Thank you for your thorough response. Of course I understand that a police officer’s job is to put their lives on the line for those they serve, but if as a society we can reduce the number of threats they face, shouldn’t we?

Why is it so hard to acknowledge that too many guns are falling into the wrong hands? Most gun owners I know are responsible. That being the case, I would think they would be the first to speak out when a mentally ill person gains access to a gun, or a child is accidentally shot because their parents left a gun unsecured. There is more we can do, but we refuse. Instead, we put the burden on our schools, teachers, officers and everyone except our own responsibility. It is far more economical to address the root of the problem rather than spend billions of dollars on additional security at every public venue, fortifying buildings etc. Reducing the number of guns in our society would cause zero irreparable harm to responsible gun owners. Yet, somehow those who enjoy guns having come to feel that any restriction, no matter how reasonable, is a threat to their way of life, as if that’s more important than another person’s actual life.

A common sense approach to gun safety does exist. Of course, we will never eliminate 100 percent of gun fatalities, but there are more prudent measures that can be taken. What’s the harm in trying?