Re: Should juveniles be allowed to also carry weapons both in and out school for self defense?

[James Goolsby]

Hmmm…

As a cop and a father, I gotta say, I’m a bit torn on this one. I’m all for kids protecting themselves, but I think I would hesitate making this an across-the-board recommendation. I think it best to take it on a case by case basis. There is no denying that many kids simply lack the maturity level to handle something like this properly. I can see a small squabble taking a bad turn in a hurry. Kids that aren’t able to see the difference shouldn’t be allowed to carry weapons (except for, perhaps, pepper spray, but even that…) Then again, I suppose one could make this same argument about a lot of damn adults, too!

I think I would be more comfortable starting my children out with some basic, non-aggresive SDTS tactics (i.e. Mod 5), see how they do, and move up from there. Should they demonstrate that they can handle it, then we may get into some of the weapons training, but not before. That sounds like a solid plan. Oh, wait, that’s what I’m doing with them now! LOL