Another week, another school shooting…ho-hum, yawn…I mean, we should be used to this by now, shouldn’t we? I mean we’ve only had 17 of them in the first three months of 2023, so no big deal — right?I don’t know what kind of evil can take over a person’s soul to the point where they consciously plan and implement the actual slaughter of innocent adults and children. My brain simply cannot comprehend it — and actually, I’m glad of that fact. Otherwise, I might be able to feel some sense of empathy and understanding, and the fact that I can’t is actually a good thing. I wrote last year, it is time for us to square up with what might be done to actually make a dent in this madness.

But before I dive back into that, let’s be brave enough to admit that nobody has a perfect, foolproof answer on this issue. Any time you think something is foolproof you better take into account the fools you are proofing it from.

The far left has to admit that eliminating guns in America won’t happen. The far right has to admit that anybody having immediate, open access to any gun is not only dangerous but foolish (what was that about foolproof again?).

So let’s approach this from a middle ground, common sense view. What can be done that doesn’t reek of partisanship that can make a real difference?

First, acknowledge that since 1999 the average age of school shooters is 16. Given that fact, raise the minimum age to be able to purchase any gun or ammunition to 21. Period. There is a big maturity difference between an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old. If you’re not old enough to buy from a liquor store then why should you be able to go into a gun store and do it? Both are proven deadly when in the wrong hands.

If the guns used are taken from parents/guardians where those weapons were not secured, then the adults in question should be liable as well, and should be criminally charged as such.

We need deeper background checks, and if any red flags arise then no deal. If all clears, then implement a mandatory 48 hour waiting period before you get your gun. Many times something done in the heat of an emotional moment will cool down with a little time, and that alone may save lives.

Be brave enough to put real teeth into existing laws — and, if you even make a gun threat even online it should be a felony, too.

Have our tech experts develop ways to monitor algorithms on social media to flag people who post threatening/violent material as quickly as possible. If we have algorithms in place to immediately red flag anyone who makes a threat against the president online then surely the same can be done regarding other violent threats. It would seem that one common thread to be found in all of these situations is a pattern of red flags left behind online by those who committed the acts that somehow just weren’t caught early enough. That can change.

Once and for all, do a serious tactical evaluation of every single school campus to identify potential “hot spots” that could be exploited from the outside. Make immediate improvements where possible. Then create a rotation of community volunteer security forces from retired military/law enforcement that can be utilized to help shore up vastly undermanned on-campus security nationally.

Install mandatory “lock down” mechanisms that automatically lock every single door on campuses, either keeping perpetrators out or trapping them into a single space if they make it inside. and if there are glass doors on the exterior of buildings, then make sure the “lock down” doors on every main entrance inside these buildings are metal.

Augment resources on mental health evaluations and monitoring in our schools and empower ourselves to better identify students who are most likely to evolve into a danger to society. Young people who have shown signs of emotional distress and/or have displayed more violent tendencies need to be addressed as early and often as possible — in particular young males.

It is a scientifically proven fact that certain antidepressants and ADHD medications can cause violent side effects. If young people are on them, their behavior should be more closely monitored.

As I’ve said many times over the last 20 or so years, there is a war underway for the spirit of America. We are in the midst of a moral and spiritual rot festering in the very soul of this once-great nation, and sadly much of the anger and bitterness that feeds that rot is rooted in the plague of broken homes. It is almost guaranteed that a broken home is somewhere in play at some point down the line in all of these cases. As a result, young people who come from them who have also displayed violent tendencies need to be identified and addressed as early as possible. Intervention may very well be the key in saving their life — and others.

Until we can start stabilizing the homes these young people are being raised in, our society must employ common sense approaches to protect ourselves. And, it must be said that it’s way past time for some true leaders to actually be brave enough to make it happen for our nation.