Required Arms Escalation

The Pittsburg synagogue shooting is just the most recent instance of a mass shooting by a well-armed wacko. After this shooting, our President decided to blame the synagogue and its congregation for the heinous attack. How you ask could he possibly do that? Well, he said that they should have had an armed guard who theoretically could have stopped the shooter. Right. This shooter had an assault rifle and several handguns. He shot four cops including two members of the Pittsburg SWAT team. Officers trained and equipped to deal with these situations. So our deep thinking President supposes that a rent-a-cop or armed congregation member could have made much of a difference. Right.

Have any of you actually paid attention to private security guards? Most of them do not inspire confidence. How many have you seen and instantly thought, this is a tough warrior who will protect me at all cost? Many of these private security guards are old, out of shape, and without any training or experience. It is usually a low-paying, low-skill position. I worked at a bank for several years. I often saw guards fast asleep at their post. One old guy was hard of hearing and had a gun so rusty that even if it were to fire it was more apt to blow up in his hand than stop a bad guy. Even the off-duty cops hired for security are probably tired from already working a full police shift.  

So the NRA, GOP, Trump solution to mass shootings is armed guards. Who and what needs these guards? Schools, daycare centers, houses of worship, movie theaters, sports venues, malls and stores, restaurants, what else? How about homes where there are home-schooled children? Home daycare businesses? Do churches need guards 24/7 or just for scheduled services? Does a small take-out restaurant need a guard? How about that Little League baseball or pee-wee football game? Is there a threshold for the number of people gathered together that requires an armed guard? Who will pay for all these guards? Will there be an "armed guard" service fee added to all tickets, restaurant bills, daycare fees, store purchases, etc.? Will Washington pick up the tab?

I'm assuming that when these armed guards fail to stop well-armed wackos there will be increased requirements. First more guards at ever smaller venues. The illogical conclusion to this is to require all citizens to be armed. What's the age limit, adults 18 and over, maybe 16 so you get a drivers license and a gun at the same time. Maybe at five or six on the first day of school. Of course, simple handguns may not be enough. Do they make kid-size AR-15's, an AR-7½? 

Luckily, all the money spent on metal detectors won't be wasted. In the arms required future, if you don't set off the metal detector, you can't enter. In fact, you may be subject to arrest or at least a fine. 

Gun violence of all kinds is a serious problem in our country and I don't think more guns is the solution. Just as I don't think more opioids is a solution to that epidemic. Higher speed limits is not a way to reduce highway accidents and deaths. More junk food does not reduce obesity. So, why do more guns solve a gun problem? 

There is no one answer to this problem or will we ever completely eliminate this issue as long as there are millions of guns in circulation. That doesn't mean we should give up and not try to drastically reduce gun deaths and injuries. How about we start with the one thing most people agree on, universal background checks for all gun purchases. No exceptions, no loopholes. The NRA be damned.

wjh