More Dead from Gun Free School Zone - Epic Failure

President William J. Clinton signed the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1995 effectively preventing the lawful possession of a firearm by non-government and law enforcement authorized persons on or near school property.

The Columbine High School massacre and the Virginia Tech massacre are two of the more recent disastrous examples of how Gun Free School Zones have been an epic failure. 

Today - family, friends and students in Omaha morn the death of their assistant principal shot to death by an armed high school student.

It shouldn't be, and its not right, and there must be a better way - but, I believe we need a solution immediately.  We need to now look at school officials and employees having the ability to carry a defensive weapon just like the 20,000+ persons with a pistol carry permit are doing in just about any other place in this state. 

There is little to no hope of stopping someone with a gun other than to shoot them. The police will arrive 4 minutes later. They can't be everywhere. The only people safe in 'gun free school zones' are the ones with a gun.

In Minnesota we have a proven process already in-place to qualify people who can lawfully carry a weapon and defend themselves, their co-workers, and students immediately when a threat is presented.   I think its time we look at a defensive posture in schools rather then time after time being able to only wait for the ambulances to arrive. 

The problem is that most school boards who have the legislatures ear are comprised of folks that idealistically see "the gun" as the problem.  They wrongly believe that armed school staff would only make the problem worse. Until school boards and school administrators change their course of thinking, evil-doers will be able to walk into any school and shoot and kill whoever they please unimpeded until police arrive.

And there will always be guns and there will always be evil-doers.   It only makes sense to address the problem - at the point of impact.