North Carolina Legislature School Safety Committee Meeting

NC School Safety Cmte Mtg

Wednesday, March 20, I attended the first meeting of the Legislature's School Safety Committee Meeting. There were speakers from several branches of NC government.

A few highlights:

Speaker Tim Moore gave a nice welcoming speech.

A North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) speakers said, "we stand ready too respond" (after an incident) and identify the bad guy before the fact.

The most disconcerting thing I heard at the meeting was in a presentation by Elliott Smith, Acting agent in charge of Fusion Center of the SBI. He quoted inflated statistics published by Bloomberg's front group, Moms Demand Action, that there have been over 300 school shootings since 2013. This is simply not true. It is refuted even by such mainstream publications as USA Today, Time, and the   Washington Post, I noted that one representative challenged Mr. Smith on his facts. I recommend that Mr. Smith take another look, to restore his own credibility.

A couple of takeaways from this meeting-

1. I have been hearing for years how the folks in favor of gun control (which, when you drill down far enough, means gun bans) want to have a conversation or "civilized dialogue". How can you have a conversation with someone who publishes bogus statistics.
2. More importantly, even though the statistics are not as bad as the Mom's state, the stakes are still just as high. It is America's children that are at stake. 

And more recently-

A retired Supreme has opined that the Second Amendment should be repealed. The truth finally outs.

So while the legislative committee had enough gendarmes present that you couldn't stir them with a stick, children are still basically not provided with any realistic protection at many schools. The legislature could, no expense, provide enabling legislation for armed volunteer staff at our schools, and while they are at it, provide them immunity from liability for good faith actions.

Video of some attendees at the meeting

No more gun bans, Mr. President

Below is the text of the letter I recently sent to President Trump. The latest I hear is that he is not calling for a ban on sales of long guns to young adults.  I hope this holds. If you have the time and inclination, it would be good for him to hear from you, too. You can use snail mail, as I did with this letter, or you can click to use the 

White House Contact Form

______________________________________

March 6, 2018

  

The President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500 

  

SUBJECT: No more gun bans 

Dear Mr. President: 

  

I met you once, at the 2015 NRA Annual Meeting in Nashville. You had just spoken and invited the press to meet with you out in the hallway. I was the last person to ask you a question. You had fielded several questions about economic issues, etc., and had turned and started walking away. 

  

I called out, “One gun question!” 

  

You stopped, turned around and came back. I asked if elected to the presidency, would you use that office as a bully pulpit to advocate for national reciprocity.*  

  

You replied,

You are on you own

Trouble strikes, and who ya gonna call?

• Ghostbusters?
• FBI?
• Broward County, (FL) Sheriff's Office?

If any of them comes, how long will it take? By the way, the FBI doesn't answer 911 calls. So you should prepare to be your own first responder.

Five years ago, I wrote a column about the electric toothbrush, comparing it's two minute timer to the time it takes for police response. I assumed in that column that the police would respond in a timely manner. Below* is that column's text again. What has changed since then?

We have learned that sometimes the FBI doesn't follow up on leads. Maybe they were trying to hard to "create a link" between President Trump and the Russki's. I don't know.

We also learn that one or more sheriffs's deputies have been accused of waiting outside while there was wanton slaughter going on inside. What's up with that? Protocols changed after Columbine.

Otherwise, it seems much is the same at our nation's schools, with relatively few exceptions. Maybe one SRO at a school. That's not enough, especially if he doesn't have the chutzpah to go after the murderer.

If you are in a mall, a church, or sitting at home, the situation is always the same, you are on your own. What's your plan?

One other thing has changed. The Left is attempting to pillory the NRA. They want to vilify you and me for the horrible acts of a crazy person. If you are not a member of the NRA, and are a gun owner, I urge you to join. I am a recruiter and you can join at the link below. As Ben Franklin said,

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

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*The electric toothbrush

My electric toothbrush operates for two minutes exactly, then shuts off. Some nights, two minutes seems like an eternity.

Police response time to 911 calls is five times that, about ten minutes. Nobody's fault, that's just the way it is.

Why do some people insist that our children, involuntarily placed in gun free zones (our public schools) wait those ten minutes after the predator has arrived and begun his slaughter?

Law enforcement officers are now trained that the first on the scene goes on in, not waiting for backup. This is to minimize the carnage perpetrated by the predator. Armed and trained teachers, volunteers, and police on the scene can reduce the carnage even more by further reducing the lag time.

Think about that the next time you brush your teeth!

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You can join the NRA (or upgrade your membership) HERE.