We live in a world of uncertainty, but Wisconsin legislators could provide a lot less uncertainty regarding the safety of our young children by giving parents complete control over their security.

As a firefighter, I enjoy teaching kids and educating adults about fire prevention. Schools and residences are filled with tools that prevent injury or death – smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems. The combined result of these safety measures? No children have died in a school fire for at least the last half-century.

Fire safety should be awarded a passing grade. Which begs the question, what grade should we assign to the security of our nation’s schools? What safety measures have we added to our schools over the past 50 years to effectively dissuade or stop a cowardly, crazed maniacal shooter at your child’s school?

Locked doors with cameras, emergency drills, a school resource officer (if you’re lucky), windowless doors for the classroom? Sure, some of these efforts may prove effective, but there is an additional tool that state lawmakers have been denying parents and their school administrators – the ability to secure a campus with additional armed security through the use of concealed carry if they so choose – something that Ohio schools realized and have been expanding since Sandy Hook. Secret Service historical studies have proven that the majority of attackers do not want the threat of confrontation.

Wisconsin state law is currently much more restrictive than the federal “Gun-Free School Zone Act.” Except for an off-duty law enforcement officer, Wisconsin law does not allow a law abiding concealed carry holder parent, or a competent, lawfully licensed teacher or superintendent, the ability to protect themselves or their children while on school grounds. If this additional, untapped tool can be utilized to discourage a school attack or to disarm an attacker, then why are your elected officials preventing its use? After all, parents, school board members, school administrators and local law enforcement know what is best for their kids, right?

Personally, I feel that Wisconsin lawmakers, Democrat and Republican alike, will be personally responsible, and will have blood on their hands if they continue to prevent a school from utilizing every security resource available to them.

It is high time that Madison politics get out of the way of your child’s safety at school.

Rep. Jesse Kremer (R – Kewaskum) represents Wisconsin State Assembly District 59. He has introduced a bill and is circulating a co-sponsorship memo to allow teachers, administrators and concealed carry permit holders to carry weapons on school grounds.

 

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