I never cease to be amazed at how many people can be whipped into a frenzy of hysteria over an emotionally charged issue like the recent school shooting.  The mainstream media is of course complicit in this process.  They generally live in a “gun free” bubble in the major cities of the East and West Coasts as well as Chicago.  However, their own “gun free zone” is closely guarded by armed security personnel.

Liberals are once again enamored with the concept that one more gun control law, or preferably a total gun ban, including confiscation, will solve the problem of gun violence.  It won’t.  What WILL help towards that goal are some common sense items.

First, eliminate most so-called “gun free zones”.  It doesn’t take a lot of research to determine that most mass shootings have occurred where criminals, terrorists and crazies were secure in the knowledge that they were in a place where there was a very high probability that THEY were the only one who was armed.  That allowed them to commit their heinous acts unopposed for critical minutes in the “killing zone”.

Second, stop trying to reinvent the wheel.  The Israelis developed a very effective school safety program in the 1970’s, after a series of terrorists attacks on schools in that country.  Ask for their help, and model our program to “harden” our schools against attack after theirs.

Third, stop vilifying a specific type of weapon, such as the AR-15.  A pump shotgun could kill and maim just as effectively as a semi-automatic so-called “assault weapon”.  So could a handgun, which was the weapon of choice of the Virginia Tech shooter.  It isn’t the weapon we should be focusing on, but rather the individual who wields it.

Fourth, start holding individuals and organizations who fail to follow up on valid tips or threats responsible for their inaction.  The Miami Dade school district, as well as many others around the country, fail to report acts of violence committed on school grounds because they don’t want them on the school’s record.  So, violent individuals like the Parkland, Florida shooter don’t have a record which would prevent them from buying a weapon from a legal sales venue.

Finally, stop making responsible gun owners part of the problem.  They aren’t. However, they could be a very large part of the solution, if politicians, who are now cowed by the strident voices of the gun banners, would let them.  There will always be plenty of “Sheeple” out there needing protection.  What we need are a lot more well trained and well armed “Sheepdogs” to accomplish that task.  Again, “when seconds count, law enforcement will be there in minutes”. Until then, the carnage will continue.  So, until they do arrive, we must be our own “First Responders”.  Let’s calm down, and delete all messages from “Hysteria.com”.