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doesn't make sense. One officer per school is helpful, but there was a police officer at Columbine in 1999, a police officer at the Bailey High School in 2006, and neither saved a single life. At Columbine the onsite officer exchanged fire with the murderers as they entered the building, then waited outside with his vest and weapons until SWAT teams arrived by which time the killing was long over and the killers dead.

2. Metal detectors and security guards: A good way to keep general violence down, but when Jeff Weise began his shooting spree in Minnesota in 2005 he simply shot the guards at the metal detector first. Unarmed guards cannot stop a suicidal murderer.

3. More Gun laws: Most of the most recent publicized killings were done with legally purchased weapons, some in restrictive states. The problem is that mass murderers such as those at Bailey High School, the Amish school in Pennsylvania, or NIU, rarely telegraph their rage. A nationwide gun ban might have some effect, but it will not happen in our lifetimes whether it should or not. And only a total ban would help, because whether a murderer has a sporting shotgun or bolt action hunting rifle unarmed victims will not be able to protect themselves.

4. Gun Free School Zones: We already have that. The memorials continue to multiply.

So if we can't afford sufficient people in uniforms at each school, what is a viable alternative? As responsible parents, let's start to consider the non-politically correct options. For the sake of our children.

A police officer is an individual of good character (hopefully) who has had a background check and spent 2 6 months of specialized training, of which a few 1 3 weeks is firearms training.

A teacher, or any school administrator, is an individual of good character (hopefully) who has had a background check and an advanced education.

So the only difference between a Police Officer and a staff member at a school is a few weeks of training. And in a school staff of 50 or more people, it seems likely that a handful would be willing to take the necessary training to carry a discreetly concealed firearm and be prepared to defend children. If commissioned as reserve police officers they would have a badge and police radio as well. And it wouldn't be their job to take the place of the police, but to stop a murderer if possible or at least contain him. And with their radios communicate with the police officers arriving so they know the situation and can do something besides mill

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