RE “Students to be trained to counter shooters” (Page A1, Nov. 9): I was disheartened beyond words to read about a program that offers would-be victims of school shootings alternatives to the traditional lock-down reaction to such crimes. On Page A2 of the same edition, a half-page article, “Loughner gets life for Arizona rampage,” detailed the sentencing and victim statements in the 2011 Tucson shooting that left six dead and stole the career and future of US Representative Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, among many others.
At no point in either article did the words "gun" and "control" appear together. Neither article quoted gun-control advocates.
Canton police Detective Chip Yeaton, who sounds like a caring citizen and father, spoke in support of the proposed school program, called ALICE, which stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate. Yeaton said that "school shootings continue to happen, and young people are dying. We need to change the philosophy."
Yeaton is right, but his focus is wrong. Our philosophy does indeed need to change: We need to find the real and moral courage to stand down the gun lobbies — the National Rifle Association and other Second Amendment zealots — whose reckless defense of gun rights has led to a society where almost anyone can acquire a Glock 9mm and the ammunition needed to ruin lives and communities in seconds.
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