January 21, 2013

In the aftermath of the recent senseless tragedy at a Connecticut school, legislators in both Washington and St Paul are gearing up to “do something”. The Libertarian Party of Minnesota is proposing a solution to bolster school safety, while defending the ability of responsible individuals to bear arms.

By a 7-0 vote, the LPMN Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution calling for federal and state legislators to repeal the prohibition on self-defense by teachers and other adults on school grounds, to resist misguided legislation that further erodes freedom, and to stand up for the right of all peaceful, responsible adults to defend themselves.

We believe that violence is best addressed by expanding liberty, not by further restricting it.gocra

The freedom of self-defense is a fundamental human right. Schools will remain vulnerable to future acts of mass violence until this right is restored to teachers and other responsible adults. We call on the federal government to repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, and if they fail to do so, we encourage the Minnesota legislature to exercise their 10th Amendment ability to opt-out of this law, which prohibits adults on school grounds from defending themselves and the children entrusted to their care. This misguided law has created “helpless victim zones” which have become appealing targets for unbalanced people with violent intentions, with several acts of mass violence occurring at schools since it was passed.

Legislators continue to make a critical error: they cannot protect good people from bad people by restricting the freedom of good people. Thus, we oppose any legislation that would restrict the ownership of firearms or accessories by peaceful individuals. An incremental approach of attempting to ban so-called “assault” rifles or “high-capacity” clips is also misguided, as these categories are completely arbitrary and are handled responsibly by thousands of Minnesotans and millions of Americans. Tragic violence by a few is not justification to restrict freedom for the overwhelming majority of firearms owners who have never intentionally harmed anyone and who never will.

We also disagree with the NRA’s proposal, which would mandate armed police officers in every school and a new government program to fund them. Turning schools into a “police state” is not desirable or necessary, nor is creating a new federal program.

Restoring this freedom to teachers would simply allow them the same ability as other citizens who already carry firearms responsibly in many public places and in their own homes. Allowing teachers to bear arms, even if only one or two may choose to do so at each school, will increase the likelihood of a quick response to any violence before it can escalate to a mass tragedy, but mainly, would serve as a deterrent. Certain stipulations should apply:

  • Teachers who carry should be certified by an organization which conducts training in firearms safety and marksmanship.
  • Procedures should be in place for safekeeping of firearms on school grounds to keep them away from children.

We also call on the media to exercise better judgement when reporting acts of mass violence. Saturation news coverage has rewarded attackers with a level of fame on par with presidents, astronauts, and great athletes. Other unbalanced individuals, seeing mass murder as an instant path to celebrity, might now be encouraged to consider similar acts. While we support the freedom of the press and realize that the public deserves to know, journalists must recognize the effect they have upon the public and dramatically reduce their sensationalism of horrific crimes.

Unfortunately, no solution can totally eradicate violence. While mass murders are incredibly rare, a few mentally-unbalanced or criminally-minded individuals will always be willing to harm others, just as throughout history. But restoring and reaffirming the 2nd Amendment right to self-defense can allow citizens to protect themselves if the need ever arises, giving the innocent a fighting chance. Self-defense isn’t just a constitutionally-guaranteed freedom, it’s also a basic human right — one that every human being deserves!

Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.