Feb 25, 2018 3 min read

I have a modest proposal for our society. Let us bring back a well-regulated militia. Start with arming our teachers.

Guns are here to stay. That horse left the barn after Sandy Hook. But, I believe I have the perfect solution for the National Rifle Association and their bought-and-paid-for politicians:

1. Every school needs at least one gun locker. I would say one at each point of egress during emergencies, stocked with rifles, shotguns, radios and some kind of uniform.

2. Teachers will volunteer for lethal weapon training. Schools will give them Act 48 credits for continuing their education. They will also receive a stipend to continue their training and lethal weapons re-exams.

3. Teachers in the volunteer militia will need a palm or pass code to open the gun lockers. It should take two teachers or staff members to open the locker, and their names would be logged in. As soon as a locker is opened, 911 is called and all district cameras send their feeds to the local police department. Having four to 12 armed volunteers would be an instant force multiplier and would provide overwatch during fire drills and emergency situations. If a perpetrator understood that security and armed militia were in the school building, they may be deterred from entering and creating mayhem.

4. How to pay for this? Easy, the price of freedom is not free.

A. A 6-cent federal and state tax on each round of ammunition.

B. A 2-cent state and federal tax on all primers for reloading.

C. A $100 tax on each new semiautomatic gun and $50 tax on all other guns. And a $50 transfer tax on all guns.

D. Black powder rifles and pistols would not be subject to the gun tax, but the powder will be taxed on a 25-cent-per-ounce basis

E. A $150 gun show tax on weapons brought to a gun show.

F. Pennsylvania militia tax. When filling out the state paperwork, there will be a $50 state tax on each gun.

5. What will the money be used for?

A. Lethal weapon training for volunteers.

B. Outfitting schools with weapons caches.

C. Firearms and equipment: Prices could be brought down by picking one type of pistol, rifle and shotgun for the weapons cache. All weapons and ammunition bought for militia use would be subject to a tax.

D. Locking mechanism for weapons cache.

E. New curricula in the high schools. Basic gun care, hunter safety and marksmanship.

F. All middle and high schools would be required to have co-ed rifle teams.

If we don’t want to curtail gun ownership, then we should make sure that our society is ready to use them.

Stephen T. Nardi

Claysville