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Letter: Who should pay for school safety?

By Richard Hill, Vancouver
Published: December 9, 2018, 6:00am

As a volunteer at my local elementary school, I stopped at the front desk to renew my volunteer application. I was greeted with a whole new level of security at the front door. The doors are all locked during school hours, as usual, so I was buzzed in by the front desk. On entering I noticed a new bulletproof barrier with a locked entrance just inside the front doors. Also at the front window was a quick closing bulletproof shield. It felt very much like a prison.

In this day and age we are told that there is nothing we can do about gun violence. This is the price we have to pay. But my question is: who should pay? Society has decided that the users of certain items should bare the costs to society. Cigarettes and alcohol are taxed at a high rate to treat the health effects that are burdened onto society. Those who use these legal products pay dearly to continue use. Shouldn’t the costs of protecting our most vulnerable be borne by the users who purchase these weapons of war, i.e., high-capacity magazines, assault rifles, etc.? Tax these items and use the proceeds to armor our schools, preschools, churches, etc. Where would the list end?

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