Front Sight, Press

Why is it that sociopaths, when they get the urge to harm the innocent, select places where, when they arrive in possession of a gun, they know they will be the only one there so equipped? Why don’t “school shooters” ply their trade at the local police headquarters or at commercial gun retailers? Could it be that they know full well most people in those places will be armed? Sociopaths may be demoniac, but they’re not fools! In Israel, all teachers and school officials are continuously armed. Curious that we don’t hear of school shootings there, do we?

We’ve all heard of the “separation of church and state,” but public schools in America have no compunction about advocating religion, the faith of â??Learned Helplessness.” In public education, personal initiative, personal courage and boldness, and personal achievement are all discouraged and punished as “aberrant behavior.” What is relentlessly nurtured, encouraged, and rewarded is (1) personal helplessness, (2) victim-hood, and (3) cowardice. American children are taught, from infancy, that even occasionally wanting some capacity for independent action is unthinkable. Rather, being a “good victim” is one’s ultimate expression of patriotism. In fact, we learn that the government won’t even like you until/unless you are a victim (and remain one your entire life).
When they leave school, American youth discover that “learned helplessness” had mutated into “enforced helplessness.” Personal ownership of guns, for example, while not strictly illegal in some places (though leftist politicians are doing their best to correct that), is still publicly discouraged, in every conceivable way and at every level. Gun owners are marginalized by government and media alike as deviant and unpatriotic.

In Israel, where things are even more exciting than they are here, society has long-since come to their senses with regard to personal security. There, they know where there are gatherings of innocent children, there must also be responsible adults who are armed. They also know and understand that most of those responsible adults will not be police officers. The vast majority are armed citizens, who don’t think “being a good victim” is in their, or their nation’s, best interest.

Additional video cameras, additional reams of “procedures,” and additional media hand-wringing will not provide protection for innocent children. Armed teachers, parents, and school officials will. When, as a nation, we stop worshiping at the feet of the false god of “Learned Helplessness,” we will collectively see the wisdom of really, physically protecting children, not just continuing to wallow in self-deception.

Several years ago, my friend and colleague, Mas Ayoob, suggested training and arming teachers as they only real way to protect innocent children in schools. He was instantly denigrated by the media, and even some in our own camp, for even suggesting such a preposterous thing. As always, he was ahead of his time!

John Farnam
Defense Training International, Inc.