The NRA’s suggestion that gun violence in our schools can be prevented by simply adding armed personnel in every schoolhouse reveals a lack of understanding of what a complex and diverse populaton occupies our classrooms. Anyone who has spent any time in a school setting would recognize that it embraces hundreds of personalities; distinctive in nature and temperament, engaging in an intense, vibrant and often unpredictable environment. Weapons of any sort that are accessible in a setting of this complex magnitude can easily and predictably result in unintended and tragic consequences. The plague of gun violence in our country is rampant and does not lend itself to simplistic solutions. When members of our society who suffer unresolved issues of anger, frustration and mental illness decide that their first solution of choice to relieve that anguish is to gun down the innocent, then every responsible citizen in that society needs to participate in stopping the slaughter. Neglected mental illness, easy access to assault weapons and their accompanying large ammunition magazines, violent electronic games masquerading as entertainment, bullying hidden under the guise of team building are all subjects of discourse that need to be pursued by parents, schools, coaches, the media and the sporting gun community. Politicians at all governmental levels must also play a leadership role in this discourse. Some are reluctant to do so but they have a choice. They can be seen as serious and responsible participants in the process; mustering the courage and resources needed to avert the tragedies that might lie ahead or they, like anyone, can simply walk away. Those who do choose to walk away uninvolved and unmoved by the bloodshed that continues to stain our common places should feel certain that the depth of their character will be measured and remembered when the horror of Sandy Hook visits another American community.
Peter A. Mongillo
Cheshire
Mr. Mongillo is a retired school principal and teacher.