Proposals

Over the past week, I've seen calls for:

• More/better gun control
• More/better mental health treatment 
• Less violence in the culture (movies, TV, video games)
• Less/different coverage of mass murders 
• Legalization of recreational drugs (less "drug control")
• More guns in schools (i.e., arming teachers)

The first four involve, ultimately, restrictions on freedom; the latter two do not.

I don't know whether any of these proposals would have actually prevented the particular incident which has dominated the headlines and op ed pages over the past week. They strike me, for the most part, as well-intentioned but ultimately opportunistic advancement of pre-existing political agendas. I can't help thinking that one's conclusions on these issues are very heavily influenced by one's starting assumptions and personal predilections.

The one political agenda I have not seen advanced anywhere (yet) in response to the incident is home schooling. It is not a "universal" cure, by any stretch of the imagination. But for those parents who are willing and able to homeschool their kids, this strikes me as a highly effective way to steer clear of the danger. First, their kids are not in a large group of children, so they are a less attractive target. Second, their kids are not on government property (which is generally required to be at least semi-open to the public) but on private property, so their kids are less accessible to sickos. Harder to find, harder to access.

UPDATE| Just a few hours after I posted this, I saw Peggy Noonan's op ed in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition. She points out (among other things) that homeschooling could become more popular in the wake of the incident. So now I know for sure that I am not the first or only person to see this particular connection!