OPINION:
We are all wrestling with the tragedy and evil that came to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last week. As a citizen and parent, I’d ask our leaders in the school system to focus on reality, not on theory or wishes. In the childlike part of our souls, most of us would love to live in a world without evil, but that is not the world in which we live.
The No. 1 thing we adults must do in schools is be sure our kids are safe. Debating the Second Amendment, which is here to stay, closing the gun-show loophole, whether to give low-income people more mental-health Medicaid funding on top of already massive Medicaid funding — none of this does anything to help the problem.
Evil people will always be with us, and motivated evil people will always be able to get their hands on powerful weapons. Evil people are bullies who will always gravitate to the weakest, most vulnerable targets, such as the school with the big sign out front announcing “This is a Gun-Free Zone.”
So let’s be grown-up. Let’s show our kids what brave, strong, liberal Americans do. They train five or 10 teachers in each school to safely use handguns. They get these teachers concealed-carry permits, and they make sure those teachers never only have a cellphone or their bodies to shield kids from flying bullets.
Let’s get to work protecting our most precious possession: our children.
HOWARD SACHS
Chevy Chase, Md.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.