The Case For Guns - Protecting Our Schools: Beyond the Political Theater

Hootey Cline
Feb 1
5 min read

From the Bench: When feelings matter more than facts, children pay the price

By Hootey Cline, Blue Coat Arms Company

Originally published June 24, 2019 | Updated July 1, 2025

Every time there's a school shooting, the same predictable cycle begins. Politicians rush to microphones, activists demand action, and somehow the conversation always ends up focused on restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners rather than actually protecting our kids.

Let me be blunt: we're failing our children because we're more concerned with political correctness than common sense.

The Numbers Don't Lie

With over 400 million firearms in circulation among 330+ million Americans, the statistical reality is clear: if guns were the problem, we'd have chaos in the streets every day. The vast majority of firearms will never be used in a crime, and the vast majority of gun owners will never harm another person.

Some people are simply evil. Resourceful individuals who want to commit acts of violence will find a way, regardless of the laws in place. The question isn't how to eliminate evil from the world – it's how to protect innocent people when evil shows up.

The Uncomfortable Truth About School Security

We live in a society that protects banks with armed guards, courthouses with metal detectors, and politicians with extensive security details. Yet we send our most precious resource – our children – to schools that are essentially soft targets, protected by nothing more than "Gun-Free Zone" stickers on windows.

The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

What Actually Works

Recent research on school security measures shows some clear patterns:

Metal Detectors: They work in airports, courthouses, and government buildings because they're effective deterrents and detection systems. Yet many schools resist implementing them because they're "unsightly" or create a "prison-like atmosphere."

Armed Security: Banks use armed guards to protect money. Museums use them to protect art. Politicians use them to protect themselves. But somehow, using them to protect children is controversial.

Trained Staff: According to 2024 surveys, about 1 in 4 teachers report their school went into a gun-related lock-down in the past year. Many teachers – including former law enforcement and military personnel – would willingly undergo training to protect their students, yet we force them to remain defenseless.

The Failed Logic of Gun-Free Zones

Gun-free zones have been failing to protect people since their inception. The majority of mass shootings occur in these designated areas, yet politicians continue to expand them rather than question their effectiveness.

Here's the reality: Criminals don't obey "Gun-Free Zone" signs any more than they obey murder laws.

The Chicago Parallel

Just as Chicago's strict gun laws haven't prevented it from having some of the nation's highest gun violence rates, gun-free school zones haven't prevented school shootings. In both cases, the laws only restrict law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to deter criminals.

The Teacher Question

The idea of arming teachers triggers emotional responses, but let's look at the facts:

Many teachers are already trained: Numerous educators are former military, law enforcement, or have concealed carry permits
They're already there: Unlike security guards who might be elsewhere when an incident occurs, teachers are distributed throughout the building
They're already invested: Teachers love their students and are willing to put themselves at risk to protect them
It should be voluntary: No one advocates forcing teachers to carry – only allowing those who want to and are properly trained

The opposition to this idea stems from one source: the belief that guns are inherently evil and should be banned entirely.

The Mental Health Factor

While politicians focus on the tools used in school shootings, they consistently ignore a troubling pattern: the connection between prescription antidepressants and violent behavior. Since Sandy Hook, nearly every school shooter has been found to be on prescribed psychiatric medications.

Why don't we talk about this? Because Big Pharma has deeper pockets and better lobbyists than the firearms industry.

Our society is experiencing unprecedented levels of depression and anxiety, particularly among young people, coinciding with the rise of social media and decreased face-to-face interaction. Yet addressing these root causes gets less attention than banning specific types of firearms.

The Economic Reality

The firearms industry contributes over $70 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. Destroying this industry wouldn't just eliminate constitutional rights – it would create massive economic disruption.

Meanwhile, the security industry continues to grow as we protect everything except our schools with serious security measures.

International Comparisons Miss the Point

America isn't like any other country, and it never will be. We have a unique history, culture, and constitutional framework. Comparing our situation to countries with different demographics, histories, and legal systems is intellectually dishonest.

More importantly, imagine the federal government trying to forcefully confiscate 400+ million firearms. The logistics alone would be impossible, and the social consequences would be catastrophic.

What Our Children Deserve

If children are truly our most precious resource and our future, why don't they receive the same level of protection we provide to:

Politicians at public events
Judges in courtrooms
Money in banks
Art in museums
Passengers at airports

The answer is uncomfortable: We've prioritized political ideology over practical protection.

Real Solutions for School Safety

Instead of focusing on restricting constitutional rights, we should implement proven security measures:

Physical Security

Controlled access points with metal detection
Armed security personnel at appropriate locations
Secure classroom doors that can be quickly locked
Communication systems for rapid response

Human Resources
Allow trained, willing teachers to carry concealed firearms
Hire retired law enforcement as school security
Train staff in threat recognition and response
Implement anonymous reporting systems for concerning behavior

Mental Health
Early intervention programs for at-risk students
Accessible counseling services in schools
Address social media addiction and its mental health impacts
Investigate the connection between psychiatric medications and violence

Community Involvement
Engage parents in school security planning
Coordinate with local law enforcement for rapid response
Create mentorship programs for troubled youth
Address the breakdown of family structures

The Choice We Face

We can continue the current approach: sending children to unprotected schools while politicians debate which constitutional rights to restrict next. Or we can implement proven security measures that actually protect our kids.

The choice is between feeling safe and being safe.

Dead children are harder to look at than metal detectors. Grieving parents are more devastating than the sight of trained security personnel. The emotional trauma of school shootings is far worse than any discomfort caused by visible security measures.

Beyond the Political Theater

This isn't about Republican versus Democrat, or pro-gun versus anti-gun. This is about protecting children using methods that actually work rather than methods that make adults feel better about themselves.

Every day we delay implementing real security measures is another day we leave our children vulnerable to the evil that exists in this world.

The question isn't whether we can afford to implement comprehensive school security. The question is whether we can afford not to.

The Bottom Line

Laws only matter to people willing to follow them. Government only works with the consent of the governed. And security measures only work when they're actually implemented rather than just debated.

Our children deserve better than political theater. They deserve real protection from real threats by people trained and equipped to provide it.

No matter your era, we got your six – and that includes standing up for common-sense solutions that actually protect our most vulnerable citizens, even when those solutions challenge political orthodoxy.

Want to discuss practical school security solutions or have questions about firearms training for educators? Contact Blue Coat Arms Company at 217-416-5962 or BlueCoatArms@gmail.com. Let's focus on protecting our children rather than scoring political points.