Before the national conversation moves on entirely, I resolve not to forget the victims and families of Parkland, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, New York, San Bernardino, Orlando, Sandy Hook, Columbine and others.
I commend Florida for taking some small steps to prevent mass shootings and school violence. I regret that it has come to arming teachers, but I believe each community and school district must decide how best to keep students safe and prevent these tradgedies. I think the first step should always be identification and intervention of troubled and potentially violent individuals. Second should be securing the schools through preparation and lockdown procedures.
Regardless of the dilligence of Federal, State or local authorities, government can never keep track of all the crazies and some restrictions on access to guns must be part of the solution. As a nation, we all need to understand why wounds inflicted by the AR-15 and other assault rifles are so devastatingly lethal. Several excellent articles recently by doctors who treated the victims, see the Miami Herald and other publications.
I also will not forget the families being ripped apart by the abject and unconscionsable cruelty of misguided immigration policies.
And in other news, over the years I’ve purchased structural steel for various farm projects. I remember when it was all stamped “Made in USA” and I did not like changing over to foreign steel. Some industries are the foundation for other manufacturing. But if the problem is mainly an oversupply of Chinese steel on the world market, then we should embargo Chinese steel. We don’t need to kick our friends and allies in the teeth with a blanket tariff. All structural materials should be labeled with their Country of origin.
Without talking about the importance of the State Department, I think Rex Tillerson was an honest man who tried his best in a difficult situation.
