Signs do nothing but deter law-abiding citizens
from defending themselves.

Donald Trump, an undisciplined mind, once fatuously said he preferred heroes who had not been captured.

The Squire, having been taught better manners by the Sisters of Notre Dame, prefers his heroes to remain alive. We’ll honor the dead ones, but we’d rather they survive, if it’s all the same.

Or, as General Patton told his troops, I don’t want the good guys to die for their country, I want them to kill the bad guys.

So, hats off and head bowed for Aaron Feis, the football coach who put his large body between the gunman and innocent students at that high school in Florida Wednesday (02-14-18). He was one of two faculty members who responded. May they rest in peace and something be named in their honor.

The indentured servants at the Stately Manor would rather Coach Feis have put a 9 mm. Glock semi-automatic between those students and the attacker. Might the toll have been fewer than the 17 lives ultimately claimed and the 14 injured?

The Blaska Policy Werkes is sincere about ending the mass murders in American schools. Twelve such horrors have been visited since April 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where 13 were shot dead and 26 wounded (not counting the shooters). Virginia Tech suffered the most casualties, 32 dead, 17 wounded, on April 16, 2007. The most heartbreaking were the 26 first graders killed at Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012.

We are guessing that Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. has the proper warning signs affixed to the entrances, the ones that say “Firearms Not Permitted on These Premises.” Probably in English and español. Maybe the gunman was illiterate. So we know signs don’t do anything but deter law-abiding citizens from defending themselves.

The art of the Deal

To state the obvious, killing unarmed students at their school is already illegal. Is it not also obvious that prohibiting their guns are equally fatuous? But some grand political bargain is required to break the log jam between the gun confiscators like Hillary Clinton and the absolutists like Wayne Lapierre. A modern day Missouri Compromise, not that it prevented the Civil War 40 years later. But some give and take to, at least, show some political response beyond prayer and tears.

Here is the Blaska proposal: Banning AR-15 type rifles is a non-starter. Too many of them in circulation. If you want to rile the Deplorables, validate their fears of government confiscation. In any event, they are no different than any semi-automatic hunting rifle, except cosmetics. Indeed, they are used by hunters. The Wall Street Journal reports they have been used in fewer than 10% of the active-shooter attacks (school and non-school) since 2000.

Instead, let’s ban “high-capacity” magazines. Let’s be honest about this. A skilled marksman can swap magazines in a matter of seconds, but at some small delay. But the Left, Middle, and Moderate Right — honest citizens —  demand Something Be Done. This would be something. Of course, the devil is in the details. What is a “high-capacity” magazine?

The nut case in the 2011 Gabby Gifford shooting in Tucson stopped firing to change magazines. His Glock carried 31 rounds. In the 2012 Aurora shooting, a 100-round drum magazine used by the shooter jammed. Can we settle on 15 to 18 rounds, which is a more typical offering in the market? Existing weapons to be grandfathered?

Armed school defenders

That’s the give. Now here’s what we get in return: Require, encourage or, at least, allow school districts to enroll school defenders, armed and trained, to carry concealed weapons on school premises. We are talking school district personnel, not vigilantes. Teachers, principals, custodians who, presumably, have already been vetted. Yeah, the lunch counter lady, too.

• On a voluntary basis and minimally compensated for their effort.
• Licensed to carry concealed (having passed their criminal background checks).
• Trained in an active shooter situation. (Courses need to be developed.)
• Instructed that they are not expected to go John Wayne at Iwo Jima but that if confronted, they can do more than throw erasers
• Certified by the AG’s office (same as CCW)
• Registered with the AG, school district and local police but their identities remain confidential to everyone else
• Remove liability for those who have been certified as School Defenders.

Think about it: These troubled cowards don’t shoot up police stations. They don’t enlist in the Marine Corps. They choose unarmed victims where guns are prohibited. If, instead, they had reason to suspect that, say, a dozen adults were ready and willing to return fire, how brave do you think they would be?

If they come shooting anyway, they will be stopped that much sooner.

Call it the Aaron Feis law.

And yes, Cops In Schools!