Lucas offers response to local man’s opinion column

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By Jim Lucas

Guest columnist

In response to Mr. Steve Plasse’s opinion article published May 11 regarding my recently passed legislation and other passed legislation, I want to counter his emotional hysterics.

Sadly, school shootings happen. All school shootings have happened in “gun-free zones.” GFZ’s are where people that obey gun laws are made easy victims for those who don’t obey gun laws.

In an active shooter scenario, people with guns are called and begged to arrive on scene as fast as possible. When seconds count, the police are minutes away.

Indiana schools currently decide their own firearm policies. That local control remains, and my legislation simply provides a specific standardized training format, paid for by the state, for those schools that volunteer for this program. Teachers and staff must also volunteer and pass a psychiatric evaluation for this program.

Not only does this program provide staff an opportunity to protect themselves in an active shooter scenario, but it provides an incredible deterrent, as well.

If school staff doesn’t want to learn to defend themselves in an active shooter situation, nobody is forcing them to.

The Sandy Hook shooter killed 20 children and six staff members in less than 5 minutes and committed suicide when police arrived.

At the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, 14 students and three staff members were killed as police waited outside. The follow-up study commission recommended unanimously to arm and train staff because the shooter had time to reload five times during the shooting. Parents sued Parkland School Corp. afterwards, but a federal court ruled that police do not have a duty to protect us, even children as they are being murdered right in front of them. The Supreme Court has ruled this also. Not once, but twice.

At the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting, children and staff continually called 911 as 377 heavily armed police waited for 77 minutes with dozens in the hallways. Nineteen elementary students and two staff were being murdered as this happened.

The Nashville school shooter planned her shooting for months and shot 152 rounds in 14 minutes before she was neutralized. She had the time to reload at least five times during this period.

Mr. Plasse made reference to smutty “literature” being targeted by legislation. The General Assembly passed legislation that simply prohibited K-3 graders from being taught about or shown diagrams related to anal and oral sex. Parents and members of the public brought evidence to the committee hearings of these vulgar displays, and I want to think that reasonable people should agree on what type of sexual material should be shown to this age group.

Or are you arguing for that, Mr. Plasse? Do you honestly think K-3 graders should be taught about and shown depictions of anal/oral sex?

And yes, allowing children to identify however they want is a problem. A major problem. There are only two genders, and enabling any child, who is still developing emotionally and physically, to be able to “identify” as anything other than their biological sex exposes that child to an unlimited amount of highly destructive and unforeseen mental health issues.

Because of this liberal mentality, biological males are currently being allowed in female restrooms and locker rooms in schools in our own district. This is a gross injustice to females and places them in extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situations.

Thankfully, to empower parents and give them options from these allowances in our public taxpayer funded schools, the General Assembly just passed a very expansive educational choice program. This legislation gives taxpaying parents a say in their child’s taxpayer funded education so they can decide what is or isn’t best for their child.

Jim Lucas, a resident of Seymour and a businessman, represents Indiana’s 69th House District. Send comments to [email protected].

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