Israeli School Protection

 Liberal political correctness holds that we should learn from "diversity" --from the wisdom of other lands-cultures. Though the politically correct crowd would be horrified to think it, the place from which to learn about dealing with terrorism is Israel whose people have triumphed over terrorism for 50+ years.

[Palestinian murders of school children began decades ago.] It seemed a low-risk strategy: Small children can't shoot back. So when Arafat's and other Palestinian terror groups started out over thirty years ago their first targets were schools and school buses.

But Israel's response has been that at least some teachers in each school are armed. Likewise, bus drivers are issued guns and/or encouraged to carry their private firearms, and at least one armed teacher or parent must ride along on every school field trip. By arming teachers to stave off terror attackers until security forces (who patrol near schools) arrive Israel has deterred Palestinian school attacks for the last 30 years.

 This is, incidentally, a matter of deliberate policy, not just of idiosyncratic sadism. The theory is that by killing children, especially in front of their parents, Palestinians maximize the chance of terrorizing the Jews. Also such attacks initially seemed a low-risk strategy: So when Arafat's and other Palestinian terror groups started out over thirty years ago their first targets were schools and school buses.

It works even on today's suicide terrorists. While willing to die, they still avoid schools lest they be shot down before they can kill the children. It is easier to kill in places and circumstances where strangers are allowed entrance rather than barred, as illustrated by a May 31, 2002 incident reported by the Israeli news service Arutz Sheva: "At about 8:30 AM, [a Palestinian terrorist entered the town of Shavei Shomron, opened] fire and threw at least one grenade at the kindergarten before setting off on a shooting spree through the town. He opened fire at several residents and homes before David Elbaz, owner of the local mini-market, gave chase and killed him with gunshots. In addition to several grenades and the [rifle] the terrorist carried on him, security sweeps revealed several explosive devices that he had intended to detonate during the thwarted attack."

Note that he did NOT try to enter the school. That would have required that he successfully shoot it out with school personnel in order to get  into a position to set off his bombs. (A few days before, a suicide terrorist was killed by a teacher before he could harm anyone.)

The above is from Don Kates, a  longtime  eminent civil rights attorney and Second Amendment supporter who, incidentally, also is a liberal Democrat.

P.S.  Students at at least several New York City Jewish schools also are always under the protection of trained armed guards there.  Volunteer parents take turns performing that duty after acquiring the equipment and skills necessary to protect their children.