[Velvet]

I understand people wanting to “harden” certain areas. What I would like to say is that if we live with a bunker mentality, we are dominated by our fears. Please look at what happens in societies that are run by guns.

I propose a gentler, safer, freer and more disciplined society. One that is adequately guarded by its police and military.

In my years as a teacher I have seen a great reduction of discipline, both in school and at home. Loving, enabling, misguided parents are often shocked by the self-absorbed, entitled kids that result from their efforts.

I remember a student in our gifted program (in a public school) whose very established parents were having a meeting with our principal. They were planning his grade 7 math program. The parents brought their own lawyer to the meeting to make sure the curriculum presented to Max, their son, would be up to their satisfaction.

Several years later, my daughter who was the same age as this gifted student, was enrolled in the same high school. One day I asked her, “How’s Max doing?” She told me he dropped out and became the local drug dealer.

In the transition phase to my ideal society we could have police assigned to be in the schools. They would be trained to get to know the kids and the parents. Be a resource and a friend. And they would have their guns too.