Editorials

A step, or six, too far

Readin’, writin’ and MRAPS

Okay, fine, so many of us who live in the real world like the idea of guns in school. As long as those guns are held by trained, tested, mature, screened professionals, preferably with badges in their pockets, IDs around their necks and the world POLICE on their shirts. Should some nutcase decide to target a school--again--an officer on campus would do heaps more good than a No Guns Allowed sign on the schoolhouse door.

But ... . and it is a big but ... .

Did you catch the latest little revelation about the government program that gives local police military equipment? It seems some school districts have been getting that stuff for their on-campus cops, too--from Florida to Texarkana, from California to Michigan. Talk about your government programs gone wild.

No, this news item isn't from The Onion, or just another rant from an over-caffeinated ACLU type. It's all there in black-and-white, as reported by the Associated Press and reprinted in Arkansas' Newspaper just last Thursday. Here's the gist of it:

1) The Pentagon's policy of selling off surplus equipment to local law enforcement outfits has been in the news ever since the cops in Ferguson, Mo., responded to protests by doing their best Rambo imitation--complete with sniper rifles, armored cars and camo. (As if military fatigues camo'd in jungle or desert patterns would help you blend in on the streets in Small Town, Missouri.)

2) Reporters did a little digging and found out that the Pentagon has been sending all kinds of military equipment to police departments from coast to coast, even to outfits in Arkansas. And some of those local cop shops couldn't even keep up with all of it. According to a plethora of dispatches, police kept losing guns, pistols, even trucks.

3) Now reporters have found that school districts have been horning in on the program, too, and have been getting military goodies to wave around, Ferguson style.

What th--?

Some of us don't mind if the local gendarmes get the occasional surplus M-16 or Humvee. (As long as they don't lose them, for cryin' out loud.) But school districts?

Word has it that Los Angeles' school district--the second-largest in the country--has been getting ... grenade launchers.

Grenade launchers. Some of us can remember the old M-203s, and even remember firing those suckers back in training.

The three big take-aways for most soldiers when it came to the M-203 grenade launcher:

1) The things are so unwieldy and inaccurate that most grunts couldn't hit the side of a barn at 100 yards.

2) But, then again, accuracy isn't the most important feature of the M-203 because you're shooting a grenade that explodes.

And 3) Man, those things are cool.

But why does a school district need one?

Here's another question: Just which second assistant superintendent for security filled out that requisition form?

And a better question: Who at the Pentagon approved it?

If you're groaning at the very thought of a school district's arming itself with grenade launchers, join the club.

It's easy to see--much too easy to see--when an officer on a school campus might need a weapon. Just as it's easy enough to picture when an officer confronting a loon might need body armor. You can also imagine, possibly, the need for a school district to have an armored vehicle available in case of a school shooting that involves somebody--or somebodies--who are heavily armed.

But a weapon that's mainly intended to take out infantry in the open, or blow up fortified bunkers?

Once again the government has proved it can take a good thing too far--so far it is ridiculous. Conclusion: Things are getting mighty confused up Chuck Hagel way.

Our secretary of defense needs to get this program under control before it winds up producing a big-screen calamity involving a wisecracking kid on campus, a wannabe Rambo cop and ... an M-203 grenade launcher.

Editorial on 09/19/2014

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