-
Alan Abelson, RIP
May 10, 2013 | 20 comments
-
South Carolina on My Mind
April 30, 2013 | 31 comments
-
Dream Sequences
April 26, 2013 | 62 comments
-
Just Like a Woman
April 25, 2013 | 35 comments
-
Missing So Many
April 19, 2013 | 41 comments
Ben Stein's Diary
No More Newtowns
But that will require really loving our children. Plus: He called me “Benjy.”
Wednesday
I am just back from an
agonizingly long airplane trip from IAD to LAX. We had powerful
headwinds and the flight, normally about 5 and a half hours, was
more like 7. Plus, we had a long wait at IAD to board. Luckily, I
was able to have a hot dog from Five Guys. It was great, as is
everything they sell.
Anyway, I had a long time to think on the plane and this is a little bit of what I thought about:
Of course, like every other human being, I am horrified by the murders of innocent children and adults at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. The tragedy is overwhelming.
I have read a lot of nonsense about the subject since the murders. The most startling was an article by a medical doctor that said that only a small percentage of premeditated mass murders were done by mentally ill people — and a really tiny percentage of all murders were done by mentally ill people.
How can that possibly be? Doesn’t the act of murdering a fellow human being by itself define the killer as mentally ill? It reminds me of a conversation I once had with a man who had, as a young man, interviewed Adolf Hitler. I asked the interviewer if it were obvious right away that the Führer was mentally ill.
The man said that Hitler was not at all mentally ill. He was just a clever politician.
“But, sir,” I asked him, calling him “sir” since this man was a very, very high ranking official in government, and a longtime pal and classmate of my Pop, “doesn’t the historical truth that Hitler ordered the murder of six million innocent Jews by itself show that he was insane?”
The man looked at his salad and said nothing. He was famous for keeping his own counsel, one might say.
Anyway, let’s assume that all murderers are insane and there are a great many of them out there. Let’s assume that we will not knowingly sell any kind of gun to a mentally ill person. And let’s for certain sure swear we will never allow another mass murder at a school. How do we do it? How do we keep the kids safe at school?
In my mind, a clear answer comes out: hire guards, and lots of them, at schools, assign them bulletproof jackets and guns, and there you are. If there are armed guards all over a school, there cannot be any more Sandy Hooks or Virginia Techs. Why don’t we do this? Guards are not expensive and even if they were, they are worth the money. They may be intrusive to look at, but we’ll get used to them. We have accustomed ourselves to armies of TSA agents at airports.
Whatever it costs, let’s get on the job. We cannot track down all mentally ill men. There are too many of them. There are already 200 million firearms floating around the nation. Very hard to control. That ship has sailed. Plus, it really is true: guns don’t kill people. People kill people.
But guards at the doors and in the halls — guards like the TSA at the airports only armed — that’s simple and direct. We just have to do something and this seems like the most direct route to safer children and schools.
What do we have to lose? Newtown cannot ever happen again. Gun control is not the answer, unless they can make a weapon that cannot be fired by someone who has failed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory — and is not in uniform. So, guards are the simple answer and I like simple answers.
But there is a lot more to be said. We talk a lot about how much we love our children and how much we want them to be safe and loved. At least some of us talk a lot about that.
But, do we really love our children?
About the Author
Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes “Ben Stein’s Diary” for every issue of The American Spectator.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (38) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Ben Stein
More Articles From Ben Stein's Diary
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/12/24/no-more-newtowns
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Wincing at Cumberbatch
- A President Loses His Power
- Self-Righteous Republic
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Jack in Wi| 12.24.12 @ 8:04AM
Amen to Ben on most of his comments. If liberals cared so much about kids why do they love abortion so much? Obama is a mass murderer of children with his drone program and pushing for abortion for everyone even to after birth. The democrats want abortion, and homosexuality in the schools and God out. They truely are the party of death and taxes. Ben! Bork should have been Reagan's first appoiment not his last. Sandra Day O'Connor was sellout number one. Howard Phillips had her pegged from the beginning. Several well trained armed teachers are the best answers in the schools. Give them each 10,000 a year to pack heat. It would be the best solution in my opinion.
Jacob McCandles| 12.24.12 @ 8:48AM
Apparently a baby is not a human being because it is not in the right place. According to liberals if a baby is in Mom's tummy, it's not a human. If it is outside the womb it's a person. So location matters. Maybe the source of nutrition matters too. If a person receives nutrients from a cord, it's not a person any more. So, location and source of nutrition define personhood. Obviously, stage of development, or gestational age do not matter. 12 weeks, 21 weeks, no matter. Late term, no matter.
Butch22| 12.24.12 @ 12:19PM
Policemen and sheriff deputies in schools?
All we need here in rural Georgia is more fat-assed sheriffs deputies standing around all day in an elemetary school, where the likelihood of a shooting is about 1 in 1,000,000.
The very idea is idiotic. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than shot in a mass shooting.
Hysteria coming from all corners!
chuck| 12.24.12 @ 1:10PM
Yo, Dumbass!
That's probably what they thought in Newtown.
Merry Christmas.....maybe Santa will bring you a brain.
Occam's Tool| 12.24.12 @ 3:56PM
Interestingly, most of the Liberal media scoffers about having armed cops in school send their kids to private schools with...gasp...armed guards. Like the Friends academy Sharia and Malaria attend.
No, Ben, Hitler was a psychopath, not psychotic. You are completely ignorant on all things related to Mental Health, Ben.
But you are correct that single parent families are, on the whole, dreadful for kids. (Yes, there are always exceptions, but I am talking about the situation overall.)
Cobalt| 12.24.12 @ 8:12AM
Can evil and mental illness be mutually exclusive?
Are evil people mentally ill? Can mentally ill people be evil? Can mental illness cause people to carry out evil fantasies? All questions way above my pay grade.
Unfortunately, we will have more mass murders in the future, and the killers will not be deterred by the lack of a gun. If there were no guns, the would be killers would just choose another weapon.
Mr.Stein, you are correct about putting armed guards in schools. If there had been a police car sitting outside the entrance to the school in Newtown, I don't think Lanza would have entered the school and killed the children. That is just my opinion.
Also, you are right about Robert Bork having been horribly mistreated, and about how bad Ted Kennedy was, even though I think you were much to kind in your assessment of Kennedy. Some people think Senator Kennedy should have been given a dignified, formal buriel at sea in a black Oldsmobile.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.24.12 @ 4:08PM
"Are evil people mentally ill?"
Perhaps should should begin using the term "morally ill" to describe such people, and take appropriate precautions in dealing with them.
chuck| 12.24.12 @ 8:47AM
Liberal's number one cause: No one is personally responsible for what they do. Mass murder is blamed on the gun, not the gunman. Pregnant and don't want to be? No problem, Planned Parenthood will rip out that little bastard! In poverty because of your own poor decisions? No way, it's because some rich stole got your "fair share of the stuff". And by God, the libs will make sure that they take your stuff back from the rich guy, just make sure to keep putting them back in office.
Ben, hope you had a Happy Hanukkah.
To everyone at AS, Merry Christmas, and may the New Year be joyful and prosperous.
And may God bless you all.
Frank Drackman| 12.24.12 @ 9:01AM
Answer to Newtown, Arm the Students,
Hey, My sister was double tapping at age 8, if your kids are pussies, thats a You problem...
Heres what I wanta know Ben-ster..
Even with your stupid Head Winds, doesn't the Earth rotate West to East? at over 1000mph? So when you fly west, shouldn't the flight to LA take only about 2 hrs?
But it doesn't, explain THAT
Frank
SUBVET| 12.24.12 @ 11:31AM
More ....TSA...... government intervention in our schools when does this sh*t end ?
Stormzeye| 12.25.12 @ 8:50AM
Random teachers should have a concealed weapon. We have Air Marshals, why not Classroom Marshals. We don't have to go the route of Thousands Standing Around.
Kwan| 12.24.12 @ 9:08AM
Yes it is absolute insanity that the left was able to reject a man of sterling qualities like Robert Bork to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court, but two leftist-automatons like Sotomayer and Kagan get approved to go about the business of advancing the non-Constitutional leftist agenda.
C. Vernon Crisler | 12.24.12 @ 10:00AM
Bork would definitely not have given us the asinine Roberts' decision in the case of Obamacare.
Kwan| 12.24.12 @ 10:56AM
Yes the Senate drunk Kennedy correctly ascertained that Bork would be an obstacle to the left's non-Constitutional agenda and therefore he was rejected. It's no longer about being qualified to do the job, it's all about how far to the left on the political spectrum are you and will you be a useful idiot for the left. Kagan for instance has no prior experience as a judge. Her only qualification was her leftism, which is the main requirement these days according to the Democrats.
Lawrence Kennon | 12.24.12 @ 9:34AM
I think that many of the people wanting to ban guns (Bushmasters today, your .22LR tomorrow) actually love children less than they hate guns and the NRA. How else can you explain all the vicious attacks on the NRA suggesting armed police in schools? Personally I think just allow teachers to get a concealed carry license and bring that handgun to school. No one will know who has one (that is why it is called "concealed carry"). It has worked fantastically well in states that allow civilians to do so. So why not in schools too?
http://free2beinamerica2.wordpress.com
Suzyqpie| 12.24.12 @ 10:18AM
Just like the Air Marshalls. No one knows who they are or what flights they are assigned. Logic rarely wins in government, but this idea makes the most economic sense. Oh yea, that would be the last consideration. Kids serve as human shields to grow government.
Lawrence Kennon | 12.25.12 @ 7:31AM
"Kids serve as human shields to grow government"? Wow! That is awesome. Needs to be on bumper stickers!
Cobalt| 12.24.12 @ 10:25AM
Ultimately, what people wanting to ban guns hate the most is the U.S. Constitution.
Frank Drackman| 12.24.12 @ 10:01AM
Funny how no mass murders have occured at
1: Police Stations
2: Liquor Stores
3: Gun Stores
4: Cigar Shops
5: Military Firing Ranges,
and don't tell me about Fort Hood, away from the Ranges/Front Gates, at most military bases a loaded weapon is as rare as a Heterosexual Female Officer...
Frank
JP| 12.24.12 @ 11:07AM
You forgot to mention Delta Force and SEAL reunions
PaulDixon| 12.24.12 @ 10:29AM
Ben,
Well written and I concur. If we truly care about children we will take the steps necessary to keep them as safe as we can. I'm afraid that what we will get is too much rhetoric and empty gestures.
JP| 12.24.12 @ 11:06AM
If we really want to do everything to protect children, give them the most stable homes and lives that we provide, and give them the most solid foundation in which to thrive we would do the following:
1)Outlaw no-fault divorce
2)Make adultery a misdemenor offense, and prosecution of adultery public
3)Make fornication amongst minors a serious crime, which can lead to time in juevy hall
4)Up the age of consent to 18.
5)Disallow housing for couples who are not married
6)Give young married men preference in the trades, universities and job hiring
7)Prohibit women under 30 from entrance into colleges
8)Prohibit women entry in the federal government
9)Offer large tax incentives for married couples with more than 3 children
10)Disestablish the Dept of Education
11)Reform teacher unions, prohibit collective bargaining
12)Make the rape of minors of capital offense with mandatory 30 year jail time for first time offense
13)Life Sentences for child predators
14)Mandatory weapons safety training for all 18 year old males/females
15)Phase out Social Security
16)Repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments
17)Reform the Federal Reserve and stress low inflation, medium interest rates that encourage savings
18)Prohibit federal defecits to less than 2% of GDP
19)Establish permanent energy advisory board that promotes domestic energy independence and inexepnisve energy
20)Bring back Twinkies and Ding Dongs
C. Vernon Crisler | 12.24.12 @ 12:37PM
6, 7, 8, ?
JP| 12.26.12 @ 8:30AM
Vernon,
I only wanted to highlight the problems of maintaining families in the traditional sense. Of course, what I suggested would never fly politically or legally. But, if we want to do everything possible to establish stable, safe families we would first get women out of the work place (that would drive up wages); secondly, we would do the same with federal job placements; thirdly, in order to keep women at home bearing children we would bar them for seeking higher education until their 30s.
Needless to say, forcing the government to openly discriminate against a gender in order to reach an acceptable social goal is fascist and would not work. Young, intelligent women wouldn't stand for it; and frankly, if women were forced out of colleges and workplaces the economy would suffer.
Marc Jeric| 12.24.12 @ 11:24AM
In another triumph for the ACLU, some 30 years ago the insane were given the "right" to refuse the interment in asylums for the dangerous lunatics. As the consequence of the newly found "human right" hundreds of asylums for the dangerous lunatic were closed out, and these were let free to roam city streets as the new homeless, with some of them free to plot mass murders.
Families of such dangerous lunatics must be given back the right to confine their insane to asylums. All mass murders in the past 30 years have been committed by the criminally insane, and no new gun control laws will do anything useful to remedy this monstrosity imposed on us by the ACLU (formerly the legal arm of the Communist Party USA).
Rhoetus| 12.24.12 @ 11:42AM
With the exception of the TSA and the idiotic policy of bothering people at the airport- this was one of the best written and argued essays that I have read by Mr. Stein. Bravo!
Hardcard| 12.24.12 @ 12:20PM
News Update: U.S. Army sending troops to Africa WTF is going on ?????? What happened to responding 0n 9-11-12 in Bengazhi????? And the moslem is partying on our dime in Hawaii!!!
Intelligent Design| 12.24.12 @ 1:30PM
A gun isn't even necessary. Every car, truck and bus is a lethal weapon in the hands of an incompetent driver, someone with a medical problem, or someone intent on killing people. Banning certain types of guns is no more a solution than banning SUV's, big trucks, or school buses. Or banning airplanes. Dumb, dumb, and dumber.
russell.j.coller.jr| 12.24.12 @ 1:31PM
Benjy: unfortunately, one tends to forget the monument at the center of some American resumes'. The old man Bork was a Young Marine Officer at one time in his extra-ordinary life. Don't forget it. [on your face & give twenty - for the Marines.] -love ya pal.
moronpolitics | 12.25.12 @ 12:49AM
what twaddle. Humans will not change. Even if we choose to live 24 hours a day under the supervision of armed guards, one day one of said guards will slaughter his fellows and some of us before he is, too, brought down. Of course, you can choose to believe in anything you like including that 1000's of men and women nay 10's of thousands can be found to guard us and each and every will be of sound and stable mind forever. I would sooner believe in bigfoot and flying reindeer. PLEASE, THINK. Even a one celled organism can "react". Humans, most, were given a brain.
moronpolitics | 12.25.12 @ 12:55AM
Addendum: The guy that went berserk at Fort Hood was a Major, chosen and trained to handle weapons and battle stress, even to lead and counsel others. A deeply RELIGIOUS man. What did HE DO??? Wouldn't he, had he retired, been the perfect candidate to be an armed school guard???????
Frank Drackman| 12.25.12 @ 8:54AM
Hey Moron,
Major Whats-His-Name(and shouldn't all mass-murderers be "Whats-his-Names"?) was an Army Psychiatrist, and yeah, he might have shot his M9 a few times, but he wasnt really Dakota Meyer..
And I'd hardly consider a fundamentalist Muslim the perfect candiate for anything other than a Mossad Assassination,
But thats just me,
Frank
JP| 12.26.12 @ 8:32AM
Fundamentalist Muslim? In many parts of the world he would be considered a mainstream Muslim. And Fundementalist is probably not the correct term -Wanhabist Muslim is much more accurate.
Mnestheus| 12.25.12 @ 6:30AM
The TSA's unsurpassed record of false positives and missed terrorists should make every public intellectual of ben's calbre clammor for providing its 60,000 minions with firearms.
How can we expect America's best beloved new bureaucracy to outstrip the taliban's efforts to reduce our surplus population if we deny its minions equal access to lethal force?
Frank Drackman| 12.25.12 @ 9:03AM
Ben, I have to ask,
WHO GETS A HOTDOG AT 5 GUYS!?!?!?!?!?!?
its like goin to KFC for the fish,
goin to the Palm for Macaroni and Cheese,
dream date with Joanna Angel and you suck her toes...
OK, just bustin balls, I've had the Hot Dog at 5 Guys too, very delish(and Kosher!) and that crying sound is my Left Anterior Descending(thats a Doctor word)
Frank "I Like Sucking Toes" Drackman
Marc Jeric| 12.25.12 @ 4:13PM
It seems that everybody forgot the great ACLU triumph when it acquires a new "human right" for the insane to refuse to be placed in and asylum for such. Ans so over the last 30-odd years we have literally millions of crazies, some of them bent on mass murder, roaming our cities as homeless, or hiding in the families impotent to send them into an asylum.
mike 3/505| 12.26.12 @ 8:31PM
Why do we have to have huge government intervention to make our schools safe. Government intervention "gun free zones" are what caused the high casualty count. How about just enforcing the US Constitution and stop preventing teachers who are eligible, from carrying a weapon at school? Simple. Probably too simple for the liberal/ statist mindset.
AlG| 12.27.12 @ 5:09PM
Mr Stein I admire your many contributions and have recommended your blog to all my friends. However, I cannot believe what I am reading in this column. The idea of MORE guns to control a problem is simply nonsense. Assault weapons and high capacity cartridges MUST be banned completely including people who currently own them. Consider the armed school guard with his holstered 9 MM gun. The crazed gunman with his AK 47 comes in, fires 10 shots killing the guard before he ever gets his gun out. The only message the kids will get is that violence wins out and they can never be truly safe. Besides, this country had an assault weapon ban and the world did not end!!! At the rate my Republican party is moving with their no compromise positions they will not win anymore national elections for 50 years and by then the Liberaterian party will have replaced them as the alternative to the Democrats which might not be a bad thing. We need to win the war to preserve our country from the Democrats we do not and cannot win these battles with uncompromising positions.