In the wake of the horrible shooting in Connecticut, some are calling for stricter gun control, even a disarming of the American people. History shows this to be a mistake: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and Mussolini all had disarmed nations, leaving the people helpless to resist their oppression.
In Mexico, a disarmed population is at the mercy of drug cartels, who have killed more than 40,000 defenseless people.
How do we address a tragedy like this? Perhaps we need to do away with the idea of a gun-free zone. Even if you don't want guns on your property, you shouldn't advertise that fact. That just says you're defenseless, and predators like helpless prey. It's not a mistake that so many of these monsters target schools.
We should also consider either security guards in schools or allowing teachers/staff to carry concealed weapons. This has been done in Texas to good effect. One armed teacher or guard could make the difference between two deaths and 20.
We also should rebuild our asylum system. It was gutted in the '70s and '80s, and it's now legally very hard to commit a person against his/her will. Were it made easier, perhaps we could get people who show signs of violent mental disturbance into care, where they could be given the help they need or at least separated from the general population.
Ultimately, though, these precautions can only reduce violent incidents. Evil always seems to find its way in. Perhaps our best defense is to strive to have the courage to face down evil when it comes.
DAVID WELCH
Scotia