The Gun Free Zone Safety Net has a Gaping Hole in It

Gun Free Zones rely on the principle all citizens follow the rules. The Gun Free Zone sign is meant to remind citizens unauthorized individuals face severe penalties if caught carrying a gun within a believed school zone. Hillary Clinton stands behind it. Donald Trump promises to get rid of it.

The Gun Free Zone Act was signed into law in 1990. The idea is a safety net protecting Americans from deadly shooting sprees. In a utopian society the idea would work flawlessly. Citizens would never lie. Little signs would turn back the Virginia Tech shooter from murdering innocent students. Columbine would never have happened.

Reality proves gun free zones have done nothing for school shootings. Killers are not deterred by ´that´s illegal´ threats. History shows a pattern of violence being greatest in ´soft target´ area. The gun free zone is a neon sign there is no opposition to fear. Police stations and gun shows rarely find themselves assaulted by gun shootings because they provide an actual threat a shooter will be stopped before achieving their goal.

Critics insisting the Gun Free Zone, while not able to stop shooters, still provides protection from regular gun carriers are naive. The former high school I attended had its first shooting experience at a basketball game held in their gym. One parent, unauthorized with no legal carry allowance, pulled a gun on another over family matters. The Gun Free Zone was clearly marked. The perpetrator was carrying illegally with complete disregard of the ´safety net.´ He fired several shots at the person whom the disagreement was with before being subdued. The Gun Free Zone did nothing to prevent this. Would another parent legally carrying a gun have helped the situation before it escalated? Perhaps. Perhaps it would have backfired leading to serious injuries. 

The greater question asks ´why do we insist on gun-free zones when they are proven not to be effective?´ Do the American people need a sign pointing to places where dutiful citizens are going to be helpless to defend themselves? If Gun Free Zones are little more than guns with an x marked through them should Americans feel safe? Let´s hope not.