The aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting has brought calls for more of the same ineffective gun-control policies from students acting as agents for the anti-gun politicians and the lobbies they cater to. So it’s the National Rifle Association’s fault, right?
Twice the FBI had this person on their radar and did nothing. Over several years, the sheriff’s office had complaints about threatening and dangerous behavior both in school and at home, including assaults and threats to shoot up the school. They were called to his home for violence-related incidents.
Under Florida’s Baker Act, the sheriff could have forced this individual to undergo an involuntary mental health examination that would have prevented him from obtaining firearms. Students and staff at the school advised it, but nothing was done.
Not all states send information on violent offenders and those deemed to have violent mental health issues to the National Instant Criminal Background System to prevent them from legally obtaining guns. They’re not obligated to comply. Therefore, many violence-prone people are legally able to get firearms.
The NRA supported background checks from its inception and supports the proposed new law to get states to comply completely. If bureaucrats had done their jobs, this and other shootings might not have occurred.
The lobbying purview of the NRA is as an advocate for laws that will actually work and not deny all constitutionally protected rights to anyone. Gun-control laws have not stopped mass shootings — good guys with guns have. The secretary general of Interpol advised hardening soft targets such as schools, a terrorist favorite.
Israel hasn’t had a school shooting in several years. Shouldn’t we look into their procedures and possibly emulate some of them?
Many use the NRA and its members as scapegoats for ineffective laws created by politicians trying to look like they are doing something. For a long time the anti-gun lobby, lawmakers and media have stigmatized the NRA, its members and firearms. For those who think safety is the end result, not confiscation, ask gun owners of Connecticut and New York.
William Aherin
Southampton