I am a strong believer that bullies and thugs respect firearms, especially when pointed at them. The issue of how to protect your children in school, reminds me of what happened to my two teenagers when we lived on Fort Douglas, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Below the fort, where we lived, was the University of Utah. The fort was a housing area for all military personnel. We had every branch living there.
My children attended middle school in downtown Salt Lake City. Due to the drugs on the fort, my daughter was threatened by the military children and the drug dealers outside of the school. She began getting death threats. This was very upsetting to me, since this was my first assignment with my husband in the U.S. military. There were no military police on this open fort and I felt like a sitting duck, so to speak.
At my wits end, knowing my son was being addicted to the drugs available in the school and on the fort, we hired an off duty armed Sheriff’s department deputy to accompany my child into the school and into her classrooms. The school refused to acknowledge a problem. After about a week, the Salt Lake City police department got the school involved and before long the man was no longer needed.
Do I have any reservations about armed guards or police officers in our schools? I do not! The incident I have just explained took place in circa 1978. School violence, drugs and gangs were just beginning in Salt Lake City. For example, one night we took our children to a drive in for a movie. After we saw the gangs moving between the cars at an interesting rate of speed, we realized what was happening and left immediately. One look at the weapons they were carrying was enough for us to get the message.
I am not the kind of person who thinks war and violence is okay. Nevertheless, when there is a need for protection, I have no qualms about using like force against force. I think a pound of prevention is worth several pounds of cure. People with arms, when they are not mentally stable enough to use them appropriately, must be stopped. I think we have all seen enough of this violence lately. We have a right to protect ourselves and our children against this type of threat.
I once belonged to the National Rifle Association. I still believe in our right to bear arms. However, like I wrote in an earlier blog, I do not have firearms in my home. I was trained in self-defense for years, especially after the situation with my children. I think between my husband and I, we could defend our home. If it became apparent that we could not, I might consider weapons. I no longer have children to protect.
To the parents reading this blog, I think each of you must decide for yourself how you want to protect your children. The son that was addicted to the drugs in his Salt Lake middle school, well..when he was nineteen years of age, he shot himself. That’s right, he committed suicide. Drugs, gangs and violence are lethal combinations. While a scenario like this may never happen to your children in today’s world, it could.
JOYSTECHTOOL 