Is armed school security the answer?

In the wake of the recent school shootings in Newtown, Conn., there have been stories and endless comments on the issue of armed security in our nation’s public and private schools. Some even want our teachers to be armed and trained to use firearms on school property.

I’ll be honest. I am not thrilled with this idea. It would be a very sad statement to the nation and to the world that America needs to arm its schools because of the nation’s failure to deal with the endless violence that prevails in modern American society. It will, I am afraid to say, may become a reality very soon. I know it is in many of our urban schools and college campuses, with mixed results. Some of the most infamous shootings took place where such security measures have already been taken.

So how do we deal with the issues of protecting our children in the Valley? That is, if we go this route. I have been reading and watching events unfold about this over the last few weeks. Each time as yet another story unfolds and new ideas get floated, I find myself getting more and more disturbed. I’m not naïve, this may be a solution, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Frankly, I don’t. Not one bit. Like I said before, it just may come down to just that.

Earlier this month, I wrote a piece on how I was disappointed in the NRA. I think many were in agreement with that. Some comments coming from some surprising sources felt the same way I did. I wonder how they feel about the issue I’m talking about now. Some may say I am putting the blame on groups like the NRA. Far from it. If anyone is to blame on this hot-button issue it is everyone here in the nation, including myself, all are to blame for getting this nation into this mess. By doing nothing or turning a blind eye to it all. Now we must all find a solution or solutions. We have little choice now.

We must not rush headlong for political expediency and posturing, as the vice president seems to be heading toward with his commission. This must be reasoned out with deep thought and take all the time that is needed. There are no fast solutions to fix this. It will be hard and it will take time to do it right; maybe years to work it all out.

Now let’s switch to the local level. Is arming our schools the right solution to this problem? If so, how do we do it? And just who get the weapons and the training? Who gets the bill? That last one should make many who are crowing for this at the top of their collective lungs sit up and take notice.

It costs money to arm and train anyone in the use of deadly force with a firearm. A lot of money. Then the question of just who does this training is yet another. Just who will it be? Our local police? They are strung out to next Tuesday. We have too few responding to crimes in the Valley right now. State troopers? There are barely 400 in the entire state. The National Guard? That is not their mission.

So, just how do we choose to take up this challenge if we decide to do it at all. Whoever is chosen must also go through a screening process, a deep one. I for one do not want a person who is barely qualified to take up a paper clip to take up arms to protect our youngest and brightest in our schools, public or private. This also costs money.

Just how does this all get paid for? In a school district barely able to get a budget measure passed by the voters here, if ever, who has to pay for this and is there anyone out there willing to let this be part of the school budget? Simply adding this to the current budget mess that is going on right now could break more than a few schools’ budgetary backs.

If we are going to go this route, these questions — and many others related to it — must be asked and dealt with, and not with the current toxic meltdown that is going on right now with groups on both sides of the issues blathering and bleating at the tops of their lungs and getting us absolutely nowhere. We need calm and reason from all sides to find a logical, workable goal — the protection of our children from kindergarten to college from armed threats.

We must not rush this. We must have open eyes and open minds to all ideas out there. All of them. For our children’s sake, we must endeavor to strive for everything possible to protect them from all harm. If it is humanly possible, that is.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.