A Feb. 22 Washington Post article published in the Press Herald, “NRA pushes back against law enforcement, media, teen survivors,” described Wayne LaPierre’s solution to mass school shootings.

The National Rifle Association’s chief executive suggested that armed guards at schools and free firearms training for teachers would be a powerful deterrent. Never mind that the armed sheriff’s deputy on duty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 failed to stop gunman Nikolas Cruz from killing 17 people. A cadre of highly trained killer teachers would surely do a better job than that.

Not surprisingly, President Trump agrees with LaPierre. The president also proposed arming some teachers as a way to deter future attacks. He even suggested giving those teachers “a little bit of a bonus.” What a great idea. Bonuses are great incentives. The NRA spent more than $11 million in support of Trump’s presidential campaign, and that has paid off handsomely in keeping the NRA and its agenda secure.

If it makes sense for teachers to be armed and trained to take out a madman, it makes sense for the president, too. Let Trump take the lead to prove his point. He can start by carrying his weapon of choice and dismissing his enormous – and very expensive – Secret Service detail. They will no longer be necessary to protect him from the random sociopath. After all, a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. Isn’t that the way it works?

Carol Gardner

Alna