Uvalde weighs heavily on the mind these past days. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered about decisions that were made by law enforcement that day. To quote a famous American though, "the fog of war sucks." My son was a police officer and I can't think of an officer I've ever met who would stand by idly if he or she knew children were being killed on the other side of the door.
There are still a lot of facts that need to come to light. Did the shooter massacre his victims in the opening minutes before law enforcement arrived? Did the first officers on the scene believe they had a hostage situation? Did law enforcement know the layout of the room and who was where? I have a feeling that many of the same people who are flinging accusations of police cowardice would be even more outraged if police accidentally killed a child upon entering the room. And so the 10,001 variables of the moment need to come to light before we (well me at least), can pass judgment. Not to mention that police forces across the county have witnessed an exodus of qualified officers from the ranks over the past two years due to the political climate.
But one thing is for sure. The only way to stop an active shooter is to turn his brain off--render him unconscious (in my book I indicated support for the idea of armed teachers with retention holsters if they met certain standards). But in the absence of a firearm, the most likely course of action to turn off the brain of an active shooter, you will need to close the gap and step through his center of gravity as you strike a soft target--like the neck. Obviously easier said than done.
Children don't have many options. A teen might, but an elementary school-aged child can realistically only run or hide. Teach your children to always look for an alternate exit. We routinely do this with our children everywhere we go. It just takes a few seconds and presents them with an option should they ever need it. A few seconds of forethought can make all the difference.
This video has a few comments about Uvalde but the main topic is situaitonal awareness at the gas pump. Car jackings and muggings at the pump present a real danger these days. a little bit of situational awareness (and a touch of posturing by looking alert) can go a long way--either by giving you a few seconds of warning, or looking so alert the predator will wait for different, less alert, prey to come along.
Good point, Rob, that we all need to withhold judgment about the police response in Uvalde. We need more facts. It's a complex issue whether or not carrying a concealed weapon protects or escalates the violence in our society. I begin to fear that it is too late not to arm law-abiding citizens, since the proliferation of military-style weapons is so over-the top in our country. A compromise is needed if we are to better protect our children. We need to ban AR 15s and any weapons that allow a shooter to kill a lot of people in a short time. We need background checks and probably to raise the age in which a young person can buy a weapon.…