Cops not protecting innocents is the real issue not gun violence/caption
Last Saturdays March for Our Lives" rally had a wealth of protesting voices but little common sense. How topsy turvy is our political landscape when hundreds of thousands gathered in Washington DC to protest the Bill of Rights: specifically the Second Amendment? Benjamin Franklin would counsel the outspoken masses thusly: Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." For the illusion of some greater sense of security individuals would willingly submit to further government restriction and control? Yet in large part wasnt it the failure of law enforcement that facilitated the Parkland Florida school shooting rather than preventing it?
Deluded marchers as embattled Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel completely miss the lesson of the Valentines Day massacre of 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Its not about blaming the gun or even the homicidal shooter. Its about the complete failure of the State to protect the local population from a clear and unmistakable danger. Its about profound incompetence masked as self-congratulation. What else explains Sheriff Israels disinterest in immediately viewing the video of his four errant deputies: who neglected to enter the school while the shooting took place? What else explains his laughable statement to CNNs Jake Tapper Ive given amazing leadership to this agency" the following Sunday? Hes ignored calls for his resignation and refused to release the video of his officers dereliction of duty. What does that say about this public servants responsiveness and accountability?
In essence March for Our Lives" malcontents advocate giving Sheriff Israels ilk more power. Is that wise given their colossal bunglingthat cost lives rather than saving them? Specifically an armed deputy wearing a bullet proof vest (a resource officer sharing the already infamous name Scot Peterson) arrived 90 seconds into the attack but remained outdoors while the perpetrator shot innocents inside for nearly five minutes. Sheriff Israels other responsibility-phobic officers milled around outside too. In retrospect can anything good be said about these cowards? Per Naples Daily News authorities received at least 18 warning calls from 2008 to 2017 regarding Nikolas Cruz 19. NDN reports In February 2016 neighbors told police that they were worried he planned to shoot up the school after seeing alarming pictures on Instagram showing Cruz brandishing guns." So neighbors (a group that historically never sees or hears anything about a given suspect) saw something and said something. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School also did something. Per Fox Newss Sean Hannity Mr. Cruz was such an apparent threat he was prohibited from wearing a backpack for security concerns. Ultimately he was expelled from the school for misbehavior. Shockingly law enforcement visited Cruzs home 39 times over seven years. Even the FBI was alerted twice: one instance was just weeks before the shooting occurred. Despite all these blurry blue lines of bureaucracy this highly preventable tragedy was not. The fact that Officer Peterson resigned and suspect Cruz was arrested is cold comfort to the families who lost loved ones in such a violent and horrific manner.
Despite numerous red flags authorities dropped the ball on every level. In that regard nothing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has appeared to change. As reported by local10.coms Tim Swift last Tuesday a Broward County sheriffs deputy Moises Carotti has been suspendedwith payafter he was caught sleeping in a patrol car outside that very site! If March for Our Lives" anti-gun protesters are looking for a legitimate reason to object a golden opportunity exists: police not serving the communities theyre sworn to protect. Hence the real issue here is not guns. As with all objects that can be weaponized (read: cars bats knives rocks etc.) doesnt the wielder vitally determine whether something is good or bad? In a free society that answer is always yes.
What all of this hubbub boils down is who to trust: faceless government bureaucracy or the individual to make responsible choices. Unfortunately the reality here is that law enforcement has fallen inexcusably short contributing to 17 deaths. Therefore legally armed white hat elements in our society should fill in the gap. Naturally most teenagers understand none of this. How can they when theyre biologically impulsive and notoriously shortsighted as to lifes consequences? Their wish to be cocooned in metaphorical bubble wrap is certainly understandable: its the naive thinking of the unrealistic dreamer. Yet what of the mature bubbleheads supporting these misdirected young marchers? Its pure folly for adults to believe these kids will save us from ourselves. From playwright Herb Gardners aptly named A Thousand Clowns" comes the common sense adage: Out of the mouths of babes comes drooling". For good reason since time immemorial adults have guided children not vice versa. Only the aged and the addled follow anywhere teenagers lead.
David L. Hunter is an Associate Editor at Capitol Hill Outsider and a Newsmax contributor. Hes on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He is published in The Washington Post The Washington Times FrontPage Mag and extensively in Patriot Post Canada Free Press and American Thinker.