February 22, 2018
Why Sending Armed Veterans to Guard Schools Would Be Ludicrous
On Wednesday, as families continued to bury their loved ones killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, President Trump suggested that one answer to gun violence in schools might be to post armed veterans to deter would-be attackers—and stop them with return fire if necessary.
The idea, suggested a week ago by Sean Hannity on Fox News, resonated with many who believe in the myth of a “good guy with a gun,” and admire the American military too.
But for many practical reasons, it’s a ludicrous idea. Although their firearms familiarity is better than the national average, most troops and veterans don’t have the skill to carry out the kind of duty Trump suggests. It would take multiple troops to secure a single school, making this effort incredibly costly. And even if the logistics made sense, arming veterans to guard schools would turn the occasional incident into a firefight, likely killing or wounding many more in the crossfire.
Read the full article in Slate.
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