Guns and Pencils

Students need pencils more than their teachers need guns.

   For all the talk about how to stop gun violence in schools, there is very little talk about prevention.
   The gun lobby's answer to gun violence generally is more guns. But more guns means more violence, as shown by statistical evidence. The same data set shows that there is less gun violence in nations where there are fewer guns.
   How hard is that to figure?
   There are more guns in America than there are people. In other nations, there are fewer guns, and in these nations fewer people are killed by guns.
   Do the math.

   Here's an exercise in Logic 101. More guns means more death, Fewer guns means fewer deaths. Therefore, to reduce the number of deaths from guns, reduce the number of guns.
   So far this year, more Americans have died in school shootings than have been killed in military action, according to one report.
   
   Texas Gov. Greg Abbot was quoted as saying at an NRA convention recently that "The problem is not with guns but with people whose hearts are not with God."
   What, then, shall be done with non-believers? Shoot them?
   Other NRA supporters insist that the problem is not a gun issue but a mental health issue. By that logic, other nations with similar levels of mental health issues should have similar levels of gun violence.
   So why don't we hear of widespread mass shootings in Canada? Could it be that Canadians are more mentally stable than Americans? A more likely reason is that there are fewer guns in Canada.
   Mental health is certainly an important issue, in every country. Therefore, increase the efforts to deal with mental health. Moreover, few people with mental health issues resort to gun violence.  At the same time, decrease the availability of guns, so that those with serious health issues cannot resort to mass shootings.
   Another prevention measure, according to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is "the need to harden school safety, by limiting the entrances to school buildings."
   Patrick also invoked the Constitution by insisting on a TV interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that "Our teachers are part of that well-run militia" mentioned in the Second Amendment.
   There are some 8,000 school campuses in Texas, many with multiple buildings. Limiting each building to a single entrance sounds like an enormously expensive project. Limiting the availability of guns would be far less expensive. And it may come as a surprise to teachers that they will be expected to add  firearms and ammunition to their supply of pencils.
   Another rationale put forth by NRA supporters is the need for self-defense in case of a foreign invasion. By that logic, the U.S. military cannot be trusted to do its job. Besides, any foreign invasion would come at the U.S. from its shores or its borders. So why are some folks in Iowa so afraid of a foreign invasion? Where would the invading troops come from, Canada?
   Or do they feel the need to protect themselves from people with mental health issues? The answer to that is not more guns but better health care.