Violence and counter-violence

On violence

Letter to the editor;

“Violence does not solve everything.” (Authentic American proverb)

“Have we been told that ‘violence does not solve everything’ so often that we have come to believe that violence does not solve anything?” (The late Col. Jeff Cooper)

Generally, when no violence is offered, it is not a good thing to commit violence.

Generally, one must not commit violence. That is, if some “really bad dude” is saying bad words and moving in a manner suggestive of evil intentions, the best thing to do is to watch and wait.

However, if the bad guy goes from mere rhetoric to hurting people, it might be a good idea to hit him with a fist or a ball-bat or something. If he is killing people or making a really convincing show that he will kill someone in a second or two, it may be time “to initiate deadly force” – or maybe even shoot him.

The Arizona Legislature made it possible for responsible residents with clean records to carry concealed weapons: You and your predecessors knew violence.

Violence happens fairly often at schools. Mostly it is stopped by a school employee stepping in and saying words to the students involved.

But there is a kind of school violence that is beyond stopping with words and gestures. There is the dreaded “school-shooter,” who, driven by inner demons, comes prepared to kill as many children as possible. It takes the threat of deadly force, or perhaps even deadly force itself to stop such a disturbed man.

The fastest police force may be able to get there in a minute. (How many children will a school-shooter kill in a minute?) But every school can have a great number of responsible adults with guns in their hands IN ONE SECOND.

I recommend that the Arizona Legislature act to encourage Arizona schools to welcome those who have earned the Concealed Weapons Permit to carry their weapons on the school grounds – especially school employees.

Glenn Jacobs
Eagar, Arizona