To prevent more school shootings, change to “protecting now.” Don’t keep trying to pass more gun laws that don’t work due to the difficulty of enforcement. It’s not easy to identify mentally ill possible shooters, either.

I believe four areas should be considered as one way to address the problem:

1. Building security.

2. Obstacles (airlocks).

3. Arming teachers.

4. Altering all children’s and teachers’ desks.

Note: An airlock is a small room with a door at each end.

Explanation of above:

1. Once school has started, lock all doors to the exterior. The ideal way to do this is to have all airlock doors to the exterior controlled electrically from the principal’s office in case of fire. Other ways to accomplish this are OK as long as they are effective.

2. All exterior classrooms and the principal’s office should be equipped with airlock units. Note: Airlock units will offer a lot of noise generation to get around or through, which will announce the intruder’s presence before he has shot anyone.

3. All teachers should be armed. A mentally ill shooter can only be stopped by immediate return fire.

4. Alter all children’s and teachers’ desks in such a way as to be protective devices as well as desks.

Come on, people! Get it together and find ways to protect our kids in classrooms. Try to use existing materials from the marketplace. It’s much quicker.

Protecting our children and teachers in the classrooms and school corridors has quicker and much greater potential for saving our children and teachers now than trying to pass more gun laws that don’t work due to the difficulty of enforcement.

Phillip Kupelian

West Falmouth