On Thursday, March 26, 2015 I was a panelist on Mira TV’s Consultas Con Cordero TV show with host Yunior Santana. The subject that we were debating was teachers carrying guns in school. This is an overview on my opinion, ideas and views teachers carry weapons in schools to keep our children safe for those that missed the show or do not understand Spanish. On the panel with me were Psychologist Dr. Sergio Llanes and NRA instructor Alberto Guerra. I was happy to have been on this show because host Santana presented facts and statistics. Which is the opposite off the lies and deception that comes from the media today.
I am 100% for school teachers carrying guns to protect their students. I believe that a teacher that gets a concealed weapons carry license, trains in tactical firearms and gets certified should be allow to carry and get paid extra for it. This would be great incentive for teachers since they are under paid.
Some of the panelist had some great ideas. They suggested metal detectors, more Police Officers, hiring retired law enforcement and military and having armed security guards. I agreed with all of these ideas yet my concern was were will the funds come from for these programs.
My idea to keep our children safe in school was to have a plan and drills for an active shooter attack in the class room. I gave them the example that when I was a child in elementary school in the sixties in the mist of the cold war we would hear an alarm ring and we would hide under the desk. This drill was done to prepare us for an attack by the Soviet Union. If teachers were armed and trained and children were trained to take cover in case of an active shooter attack many lives would be saved. Even better lets have more cops, armed guards, ex military and law enforcement armed working at schools, metal detectors, armed teachers active shooter trained and drilled students.
My experience as an officer in a maximum security prison I was able to learn how the criminal thinks. A criminal interviews potential victims they look for weakness and being unarmed. Convicts love gun control because it makes their job easier.
I was also asked if I would fell safe if my son went to a college were students could carry firearms. My answer was yes. If these students would get a concealed weapons license I know that they were law abiding citizens without mental problems or criminal record. To get a concealed weapons permit you get finger printed and a background check similar to police candidates.
Since I was given the chance I wanted to educate the public with statistics on crime, murder and gun control. I brought up that in Switzerland and Israeli citizens open carry weapons in public and they have less crimes and shootings than America. Yunior showed statistics that confirmed that the states with the strictest gun laws are the states with the most murders. In particular the state of California which had the strictest gun laws in the nation also has the most murders.
I spoke about how when I was a child that I watch westerns and military movies. We played with guns and we grew up great with less problems, crime and murder then kids today. I also spoke of when my friend Cort motivated me to join the Miami Springs Optimist Jr. Rifle Club. Cort had a 22 caliber rifle in his room. First my parents did not want me to join the club. Yet, we convinced them to let me join. I did not have a rifle so the club would let me barrow one. I remember riding our bicycles from Cort’s house to the Optimist Club. Cort would strap his rifle around his shoulder and we would ride our bicycles through the streets of Miami Springs. The only thing was that he had to do was have the bolt out of the rifle. In today’s society Cort and I would have been arrested and his parents would have been accused of bad parenting and also arrested.
I tried to educate the viewers by letting them know how Hitler, Stalin, dictatorships, Communist and Nazi’s disarmed the people before their takeover. I also paraphrased Mao Tse Tong Communist China’s Chairman in the cold war “It would be hard to take over America because everyone has a gun.”
In my closing comments I explained how I believe in balance for longevity. That is why I train in the martial arts, train in different fitness modalities, eat healthy and train with firearms. Fitness training and nutrition keep me healthy. Martial Arts train me to survive a physical attack from a criminal and firearm training helps me survive an active shooter. I also stated that one of my pet peeves is the martial arts instructor that feels that he doesn’t need to carry a gun and the gun fanatic that feels that he doesn’t need to learn to defend themselves because they carry a gun. The bottom line is that you could be the greatest fighter alive yet no one can catch bullets with their teeth. As for the gun carrier you have to pull that gun before you can use it and getting punched will change your plan. I teach my Krav Maga students how to stop a gunman from pulling his gun out of the holster and take it from them.
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