Banks have armed guards; why not schools?

To the Editor:

It often takes a good person with a gun to take out a bad person with a gun. That simple fact is lost on gun control advocate Emily M. Howe. (“Make weapons of war illegal in Rhode Island,” May 29.)  

In her letter, Mrs. Howe promotes legislation that would keep “weapons of war out of civilian hands.” But such measures would not keep those weapons out of the hands of violent criminals. They already have them and will keep them regardless of what laws are passed.

That’s because the bad guys don’t obey the laws. This legislation would disarm only law abiding citizens who do. Gun-control laws render good people defenseless.

As for preventing mass school shootings, an awful phenomenon that was inconceivable when I was in school, I think placing armed resource officers in the schools would act as the best deterrent.

Psychopathic killers are evil, but they are not stupid. They generally do not choose targets where there is a chance someone will shoot back. That’s why designated gun-free zones have been their preferred target.

We have armed guards stationed at banks to guard our money. Don’t our schoolchildren merit the same kind of protection?

A. H. Liddle
Warwick