President Trump often likes to convey extreme positions on policies in his rhetoric, and then, on a practical level, carve out specific positions that tries to accommodate as many parties as he can to get it passed. That seems to be his latest response in regard to school safety.
In a statement to this website, the White House said:
“After the horrific shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school last month, President Donald J. Trump met with students, teachers, lawmakers, and local officials to hear every idea they had about how to keep violence out of America’s schools.
“Every child in our Nation has a right to feel safe. To achieve that goal, the President will announce a series of actions to protect our children and their communities:
“Hardening our schools: The Administration will make sure our schools are safe and secure—just like our airports, stadiums, and government buildings—with better training and preparedness.
“Strengthening background checks and prevention: President Trump is supporting legislation and reforms to strengthen the background checks system and law enforcement operations.
“Reforming mental health programs: The President is proposing an expansion and reform of mental health programs, including those that help identify and treat individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others.
“Keeping the conversation going: In addition to these immediate actions, President Trump is establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety, chaired by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, to recommend policy and funding proposals for school violence prevention.”
In this proposal, he offends everyone. The left hates the idea of allowing some teachers to be armed — though the manifestos and notes of these mass murderers often state that they purposely choose “gun free zones” because they are “soft targets.” Meanwhile, many conservatives believe that the left has used background checks in a manner that unfairly discriminates people who should have the right to own guns. The GOP, of course believes in such measures, but not in the context of over reaching.
Meanwhile, the “mental health” component only seems interested in looking at those who we know would hurt others by the nature of their mental illness, rather than those who are already under treatment, but somehow become mass murderers. In fact, some studies suggest up to 90 percent of these murderers fit that bill. It is not just “mental health,” but the drugs they use during treatment that contribute to these events. These seem ignored by both those in government and the media.
The President did not discuss raising the age limit in his statement, which guarantees push from most Democrats.
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