Should We Rethink Gun-Free Zones for Schools and Businesses?
I’m no stranger to controversial topics, and this opinion piece will be no different. When the news came out that schools and businesses were implementing gun-free zones, there were many cheers from the community, thinking it would protect lives. Well, how has that worked out?
The last thing I want to do is downplay the lives that were lost during tragic events at the hands of mentally unstable individuals with weapons. However, I believe we need to have a real discussion about what gun-free zones actually do.
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First, let’s go ahead and get this out of the way… As always, go out and get the proper training needed to be proficient with your firearm(s). I am not an instructor or tactical ninja, and I don’t pretend to be one on the weekends. I’m simply someone who seeks knowledge, improvement, and proficiency when it comes to self-defense and the ability to protect my family and those around me. You are your own first line of defense, seek the training of a certified and experienced instructor. Know your state and local laws to ensure you are able to carry a firearm, I am not a lawyer.
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What are Gun-Free Zones?
By definition, gun-free zones are merely locations that prohibit carrying and possessing firearms on a given premise. This can be something as small as a .22-caliber handgun all the way up to an AR-15 or AK-47 (and even larger firearms). Simply put, any firearm (no matter how you designate it) is banned from the location.
Why Does This Provide a False Sense of Security?
When you go shopping or are a patron of retail locations, seeing signs that they are gun-free zones is supposed to make you feel safe. But do they really? When you walk around these locations, you are sold the idea that just because they post signs prohibiting firearms, no one dare come in with one.
But reality says otherwise. Gun-free zones are nothing more than a target for those who are mentally unstable and need help. If someone were to attack a location and want to do people harm (and in their eyes, the more people, the better), what better place to do it than somewhere that people aren’t legally supposed to carry a firearm (even concealed)?
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Think about it. Who or what is going to stop someone from walking into a business and planning an active shooter scenario? Nothing. It’s a worthless sign that doesn’t protect a single life. I actually blame these locations for being one of the gun-free zones out there. Unless someone can guarantee my safety, why would I put my faith in preserving life from a business with a sign on its door?
Criminals don’t follow the law — that’s why they are criminals. Whether they walk into a location with a firearm, explosive, knife, bat, or vehicle, what does the actual object matter?
Yet, for some reason, we demonize firearms as if they are some evil object of destruction. When’s the last time you heard someone want to ban vehicles, baseball bats, or knives? I’ve never heard it. So, what’s really the difference with a firearm? It’s an object that can only be used by someone or something pulling the trigger. In the case of a person, their booger-picker needs to enter the trigger guard and forcefully pull the trigger to the rear to cause the firearm to go off. That’s not the fault of the gun. It’s the fault of the person who is in possession of the firearm and purposely pulled the trigger. Why is there no personal accountability anymore?
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Gun-free zones are one of the biggest targets for those who want to do harm. Why? Because they want the advantage of shooting a projectile into someone and not having to worry about anything coming back at them. It’s essentially like shooting fish in a barrel.
People who frequent gun-free zones are sitting ducks — and this includes schools that do not have a police presence of some sort.
Let’s think for a minute as to what takes place in the event someone starts an attack in gun-free zones. It’s chaos. Everyone is running for their lives, screaming, bodies are hitting the ground, there’s massive bleeding, and not a single person there can fight back. You’ve heard the saying, “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight,” and it’s the truth.
Sure, during such an event, some heroic individual could decide to go hands-on with this individual or use an object to attack the shooter, but the probability of them living decreases due to being “out-gunned.”
So, what do we do?
We Need to Do Away with All Gun-Free Zones
I urge every business owner and school district to do away with this designation. Gun-free zones don’t protect anyone. Just look at the shootings that have taken place in them and tell me I’m wrong.
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Criminals will always break the law, and providing gun-free zones do nothing to protect the people in a given location. How are unarmed and untrained teachers supposed to protect our children? Honestly, it’s not their responsibility. But, if a teacher is trained on how to use a firearm and wants to take the responsibility to carry a concealed firearm, why wouldn’t that be advantageous? We now have a level playing field should an active shooter scenario present itself.
We have teachers becoming human shields to protect the children in their classrooms. The worst-case scenario has played out time and time again, yet everyone wants to push more “gun control.” What happens is the opposite of what most think gun control will accomplish.
There’s one way to stop a bad guy with a gun, and that is having a good guy with a gun. It’s the ultimate equalizer. When someone thinks they can just walk in somewhere and take control by shooting, their mentality will shift when bullets start coming back their way. Now, they are put in a fight or flight response, and many will rethink continuing if their life is on the line. This can save countless lives!
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Regardless, every school in America should have an armed officer in their building. This should be non-negotiable. Kids are in schools across the nation all day Monday through Friday. Their safety should be of the utmost importance.
What Will YOU Do?
When out with your family, I don’t expect you to play Batman and fight crime. But, in the event something happens, wouldn’t you want the proper means to protect the lives of your family members and those around you? What better way than to get the proper training and know-how to use a firearm and carry it every day.
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I don’t think I need to tell you that this world is a crazy place. Anything can pop off at any moment, and while you shouldn’t live your life in fear, you should be prepared to be your first line of defense when needed. Criminals pick the time and place, not you.
In gun-free zones, I’m willing to bet every single individual who is caught in an active shooter situation would be praying for someone with a gun to come eliminate that threat. A lawful concealed carry owner could be the person to save lives in that instance. It’s why people train. It’s why people become proficient with their firearms. People carry (both firearms and the responsibility) to protect and save lives.
I’m not saying you need to walk out your door with body armor every day and load up an arsenal as if you were going to war. All I’m asking is that we do away with gun-free zones and stop setting up scenarios where people can be taken advantage of.
If you’re not comfortable with carrying a firearm, why would you impede my ability to protect both you and me? If I could save your life, wouldn’t you agree to put your feelings and emotions to the side and let a trained individual eliminate a threat?
Gun-free zones are not safe. Gun-free zones do not stop criminals. And gun-free zones are not making the world a safer place. Don’t believe me? Go watch the news.
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