Press Release for Immediate distribution
US-DIN
Utah Self-Defense Instructors' Network
We at US-DIN are deeply saddened at the senseless loss of life that occurred on Monday at Red Lake High School in Minnesota.
This situation, like other mass shootings, are frustrating to us in that we believe they are largely preventable. We see this as yet another shooting that has occurred in places ignorantly perceived as safe. They are "perceived" as such because of signs and policies that prohibit weapons. Yet they take little if any affirmative action to insure safety, let alone allowing for lawful Self-Defense. They pay lip service to security procedures and personnel and place "Feel Good" signs restricting weapons.
Indeed we cannot state for a certainty what would have happened had a teacher or administrator at Red Lake HS been allowed to carry a concealed firearm for lawful self-defense. However, we can state with absolute certainty what DID happen when lawful concealed carry was disallowed.
I look forward to a enlivening and enlarging of the debate regarding firearms in schools. US-DIN has never been more committed to maintaining the ability for lawful concealed carry in and around Utah's Schools. Utah, as 1 of few states which allow concealed carry in schools, is watched carefully as we are a "laboratory' of sorts for concealed carry in these environments. We have had this ability since 1995 and it has been recently "re-enforced" with legislation in past years as well as successfully fending off attacks which would have mitigated lawful self-defense in school and churches.
Such debate will certainly show the futility of the anti self-defense groups which seek to promote their ideologically driven agenda by fear, and un-truths and the public's misunderstanding of the facts.
Indeed, our adversaries had an ideal situation at Red Lake HS,
1. No guns allowed per Minnesota and Tribal law
2. a guard was present at entrance
3. Metal Detectors were present
4. the shooter was on home study and not supposed to be at school.
5. He was too young to own or posses firearms per Mn. and tribal law.
6. The firearm was NOT obtained from a gun show.
7. The firearm was legally registered.
8. The firearm came from the home of a Law Enforcement Officer.
I await a response from our opponents on these facts and discussion on what additional laws they believe would have prevented this.
We see some commonalities in the Wisconsin church shootings, Atlanta GA killings and Red Lake, MN HS shootings.
1. They all occurred in gun free zones.
2. Red Lake and Atlanta weapons used came from Law Enforcement Officers.
3. No chance for victims to shoot back as Guards, Judges, court stenographer, teachers, administration were unarmed.
4. Police were called, arrived and were not able to save anyone before the carnage ended.
5. School administration has become complacent after Columbine because the shooter's previous threats went unheeded.
6. Metal detectors and guards helped people to FEEL safer (Complacency)
7. Shooter was able to walk around killing unimpeded knowing that there would be no return fire.
8. People cried and cowered in locked rooms hoping he couldn’t get in.
9. Guards, if they do have a gun, are the first targets because their firearm is apparent. Whereas CCW holders have “concealed†weapons and as such are not an obvious target because they are not perceived as a threat to the shooter.
Once again our adversaries would seek to legislate, put up signs and enact "rules against firearms" . We see that even with these in place their efforts are only effective against that segment of the population that are inclined to follow them, (law abiding citizens) and do not, in any way, influence compliance on a criminal's part let alone someone bent on violence.
These signs, rules and statutes;
1. do nothing to insure safety
2. insure that the a person bent on violence will not be inhibited by "return fire" from someone acting in lawful-Self-Defense.
3. actually are worse than nothing as it takes the attention off of the real problems and leads to a sense of complacency with respect to security at a site. Ignorantly thinking that a sign will protect them.
We encourage the legislators of the states that disallow citizen's ability of lawful self-defense to reject the continued rhetoric of the anti gun groups and their ideologically driven agendas. We encourage them to look realistically at the unrealized claims of death and carnage used as a basis for more gun control. We encourage them to allow more lawful self-defense rather than mitigate the same and subject their constituents to increasingly unsafe environments.
Sincerely,
W. Clark Aposhian
Chair US-DIN
Utah Self-Defense Instructors' Network
801-943-5322 Office
US-DIN is network of Utah Concealed Firearm Instructors who maintain a code of ethical standards and participate in a Commitment to Excellence program.
Mr. Aposhian is a board member of Utah's Department of Public Safety/Bureau of Criminal Identification's Concealed Carry Review Board.
