Sunday, December 23, 2012

Time For Action

     Friday, the last of the funerals were held in and around Newtown CT, and for those affected, the holiday season has been ruined, anticipation and joy cruelly being replaced by despair and horror. I suspect the rest of us are relieved to have them done so we can go about our preparations without having to dwell on those events, at least for now. Besides, our children are not going to be in school for the next week and a half, so in our minds, they are safe, for now. What about on January 2nd, when they return to school. Are they going to be any safer then? Without immediate action, the honest answer is no!
     By all accounts Sandy Hook Elementary is not much different than most of our schools. Unlike inner city schools, where violence led decades ago to not only a need for higher security, but an acceptance of it's implementation also, schools like Sandy Hook are perceived as safe. Many of the parents of the students there would probably have been horrified at the idea of having metal detectors and armed police officers on duty in their children's school. It is sort of like the idea there are places where doors do not need to be locked. Those are myths perpetuated by a distant memory of a time long past when communities were much more intertwined and where those who would do harm could not easily hide. Our society is no longer like that. Let's face it, most of us do not even know who our closest neighbors are so finding the rare crazed criminal is almost impossible to do.
     Events at Sandy Hook are sure to lead to a vigorous debate about a whole host of issues. Unfortunately, debates take time and policy implementation even longer. Except for one. Currently, school superintendents across the country are given the authority to allow any employee to carry firearms. Sadly, many operate under the dangerous assumption that by declaring schools "gun free zones" it somehow makes them safer places to be. This is a horrible miscalculation which can be blamed for much of the loss of lives in these situations.
     Some of you may be questioning how it is I can comment like this. Well, let me explain how. Between 2007 and 2010 I received extensive training in active shooter scenarios as a Special State Police Officer working on a local college campus. I was also certified as a patrol rifle instructor for the state of Massachusetts. In addition I received first responder training to critical incidents by Homeland Security. My 20 plus years of law enforcement experience as municipal police officer, private police officer and military police officer lead me to have strong opinions about these issues. In all of the training I received, one theme stood out. The quicker a firearm held by a good guy is brought to bear against a bad guy holding a firearm, the more lives saved. Simple, but true. This is the reason active shooter response training was changed after Columbine. Yet, even with this proper change, there is a problem. Most of the time, the good folks with guns are too far away to help.
     Given this, I would concur with the proposal brought forward by Wayne LaPierre of the NRA. I am not a member but he has a valid point. We should immediately demand there be a resource officer at every school. Our school budgets do have the funds for this. In addition, policies which declare our schools gun free zones should be abolished immediately and any employee duly licensed should be allowed to carry on their person a firearm if they choose. After all, if you believe those employees are not responsible, then why are they working in the schools in the first place?
     I personally spoke about this with a current firearms instructor who works full time as a police officer in a local town. He offered to train any school employee to the same level that he would train any police officer and he agrees they should be allowed to do it. We have armed security for money, politicians, special buildings, vehicles, yet our most cherished, most valued members of our lives, our children, are left at the mercy of these crazed criminals. It is not right and it should be fixed by January 2nd, 2013. Otherwise, our children are at the same risk as they were last Friday. Unless they attend one of those inner city schools.
    

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Let Them Grieve First

     It has been four days since the shootings in Newtown CT and most of the victims are still not laid to rest. Families are devastated, a town is now ripped to shreds and our nation is joining in the mourning of those lost innocent souls. Yet, what are we hearing from our news sources? Stories about the community coming together? Some. Stories about the victims and their families? Some of those too. Stories about the human debris responsible? Lots of those. All of those combined do not add up to the stories about the gun control issue though. Not even close. So many so called objective reporters are using this tragedy to promote their own political views on this issue, they are actually starting to come out in the open with their opinions.
     I watched today as Andrea Mitchell gleefully predicted a whole new set of gun laws sure to come while she was interviewing Nancy Pelosi. It was Congresswoman Pelosi, arguably the most Liberal pol in Washington, who had to talk Mitchell down from the Liberal high she was experiencing. It was Nancy Pelosi, of all people, who had to say, while she hoped some new laws would be enacted, there was no guarantee it would happen. First off, shame on me for watching Andrea Mitchell, but I am always fascinated by Nancy Pelosi and her ability to ignore reality as she presents her views on issues. I was shocked to hear her sound so reasonable, but I guess even she could see how wrong Andrea Mitchell was in her reaction to the shooting. It was, in my opinion, as if Mitchell was rejoicing in the age of the victims as a way to get her desired policies enacted and maybe Pelosi felt sensed that too and instinctively backed off from it. Still, there was a glint in her eyes too and I don't think it was just from the studio lights.
     I read a pundit today who are said the tragedy only happened because there are not enough gun control laws yet in the US. I guess in his mind the 22,000 plus laws already on the books are not enough. No mention of the shooter or his responsibility though. No mention of the shooter's caretakers, if he was mentally ill, who allowed for him to have access to the weapons used either. As a matter of fact, there was not one mention of any of the recent shooters and all of their collective mental illness. Violent video games? Violence on TV or in the movies? No mention of those things. No mention of the dozens of laws broken by the shooter either. I mean, I'm pretty sure it is illegal to have a weapon on your person if you are not licensed, it is illegal to discharge a weapon in or near any building, especially a school. It is illegal to kill or hurt people. Well, you get the point. None of those things were mentioned. None at all. Just a simple statement that the shooting was directly as a result of a lack of more gun laws. These are just a couple of examples of the hundreds of commentaries on the incident.
     I believe this type of behavior by all media types, at this time, is wrong. Still, I must admit, I have myself written reactions to some of the comments made. I will refrain from doing so further for now. Most of the victims are not even laid to rest yet and a whole town has had its heart ripped out. I feel this is not the time to politicize this event. While I do believe an honest discussion should be had by people from all sides of the issues, I don't think it should be now. Knee jerk reactions will only lead to more resistance for real change and a kicking of the can down the road to the next horrible event.
     Unfortunately, I think this is just too great an opportunity for many in the media to pass up, even if it would be the right thing to do. Maybe their lack of empathy is simply a reflection of what is wrong with our society in general. Whatever the case, I believe it is wrong and would wish they would hold off on the political debates about the incident at least until after all of the funerals.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Back to the Future

     Between April 25th and November 6th of this year I did something most of us only dream about doing, when no one is looking, and only to ourselves. I ran for office. Yes, that's right. I publicly admitted what many of you suspected already. I am certifiably nuts! Ok, so maybe not, but hopefully you get the point. Although the result was very disappointing, the experience of running was well worth it. I will never forget the close knit team put together on such short notice or the gallant effort put forth. I stated many times the reasons I ran. They were all valid but none more so than the simple desire to serve and try something new instead of the same old tired approaches to the issues facing all of us. Unfortunately most of my fellow citizens disagreed and they went with the status quo. Too bad. Still, a large enough number of folks did vote for me which lends some hope for the future of our views, even here in moonbat heaven. So to all of you who worked on or otherwise supported the campaign, THANK YOU!
     Now that the election is behind us, it is time to turn a page which for me means blogging again. Sorry Libs, I am not going away. As a matter of fact, you may be hearing even more from me in the near future, stay tuned.
     In case you did not notice, I have changed the name of this blog to "The LeBeau Post" in the hopes that someday it will be as big as Drudge or Huffington. Hey, don't laugh. They started out the same way! Truth is, I'll be happy with however many of you read my blog and I encourage you all to participate. Yes, even you libs out there, who for some strange reason want this place to be like so many others in the world, while those living in those same places strive to come to this place. Confused? Me too as to why you are Liberal and why you insist on voting Democrat when it is they who are stealing your freedom and destroying your way of life. Sorry, a little rant got through there. Well, in any case, I am glad to be back to writing and look forward to the many battles ahead.
     Thank you for reading. :)