Comments on: Mental Health Money Sought As Florida Reels From School Shooting http://www.northescambia.com/2018/02/mental-health-money-sought-as-florida-reels-from-school-shooting Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:16:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: No Excuses http://www.northescambia.com/2018/02/mental-health-money-sought-as-florida-reels-from-school-shooting/comment-page-1#comment-359570 No Excuses Fri, 16 Feb 2018 14:41:20 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=314307#comment-359570 I am deeply saddened by this tragic event, but I want to put forward a few thoughts: All taking guns away from law abiding citizens will do is leave them in the hands of criminals, or those who mean harm to others. Schools are soft targets because they are gun free zones. There was a suggestion a few years back to have qualified staff in schools trained and allowed to carry a weapon (out of sight, of course). For some reason, that did not pass. People with conceal carry permits are in a position to avert a tragedy like this only IF they are allowed access to their weapons when in a "gun-free" zone like schools. As an LEO with a teaching degree, I'd do it in a heart beat! Secondly, guns don't kill people by jumping up and shooting at them. It takes someone who will use the gun or ANY OTHER MEANS to kill a person or people if they have made up their minds to do it. Mental health treatment is needed for these marginalized kids. They have a real sense of power once they've decided to act on their fantasies, and that's exhilarating for them because they've felt helpless for so long. It's time a more proactive stance is taken on preventing these situations and I think treatment is a good first step. The second would be to empower those who are capable and qualified to carry the means to stop a shooter in his/her tracks if necessary. This is not to say that all marginalized kids will become killers, but the treatment could certainly help them to live more satisfying and productive lives. Who wouldn't want that for our nation's youth? I am deeply saddened by this tragic event, but I want to put forward a few thoughts:
All taking guns away from law abiding citizens will do is leave them in the hands of criminals, or those who mean harm to others. Schools are soft targets because they are gun free zones. There was a suggestion a few years back to have qualified staff in schools trained and allowed to carry a weapon (out of sight, of course). For some reason, that did not pass. People with conceal carry permits are in a position to avert a tragedy like this only IF they are allowed access to their weapons when in a “gun-free” zone like schools. As an LEO with a teaching degree, I’d do it in a heart beat!

Secondly, guns don’t kill people by jumping up and shooting at them. It takes someone who will use the gun or ANY OTHER MEANS to kill a person or people if they have made up their minds to do it.

Mental health treatment is needed for these marginalized kids. They have a real sense of power once they’ve decided to act on their fantasies, and that’s exhilarating for them because they’ve felt helpless for so long. It’s time a more proactive stance is taken on preventing these situations and I think treatment is a good first step. The second would be to empower those who are capable and qualified to carry the means to stop a shooter in his/her tracks if necessary.

This is not to say that all marginalized kids will become killers, but the treatment could certainly help them to live more satisfying and productive lives. Who wouldn’t want that for our nation’s youth?

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