In response to the National Rifle Association's (NRA) news conference, offering to fund a National School Shield Program, which would be geared toward protecting every single one of the nation's schools, and making sure armed guards were protecting the children in the schools, Dave Weigel , Slate, and others use the dishonest intellectual argument that Comunbine had an armed guard.
Then links to a piece where that guard describes the day of the Columbine massacre... where he states he and the campus supervisor were eating lunch in his car "monitoring students in the 'Smokers’ Pit,' a spot just to the northwest of campus in Clement Park where the students congregated to smoke cigarettes."
Actually, Weigel's link is affirmation of the NRA's suggestion that those guarding the schools should be trained for that purpose, at entrances and exits, not monitoring the "smokers pit."
When the cafeteria bombs failed to explode, Harris and Klebold convened and walked toward the school. Both armed, they walked to the top of the West Entrance steps (the highest point of the campus). From this vantage point, the cafeteria's side entrance was located at the bottom of the staircase, with the school's main West Entrance located to the left and the athletic fields to the right. Klebold and Harris threw a pipe bomb, which exploded.Who was guarding the West entrance Mr. Weigel? No one.
At 11:19 a.m., a witness heard Eric Harris yell "Go! Go!" At that moment, the two gunmen pulled out their guns from beneath their trenchcoats and Harris began shooting with his 9 mm semi-automatic carbine at two 17-year-old students who had been sitting upon a grassy knoll next to the West Entrance of the school. Rachel Scott was hit four times and killed instantly. Richard Castaldo was shot eight times in the chest, arm and abdomen and partially paralyzed. It is unknown who fired first or which gunman shot and killed Scott. (Source)
There is the problem.
Mr. Weigel's intellectual dishonesty never fails to amaze me.
PS-- For the record, I am not blaming the guard because generally they do as their told, go where they are told, and deputies are trained for a different type of threat. The guard did bravely exchange fire with the assailants, but after he was called to the area in question. His actions probably saved lives that day.
Casting blame is useless, the question of how to protect our children from those determined to kill, is where the focus should lay.
As I said in my last piece: The NRA has put a solid offer on the board versus "feel good" ideas that protect no one from people determined to kill and they are willing to put millions if not billions of their own money behind the plan.
(Update added in the form of a PS)
