8:36 a.m.
Sunday, March 25, 2018 8:37 am

We support those high schoolers across the country who protested against gun violence on Saturday, but they should know in their heart of hearts that tougher gun laws do not translate to safer schools or streets.

The fastest way to decrease the level of vulnerability of schoolchildren inside our public schools is to install metal detectors, bolster the security of school entrances through which would-be attackers gain entrance and make sure every school has an armed school resource officer or someone else proficient and licensed in the use of firearms.

Flying in an airplane is likely safer now than it ever has been before, thanks to the TSA and extensive security checks before boarding.

Courthouses across the country also have metal detectors that keep them as safe as can be.

So there are a lot of ways that could make schools safer and less vulnerable to the "crazies" who are always out there.

But bashing the NRA and voting out of office anyone who has a B+ or better ranking from the gun rights organization is not the way to make schools safer.

Sadly, many politicians sought to politicize Saturday's demonstrations by calling on voters to reject any officeholders who are supported by the NRA, instead of focusing on real solutions to school safety.

The safety of our children should be way, way beyond politics; frankly, we are outraged that they would be campaigning on the backs of those who died in Parkland, Fla., as well as the recent shooting in Maryland.

- HT