ON ASSAULT RIFLES -- THE LEAHY SOLUTION

JC Leahy

 "Assault rifles" that are legal to buy are not military grade rifles, and the difference between them and many standard hunting rifles is PURELY cosmetic. In point of fact, Nikolas de Jesus Cruz could have done equal damage with a plain, old-fashioned pump-action shotgun loaded with standard 00 buckshot and a pocketful of extra shells. (Just feed shells from your pocket a few at a time as you go, and your gun is NEVER empty.) The problem, or one of the problems, is that Nikolas de Jesus Cruz had ANY gun at all!! 

I do agree with those who suggest that posting a reasonable number of armed personnel, police, in schools is, at this point, a no-brainer.  It would go a long way towards solving the terrible problem of school massacres. The Israelis have armed personnel (teachers in the Israeli case) in each school and there are no school killings. Police would be more do-able in America. However, I think that there must be deeper social issues at work in America. When I was in high school, many of us young men had guns (at home mostly) but there were no problems with school shootings. There were even shooting clubs at some schools, but not at my particular high school. We need to understand what has changed to truly solve this problem. My money is on the lack of a stable mother-and-father family, especially when bringing up boys is involved. 

The NRA? It's been around for a long time, is an absolute expert on safety matters, has wholesome intentions, pretty decent members as far as I can see, and is not the school massacre problem. 

My own humble  solution: (1) place a reasonable number of armed police in each school, and (2) do not allow anyone younger than 25 years old to buy any gun or possess any gun except possession with direct and immediate parental supervision. Hormones are running too high and maturity too low before the age of 25. THOSE 2 MEASURES WOULD HAVE PREVENTED VIRTUALLY ALL PAST SCHOOL KILLINGS!!! 

I have been told that restricting gun purchases for those under the age of 25 would unfairly discriminatory.  First of all, the school killings situation calls for some do-able solutions and personal-liberty/discrimination argument seems to call for inaction. After all, if states can forbid the sale of alcohol to adults under the age of 21, SURELY they can restrict the sale of guns to adults under the age of 25. This wouldn't discriminate against anyone because everyone who is under 25 will be 25 in due time. If the actual situation is that a 19 year old cannot buy a bottle of whiskey because of his lack of maturity, but he can  buy a firearm, there's something wrong with that  picture.  In the spirit of being serious about a do-able solution , I advocate to not allow anyone younger than 25 years old to buy any gun or possess any gun except possession with direct and immediate parental supervision.

 The NRA actually offered to train school security personnel nationwide, and was rejected. It seems to me that the NRA could be part of the do-able solution! Just my opinion, of course, but it does seem like a no-brainer, given the gravity of the situation and the need for an ACTUAL SOLUTION.  Time to get serious!