Gun control essential to preventing school tragedies

The millions of innocent schoolchildren all across this great nation who go to school every day should be entitled to a safe and peaceful learning environment.

There have been 22 school shootings in the first months of 2018 alone, a staggering statistic. Unless our elected government officials come together in a bipartisan way to insure our children’s safety, we are subjecting our most precious resource to a daily merry-go-round of potential mayhem.

When and where will it happen again?

Not long ago, students were only preoccupied with the enjoyment of the learning experience, including other school activities. Personal safety was not an issue. Sadly, after every tragic incident, the national outrage is palpable — with eloquent speeches, particularly by our nation’s schoolchildren, and emotional pleas by those who suffered the horrific loss of a child. These are all too soon forgotten by the media.

What’s the answer? Proposed “solutions” are: Arm teachers, have only one exit and entrance to schools, report aberrant behavior (mental health), pass common-sense gun laws, ban AK 47s, repeal the Second Amendment (most recently suggested) and install shooter alarms in schools.

The list goes on and on. The only constant is that we live in a gun culture with far too easy access to guns, and have a Congress which fails to enact laws that would help stop this ongoing human misery. Ronald W. McCutcheon, Middle Haddam