Schools Have Become A Prison Courtesy Of The NRA

Freedom.  Arguably, the use of that word has increased recently, at least in certain contexts, but what does the word, freedom, mean? Essentially, freedom means, the ability to do what one wants when they want¹. However, we cannot do all we want when we want, can we?  No we can’t because of rules, regulations, etc.and our own moral compass.

"Rules" and "regulations" (aka laws) are instituted for a myriad of reasons, one being that people's moral compass failed or they failed to act responsibly so society (via their government) had to enact laws to right that compass and or enforce that responsibility. These laws impact all peoples' freedoms.

Just this week, my daughter and I along with million others in Florida experienced the loss of a freedom or two.  For the past five years I have been blessed with the pleasure of walking my daughter into school.  Last year and the four prior years, we walked through a side gate because it was convenient.  We no longer can do that due to a lock on the gate (i.e. we lost a freedom).  In addition to the locked gate(s), doors to classrooms are locked and there is a police officer standing guard.  This loss in freedoms is in response to the killing of students attending MSD High School in Parkland, FL and all the other senseless killings at schools over the past 20 years.

Some of you may say this armed protection and lock down on a daily basis is great.  Is it?  Did you attend an elementary school with armed guards and the doors locked? I did not and as such, it harks of a prison.  Is this "making America great again?" In this particular instance, no; we regress. Essentially, our elected officials put restrictions on children, but not the group of people whose moral compass failed and acted irresponsibly.

I contend that it happened because the NRA has repeatedly acted irresponsibly. It touts "Firearms For Freedom" nary a mention of responsible gun ownership so now my family and other families with school age children now have less freedoms due to firearms. The NRA blocks government funding to determine the causes of mass shootings and other needless killings by the use of a gun because they fear it may impact their freedom to use a gun as they desire, yet the NRA finds it extremely acceptable to use government funding (my and your dollars) to sell more guns to create a prison type environment for our children.  Adding salt to the wound of less freedoms, our school district reduced courses in the humanities² because it has limited dollars and the newly hired security officers must be paid.  Humanities help make our world a better place, subjects that are deemed non-important by the NRA and others with a gun obsession as seen by their actions and the effects from those actions.

I would like members of the NRA and the NRA organization to demonstrate to our nation that they truly care more about life than guns in “cold, dead hands.” I encourage them to embrace life not cold, dead hands.


1. Please refer to the definitions from three credible sources below if you disagree. 
A. Per dictionary.com freedom is defined as:

• The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint:
• Exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
• The power to determine action without restraint.

B. Per oxforddictionaries.com freedom is defined as:

• The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.
• The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.

C. Per Merriam-Webster freedom is defined as:

• The absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
• Liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another 
• The quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous
• Unrestricted use 

2. Per Stanford University, humanities are defined as “the study of how people process and document the human experience[; it is the use of] philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language to understand and record our world.”