakers In six other states, including Tennessee and Oklahoma, have proposed legislation to allow teachers to be armed. It has worked in Israel and other countries and it can work in the U.S.

Various officials will excuse their lack of commitment to solving the problem by averring that the lawyers have determined that proposals to arm volunteers in our schools expose the District to liability. But many activities expose public institutions to liability! Nevertheless, projects worth doing still get done. All Americans need to complete the grieving process over the victims in Newtown who lost their lives and then get to work to protect our children.

Passing new restrictions on firearms is cosmetic window-dressing by which politicians make it appear that they are doing something while conducting business as usual. But the days of just looking good to the public have come and gone. Schools will not be safer until we guard them with our lives and armed force, not just with talk and new gun control legislation.