tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post4693266626579360579..comments2024-03-26T07:00:11.620-05:00Comments on Wisdom of the Hands: armed camps?Doug Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-40867604955733542352018-03-01T14:34:34.660-06:002018-03-01T14:34:34.660-06:00I fully agree that the idea of arming teachers is ...I fully agree that the idea of arming teachers is silly. I used to concealed-carry when I was younger (in part because I was in the woods working closely with bears, and in part because I'd had neighbors/coworkers who had encountered a strong need for defense at various times). I found that the gun was typically more risk than it was worth mostly by becoming embarassed by someone discovering it and assuming the worst, or having it with me when I needed to enter a post office or school. Teachers would risk this or far more in a classroom full of students.<br /><br />I also think increased access to mental healthcare sounds good on the surface, but am concerned that it typically results in the pharmaceutical approach, which I've seen to be very ineffective in family members. <br /><br />I believe that pharmaceuticals are in fact at the root of our gun problem in this country. Nearly all mass-shooters have been on SSRIs, which are shown to have common side effects of increased agitation, along with decreased empathy and sympathy for others. I suspect that a crowded world which discourages community and engenders anonymity doesn't help either.<br /><br />While gun access has actually declined in this country as we become more urbanized (a drop from 51% of households to the current 36% since 1978), there are certainly more "scary" assault rifles available. While these may enable greater casualties, it does not make people *want* to shoot others. So far as I can tell, drugs -- often those pushed by schools to get kids to behave in class -- are most often the catalyst that causes these kids to seek out the firearms.<br /><br />Considering how much pharmaceutical advertising would be at risk, there's no wonder that the mainstream media won't touch this subject.David Vealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09663316407870238260noreply@blogger.com